By Wesley Gallagher Of all the commonly known mental illnesses, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) might be one of the most misunderstood, or at least most misrepresented diagnoses. In culture, in media, and in everyday conversations, OCD is used casually to describe your mom who is excessively organized, or your friend who hates germs, or your cousin who is uptight about people eating in her car. While someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder may be excessively organized or hate germs, these are merely small, external manifestations of a complex, multifaceted mental health condition that i ..read more

By Mandy Parsons Middle-aged. What classifies someone as “middle-aged?” Is it an arbitrary number, a life stage, or state of mind? People say, “40 is the new 20,” and, “You’re only as old as you feel,” but is that really true? If it were, we would all be immune to the challenges growing older inevitably brings — issues like aging parents, financial pressures, and health concerns. Although what classifies someone as “middle-aged” varies a bit depending on the source, the general consensus is people between the ages of about 40 and 60. Incidentally, middle-aged adults have become the subject of ..read more

By Mandy Parsons Middle-aged. What classifies someone as “middle-aged?” Is it an arbitrary number, a life stage, or state of mind? People say, “40 is the new 20,” and, “You’re only as old as you feel,” but is that really true? If it were, we would all be immune to the challenges growing older inevitably brings — issues like aging parents, financial pressures, and health concerns. Although what classifies someone as “middle-aged” varies a bit depending on the source, the general consensus is people between the ages of about 40 and 60. Incidentally, middle-aged adults have become the subject of ..read more

By Wesley Gallagher If you have any experience with therapy or mental health, then you probably recognize the term Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). But what you might not know is that CBT, while beneficial for a range of mental health issues, has also been proven effective in treating addiction. In fact, CBT for addiction is widely used in substance use disorder treatment, often with great and lasting success. Understanding Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on helping you change negative or unproductive thinking patterns so that you can achieve greater ..read more

By Anna McKenzie In the context of trauma, “adult children” generally refers to those who grew up with parents or caregivers who abused alcohol or drugs. As a result, adult children struggle to reach emotional maturity because their development was hampered by abuse, neglect, and the dysfunctional behavior patterns visited upon them. Adult children struggle to reach emotional maturity because their development was hampered by abuse, neglect, and the dysfunctional behavior patterns visited upon them. The dysfunction that adult children learned when they were young can make them more likely to ..read more

By Alanna Hilbink We’ve made great strides in understanding addiction, the people behind addiction, and how we can help ourselves or those we love. However despite much positive change and huge leaps in scientific understanding, addiction is still bound up in stigma. Let’s explore shame, the relationship between it and mental health, and how to reduce the stigma of addiction. What Is the Stigma of Addiction? Merriam-Webster defines stigma as, “a set of negative and unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something.” And all too often, that “something” is addiction, mental h ..read more

By Anna McKenzie Does wealth affect your likelihood of becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol? The ability to buy a drink when you want one is just one factor that may influence the development of addiction. Other factors like the perception of substance use, accessibility, availability, and social environment can also play a role in fostering a lack of control over drug use, drinking, and other types of behaviors that can become very damaging. Addiction and Money An abundance of resources can be a blessing, but not when self-discipline is the only barrier between you and addictive substances o ..read more

By Mandy Parsons The term “gut health” is everywhere, quickly becoming a buzzword among wellness circles and beyond. So, what’s all the hype about? The concept seems simple enough: Proper nutrition fuels healthy digestion. But is there more to it? Cleveland Clinic defines gut health as “the health of your entire digestive system and the health of the microorganisms living in your digestive tract.” To clarify, the digestive system includes your digestive tract, also known as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and biliary system. The digestive tract is the largest part of your digestive system and ..read more

By Wesley Gallagher In addition to establishing healthy habits as an individual, every person in addiction treatment recovery needs to learn how to have healthy relationships with family members and other loved ones.  If addiction thrives in isolation, recovery thrives in community, and whether it’s our family of origin, or the family we’ve created, these loved ones are often the closest community we have. Family, whether biological or chosen, is especially impacted by your addiction and can play an integral role in your recovery. Addiction and recovery are extremely personal experience ..read more

By Bobby Shriver As athletes begin a race, getting over the first hurdle can be the hardest part. Just like running a race, overcoming a substance use addiction is a journey in its own right. And the first hurdle to finding lasting recovery is often the addiction detox.  Just like running a race, overcoming a substance use addiction is a journey in its own right. And the first hurdle to finding lasting recovery is often the addiction detox. What Is Detox, and Why Is It Important?  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a substance use disorder (SUD) as a chro ..read more