September’s National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and Recovery Month dovetail with another significant event: Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW). Addiction, suicide, and mental illness often meet at a crossroads and must be treated concurrently. As such, professional interventions must address all co-occurring morbidities such as...
Addiction recovery should always be part of the national discussion. Alcohol and substance use disorders impact the lives of practically every American—in one way or another. The fallout of addiction affects every aspect of life, from the economy to the average national life expectancy. We...
There is a confluence between mental illness, mind-altering substance use, and suicide in the United States—it cannot be ignored. When mental health disorders go untreated, people are more likely to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol, which exacerbates mental illness symptoms. Those who engage in the...
Borderline Personality Disorder Explained Borderline personality disorder, often abbreviated as BPD, is a serious mental health condition which requires professional treatment. This diagnosis is characterized by erratic behavior, unstable relationships, self-harm, and an inability to manage one’s emotions. The mood swings and intensity exhibited by a...
Addiction rarely occurs in a vacuum. In fact, it often develops alongside other mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. A person dealing with psychiatric issues and a substance use disorder at the same time is said to have a dual...
Last week, we shared with you that opioid overdoses could increase 30 to 40 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic per Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It was a reminder that we have lived amid an addiction epidemic for the...
Amid a deadly global health crisis, we continue to contend with an addiction epidemic in the United States. In more than two decades, U.S. public health officials haven't made remarkable headway in ending the scourge of opioid use; the same is true for other drugs...
During these unprecedented times, there is a fear of soaring rates of suicide, drug and alcohol use and related deaths amongst experts. The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike any other public health crisis and many of America’s most vulnerable are at significant risk of harm. Many...
As states slowly begin reopening and people try again to adjust to normal life, it is clear that the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic will last long past our social distancing. For those struggling with alcohol and drug abuse, the social isolation of the past months...
Inside the rooms of addiction recovery and out, millions of Americans are struggling. Naturally, the pandemic is the cause of the cloud of despair hanging low over Americans. Many men and women are turning to drugs and alcohol to cope with the pressures of pandemic...