Addiction may be tied to many things, but it is rarely ever one thing that drives it. The prevalence of addiction replacement lets people know that it is not unusual. Addiction replacement, or substituting and transferring addiction, happens after treatment for the original addiction. Find out what it is, why it happens, and how to identify the signs to offer support.
Social anxiety threatens people’s sense of self, whether it be their concept of how they see themselves in the world or how they perceive the world around them. It can be classified as social phobia, listened in the DSM for mental health professionals. A person must have ongoing fears of one or more social situations that involve exposure to people they don’t know or possible social judgment. Their anxiety always arises in response to social scenarios, is either avoided with intense distress or avoids situations due to significant functional impairment. Find out what the symptoms of social anxiety disorder are and how to support a loved one who wants to be free of anxiety in social settings.
There is a difficult balance to strike between finding meaningful self-help and seeking treatment for addiction. Lots of information is freely available online and elsewhere, but that does not make it good (or even accurate) information. Addiction treatment requires intervention and support. Self-help is great for some aspects of it but is most likely not going to help the majority of people who struggle by itself without being part of a larger program. Find some ways to balance the self-help concepts with an integrated treatment plan that focuses on healing.
When it comes to being active and busy, our culture does a great job of that. From sun up to sundown, people are busy running, going places, working, and spending their days going every which direction. Some people actually cut hobbies and everything else out of their schedule to work harder and harder until that seems to be all they do. Technology is partly to blame for this, in that, they are on their phones, computers, and accessible at all hours of the day and night. Professionals who are in recovery can struggle with workaholism to cover up for the challenges they face not doing drugs or drinking. They may also have struggled with it before as a reason they sought treatment, along with other addictions. Find out why workaholism can harm recovery and how it gets in the way of healing.
Doctors who prescribe Suboxone usually do it to help people, especially with dependence on opioids. Buprenorphine is used to bind the receptors in the central nervous system. The medicine works to suppress opioid cravings. Naloxone is also present in this prescription medication, used under the name Narcan. It is an anti-opioid overdose medicine used by the police and medical professionals to save lives. Naloxone found in Suboxone remains dormant unless someone messes with it. Suboxone is one of several drugs used for opioid detox.
Whether it is a new mom craving caffeine or someone who is chasing a big project at work, and everyone in between, there is a reason to worry about overconsumption of caffeine. The pattern of drinking coffee during the day to ‘wind up’ for work, school, family obligations, and more, can lead to a ‘winding down’ of drinking wine to relax. The pattern can lead to an unlikely place people do not talk about much, which is dependence or addiction on either (or both) substances.
Marijuana can be a deadly drug all on its own for some people. Most of the time it is not something that causes harm like heroin or cocaine, but recently it is being laced with other drugs. These drugs include Heroin, embalming fluid, and LSD. Lacing is a practice of cutting other drugs into marijuana to gain profit and produce a stronger high for some people. Some drugs are sold by weight so they are laced with drugs to add weight and enhance profit margins. The main thing to know is lacing can potentially put two deadly substances together in a combination that is harmful to the people using them.
Bipolar disorder is an illness that lasts a lifetime and needs careful management. Often, people with co-occurring mental health disorders and addiction struggle to find treatment due to the complexity of their needs. Find out what treatment exists for people with bipolar disorder and why it is not always what people think of when they consider treatment options.
The main way people seek help for bipolar disorder is through medication. This helps people with bipolar illness manage symptoms and function well in everyday life. A person who has bipolar disorder tends to experience mania (highs) and lows (depression). Medication stabilizes the person’s mood so they can function without the highs and lows. Drug therapy varies for each person, so it is important to speak with a treating physician and psychiatrist about symptoms. Medication may need to be adjusted or changed accordingly. Some of the following are medications that may be used:
A key component of this illness is seeking psychological support mechanisms. This includes group and individual therapy when dealing with addiction recovery. Individual therapy with mental health professionals can provide support for changing the mood, triggers that lead to depressive episodes or learning coping skills for the mood swings. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and family treatment are different kinds of treatment modalities that can be offered, as well.
Making sure a person gets enough rest is key to their growth and healing in recovery. A doctor and therapist will discuss strategies to manage lifestyle. This means getting good food, drinking enough water, getting away from drugs or alcohol that may interfere with treatment, and finding support in loved ones and support groups.
Treatment in a professional environment is the best way to engage with this disorder. Bipolar disorder is best managed by a team of people who understand the individual’s history and can help them get the best support, along with a treatment plan, that can help the person move forward with their lives and find healing.
