How much do you really know about substance use? Today, for National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, let’s learn about the topic together. Content Warning: This blog contains discussions of drug and alcohol use, overdose, overdose death, and other difficult mental health issues. If you find these topics uncomfortable or distressing, take the time to […]

Today is National Overdose Awareness Day. Substance abuse is closely tied to mental health, and by breaking the stigmas around both of these issues, we can begin to raise awareness about overdose deaths. So let’s talk about it. The most recent statistics from the CDC report that in 2021, almost 107,000 people in the US […]

June 26th was International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Since the month of June is also PTSD Awareness Month, let’s talk about PTSD and drug use.    Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a life-altering diagnosis. You probably think of veterans when you hear the term. But PTSD is more common than you think, […]

Our society is fertile soil for addiction. Addiction is about instant gratification, and instant gratification is the mantra our society lives by today.  How many hours do children spend on the internet, giving them access to anything?  They are learning things earlier–and learning how to find things earlier—thanks to the technology we have become attached […]

Clean. It might sound silly, but focusing on minute details with a clear objective in mind (a clean stove) does wonders for our brain.  Call someone (who relieves stress/not someone who adds to stress), and let them do the talking. You can even say “distract me.” (I think it’s helpful to tell a few people […]

Thanks to the ongoing efforts of medical doctors, mental health professionals, drug treatment counselors and many more people across our society, we are all moving towards a brighter future of comprehensive mental health and addiction treatment. Working with a huge number of clients from all walks of life over the years, I’ve come to realize […]

The holiday season is in full swing, and many of even the strictest dieters have thrown caution to the wind. We’ll pull ourselves together and begin eating responsibly again after January 1, but until then there’s no harm in eating whatever we want… right? Unfortunately, this may not be the case. Studies have shown that […]