Most Americans, by now, are acutely familiar with the addiction epidemic disrupting millions of lives. While heroin and fentanyl remain the focus of many news stories, prescription narcotics are still a significant issue. It has become more difficult to acquire such drugs from doctors, but they are still misused...
Steve Collier, Co-Founder of HVRC, with Dr. Stephen Ey (center) and previous "Spirit of Recovery" honorees.Over the decades, people from various backgrounds have dedicated their lives to others to transform their own; each person in recovery owes such individuals a debt of gratitude. Without the countless medical professionals and...
First responders work on the front lines of tragedy. Police officers, paramedics, and firefighters routinely put the needs of others ahead of their own; and, such people work in environments that hardly allow them to talk about their own problems. The paradox is that the very same people who...
Most Americans will never know what it is like to see a good friend die in their arms; grasp the sensation of being shot at; and, we will never understand what is like to get into a military transport with the risk of driving over an improvised explosive device....
Few people in addiction and co-occurring disorder recovery will find the results of a 2014 survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) surprising. The data indicates that 64 percent of people with mental illness find the holidays make their conditions worse.“For many people the holiday season is...
This will be our last post before Christmas, so we thought it prudent to discuss the importance of recovery-first during the holidays. If this is your first year in recovery, then this may be your program’s first real test. Unfortunately, relapse over the holidays is a common occurrence, but...
Decades of cannabis prohibition in the United States means that there are many unknowns regarding use. For people living in states where legislators are relaxing their stance on marijuana, a lack of scientific data can lead to much confusion. Such people would be wise to remember that “legal” does...
In the rooms of recovery men and women draw strength from one another. Those who listen closely for interesting insights to glean from others' stories have an opportunity to learn valuable lessons. It is best never to underestimate the usefulness of learning about your peers’ experiences.Healing is next to...
