Understanding How Childhood Trauma Affects Substance Abuse
Childhood trauma, also called Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, make a major impact on a child’s future. Many young people do not realize how their negative childhood experiences affect them until life starts going wrong. If you or…
Addiction Therapies: Which One Works Best?
When it comes to recovering from addiction, therapy from a qualified psychologist, psychiatrist or psychotherapist is an essential part of the equation, along with pharmaceutical intervention, when necessary, and peer group therapy. Patient engagement through therapy has been shown to be a major key to…
Do Medications Help with Sobriety?: Non-Addictive Meds For Cravings & Mental Illness
If you’re a recovering addict or you are considering therapy and rehabilitation for an addiction to drugs or alcohol, you may be wondering what medications are available for you to help curb cravings and feelings of anxiety, depression and other mental problems while recovering from…
5 Proven Ways to Maintain Willpower When Craving
Throughout the years, there have been many misconceptions about the disease of addiction. Before programs like Alcoholics Anonymous started, treatment facilities believed those with an addiction to alcohol or drugs were hopeless. Later, Alcoholics Anonymous presented the idea that addiction is a disease. Here we…
Stop Isolating: The Power of Support in Recovery
Guilt, shame, and secretiveness are significant symptoms of addiction. When a person is in active addiction, isolation is incredibly common. In some cases, the habit of isolation came before the addiction began. In these instances, people who are isolated will sometimes turn to drugs or…
5 Tips for Having a Fun, Sober Thanksgiving
The holidays are often synonymous with excess. We eat too much, we sleep too much, and some of us may overdo it with other indulgences. Thanksgiving is, statistically speaking, the most dangerous time to be on the roads of the United States. Between the years…
Recovery, Not Relapse: Why States are “Sentencing” Drug Users to Treatment Programs
Is Addiction a Crime? America has been fighting a “War on Drugs” since the 1970s, with drug dealers and users alike facing strict criminal penalties. Yet, opioid use and overdose have become a crisis despite the harsh punitive measures. In an effort to prevent deaths…
Sobering Hobbies: Activities That Have Been Statistically Proven to Promote Sobriety
Addiction is a devastating disease that leads one to lose control over their actions while filling a void with drugs, alcohol, and other substances. Even if a person cognizant realizes that their drug habit is unhealthy or serving them in negative ways, the power of…
Reframing the Way We Talk About Addiction
Language is more important than we give it credit – the way we frame a conversation and paint a mental picture is immensely influential on how that information is received. The words we use regarding drug use and addiction can affect a person’s recovery, and…
Author – Chris Howard
Chris Howard is the Founder and Director of Ethos Recovery. He has a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA and has served as a community advocate/mentor for men and women in recovery since 2010.