As a person finishes their time in an inpatient or residential treatment program, the transition back to “real life” requires careful consideration. This is when case management services become important. A case manager provides guidance, support, and much-needed resources to program alumni, while also ensuring that they remain on...
Whether it’s problem drinking or the misuse of prescription medication, substance use is a significant problem for older adults – in fact, it is one of the fastest growing health issues in the United States. This pattern of behavior often goes unchecked because people are unlikely to confront older...
In America today, more than eight million children live with parents who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Living in a home with parental substance abuse can be frightening and confusing for anyone, but especially so for the very young. A child may struggle to understand why their parents...
Storytelling as a TraditionThe art of storytelling has long been a respected skill and an important tradition in many cultures. Over the course of history, community elders and their stories have been regarded as a treasure trove of society's knowledge, history, and wisdom. Older members of a community were...
Cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT is an evidence-based modality for addressing unhealthy attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, and thoughts. The treatment is often used in addiction and mental health treatment centers. CBT has shown to be beneficial for treating an array of substance use disorder and co-occurring mental illnesses, including anxiety,...
About Compassion FatigueCompassion fatigue is a condition characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to empathize or feel compassion for others, often described as the negative cost of caring. It is sometimes referred to as secondary traumatic stress (STS). According to the Professional Quality of...
In 1971, at the height of the Vietnam War, President Richard Nixon made a bold proclamation. He declared the opening of a new battlefront more than eight thousand miles from the jungles surrounding My Lai—The United States of America. The conflict would take the lives of significantly more Americans...
The history of addiction recovery in America is fascinating and disturbing, from barbaric, draconian “treatments” to sanitariums to the upscale, evidence-based centers of today. While we have come a long way over the centuries, there is still a long way to go in the fight against stigma.Many men and...
