Drug Use Archives

Addiction

5 Signs You’re Enabling a Loved One and Their Addiction

An enabler is someone who encourages or otherwise supports negative behavior. Some may do this willingly or unknowingly with good intentions. After all, enabling someone can look a lot like empowering them, and it can even start off that way. But empowering someone without giving them the room to build the skills for independence can quickly become a situation of enablement. Let’s discuss some of the ways unyielding support can become a problem of unhealthy enablement.

October 28, 2022 No Comments

Addiction

Interventions: How to Confront Someone About Their Substance Use

Being confrontational with someone you care about is never easy. But when someone you care about is risking their safety with substance use, intervention becomes necessary. But how do you approach someone about seeking help for their addiction? Where do you even start? Start here with our step-by-step guide on how to structure and conduct a successful intervention.

October 25, 2022 No Comments

Addiction

6 Health Risks of Prolonged Substance Use Disorder

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is characterized by addiction or the uncontrolled use of a substance despite its negative effects. Prolonged Substance Use Disorder can result in a host of complications ranging from behavioral issues to serious diseases. Entire books have been written about the harmful effects and damage that result from severe addiction. The list could truly be endless.

So we’ve selected a few conditions that arise from long-term substance abuse to discuss. Health risks like cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, respiratory/lung disease, and mental disorders are the most common and/or dangerous conditions that contribute to chronic addiction. In most cases, these health risks are permanent, life-long struggles that individuals must be treated for alongside addiction recovery.

October 19, 2022 No Comments

alcohol abuse

Why We Need to Remove “Clean” From Our Addiction Vocabulary

It’s time for a vocabulary lesson on the word “clean” in reference to addiction. This word and many others like it often impress a negative connotation on individuals struggling with substance abuse disorders. It’s our responsibility as a community to strive to support addicted individuals. One of the ways we can accomplish this is by acknowledging harmful language in reference to addiction and work to reform the vocabulary. Let’s discuss why words like “clean” are insensitive and identify some alternative phrasing with neutral or positive connotations.

October 11, 2022 No Comments