Breaking free from painkiller addiction allows you to rediscover all of the beauty to be found in life. At the beginning, painkillers seem to offer so much—a profound sense of physical and mental well-being. But once addiction happens, the slide begins. You can lose your health, your friends, your job, your reputation and your family. Your sense of self-worth takes such a hit that you might not even think you deserve those things anymore. The act of getting sober can bring all of that back. There’s no question that it’s hard. But every day that you succeed in staying sober builds your self-wor ..read more

Boost recovery with these tips. Despite the fact that a person chooses to attend addiction rehab, many still feel that successfully breaking the addiction cycle is more about luck than true effort. Many people think that addiction recovery is a matter of chance, but there are some things that people can do to help them enjoy an addiction free lifestyle for the long term. While addiction rehab can teach a person battling addiction essential skills to boost recovery, it’s imperative that people stay focused on their goal of living addiction free even after rehab. These tips should help people b ..read more

Depression makes it seem like you’ll never smile again, but that’s simply not true. Everyone gets sad from time to time, but depression is a whole different story. You don’t know why, but you don’t feel like doing much of anything. Getting out of bed is a battle. You snap at people—or at least you want to—for no reason. Your zest for life is just completely gone. Early Signs of Depression What is the first sign of depression? There is no one clear sign that everyone experiences, but there are a range of symptoms that tend to hit first, including: Being tired all the time and/or having trouble ..read more

A happy and hopeful life can be yours—with the right help.   For many, the opioid crisis isn’t so much a problem as it is an opportunity. An opportunity to set up a phony rehab center, lure in people who need help, take their money and do little else. Or, in the worst-case scenarios, actually feed their clients’ addictions in order to keep receiving insurance money. The sad reality is that there are a lot of people ready and willing to take advantage of the suffering of others. One of the best ways to ensure that this doesn’t happen to you is to choose a treatment program that’s been arou ..read more

A shift in mind-set can help you enjoy the holidays—without alcohol.   There are many good reasons to take it easy with the drinks over the holidays. If you struggle with addiction, you’ll want to avoid alcohol altogether, of course. But even social drinkers should approach the season with caution. Alcohol is everywhere this time of year, making it easy for casual drinking to escalate into problem drinking in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. With that in mind, here are a few tactics to use when you’re tempted to drink. Avoiding Alcohol During the Holidays If you’ve just ..read more

Is your adult son or daughter ready to embrace everything that life has to offer? Your son or daughter has agreed to go to rehab—and you couldn’t be prouder. Now is the time to let go of the past and look toward the future. There is a silver lining in this cloud. Your adult child has made the decision to fight. And it will make them stronger, more resilient and more compassionate. More challenges will come, because that’s the way life is, and your child will have the tools to fight again. The next step is to find a treatment program that will equip your child for the task ahead. Rehab is not o ..read more

A common dual diagnosis is addiction plus ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. About 25 percent of people seeking addiction treatment also have ADHD and more than 15 percent of adults with ADHD struggle with substance abuse. There are a number of reasons addiction may be higher among people with ADHD. Kids with ADHD start using drugs and alcohol at a younger age. Studies have shown that by age 15, kids with ADHD are about twice as likely as their peers to have used alcohol. After that, the gap widens. Early use is one of the biggest predictors of developing addiction. There are s ..read more

While at treatment, you’ll be taking the time to look inward and understand what’s happened to you—and where you want to go next.   Life can be so much better than this. At least a part of you believes that to be true. That’s why you—or your loved one—has agreed to go to rehab to manage your alcohol addiction. At The Raleigh House, we don’t just believe that life can be better. We see it happen every day. And we know it can happen for you too. Yes, it will take effort. Yes, it will be hard at times. But it will be worth it. So what’s the next step? There are a lot of details to work out ..read more

When recovering from addiction, sleeping problems are often par for the course. If you struggle with addiction, you may have used drugs or alcohol to help you fall asleep. Now that you are in recovery, you will need to find healthier solutions for a good night’s rest. Complicating matters further is the fact that alcohol abuse is known to cause sleep apnea, and it can persist for days to even years. Commonly prescribed medications for treating addiction, like methadone, can also negatively impact the quality of your sleep. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a lack of good, restful sleep may ..read more

Statistically, there is a large overlap between addiction and eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. About half of people with eating disorders will also struggle with substance abuse, compared to around 10 percent in the general population. Of people with addiction, about a third will also have an eating disorder. Why is there such a high correlation between addiction and eating disorders? First, eating disorders actually resemble addiction in several ways. People with eating disorders obsess about food–whether it’s eating it or not eating it. They suffer cravings even ..read more