A Step in the Right Direction provides quality care for clients seeking support for addiction recovery. Finding help is key to managing mental health issues and addiction. We are equipped with therapists and a program that supports your unique needs in recovery. For more information on sober living programs for men and women as well as recovery programs, call (877) 377-3702
When people talk about being ‘triggered,’ this is usually something psychological and physiological going on in their brains. From a mental health perspective, being ‘triggered’ narrowly refers to the experience of people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experiencing symptoms of a traumatic event after being exposed to a trigger. Triggers are internal or external, including sights, sounds, and emotions that remind a person of past trauma. They can be flashbacks of using drugs or when you felt like you were doing things in the past that are no longer part of your life. Find out more about triggers and how they work so that you can work to avoid them when possible.
Triggers can be a mix of things both internal and external. There are different types of events that may be considered triggers when it comes to mental health challenges. Some of the most common triggering events include:
Some external triggers can include anything from an anniversary, a violent movie, loud noises, seeing someone else using drugs, and interactions that bring up old feelings or memories.
While we do not know exactly how triggers are formed, it is thought traumatic memories are stored differently in the brain than non-traumatic memories. Past events may be interpreted as threats, which cause the body to experience symptoms similar to the original trauma. Triggers cause an emotional reaction before a person realizes why they are upset. Triggers often come from a strong sensory connection. A trigger is often connected to trauma so that it feels like reliving it right at that moment. Trigger warnings are not necessarily helpful. They are used to notify people of triggers but they may not be prepared, even if they think they are for it. There is no real way to know how a person will respond to a trigger until it happens.
When coping with triggers, you can focus on some really key things. It is not easy to avoid them, so learning to focus on what can be done in the midst of a triggering event is better support for the journey of recovery:
Feeling triggered is a sign your body and brain are trying to get you back on the recovery train. It is important to keep up with mental health and physical doctors so you can make sure you are healthy. They will also assess your symptoms and determine the best treatment options for your situation. There may always be some triggers, but learning to cope is going to be the best way to learn how to navigate the challenges you face in life in a healthy way.
A Step in the Right Direction teaches you how to focus on the positive in recovery and not give into triggers. Sometimes it happens and relapse is a real risk for many in recovery, but we give you the tools and resources you need to fight hard for your recovery. For more information about sober living programs for men and women as well as recovery programs, call (877) 377-3702
Addiction among people in the trading and financial services industry is not a secret to many who work there. Unfortunately, there is work hard, play harder mentality that has taken over the industry. Staying up late, working long hours, and pushing personal boundaries are all the norm. People who drink alcohol and work in this industry often start to deal with the stress associated with living and working this way. Find out why this behavior is sometimes encouraged and why it can be harmful to people who fall into this trap.
One cultural norm for bankers and investment and financial industry professionals is drinking as a social lubricant. This bond ties them together as they go for ‘after-work drinks,’ ‘Friday evening work drinks with the boss,’ and myriad other ways they celebrate sorrows and successes with alcohol. It becomes easy to hide behind professional drinks more and more to keep up the lifestyle. Finance professionals who go ‘dry’ and don’t drink as part of this culture admit it is still part of the professional world and not being part of it can limit people’s prospects in moving up or participating in greater things that advance their careers. Alcohol is central to many business practices in America and people who work in the high-stakes financial world are expected to drink. Those who opt out are viewed with suspicion. In this way, it feels like stigma and fear attached to not drinking can keep people from living out their dream of working in the industry and maintain sobriety.
Many places are implementing new strategies to shift away from drinking culture that drove people for so long. Now they are requiring people to take vacation days with younger employees getting incentives to take them off and not work. There are more alcohol-free policies to keep offices dry. Employee assistance programs are offering people struggling with mental health and substance abuse problems a way back to health and find treatment without repercussions. Temporary, anonymous counseling is being offered to support employees and families who wrestle with these issues to support them at work and beyond. Some financial professionals who do not drink or are honest about their alcoholism and recovery find themselves in a place where they can support others who are struggling. Just because the culture of one organization to another may shift, does not mean the culture as a whole has shifted yet. Once people realize that sober individual is confident in their desire to be sober, they may be more likely to confide in that person to help them navigate tough times and seek help when needed. The desire for ambition and risk-taking may still exist, but people don’t have to play into every part of the culture to work in those industries. It means finding another way around it or finding a job better suited for recovery. The goal is to keep sobriety at the front of a person’s mind and make that the priority over anything else, even if it means changing industries to stay sober.
A Step in the Right Direction provides quality care for clients seeking support for addiction recovery. We understand there may be tough decisions to be made in sobriety. The key is to find a way to navigate sobriety and recovery in a way that works for you. We help you draft an individual plan that will work for your needs. For more information on sober living programs for men and women as well as recovery programs, call (877) 377-3702
