Types of addiction treatment
For someone recovering from alcohol use disorder (AUD), the thought “I’ll just have one drink” can seem harmless. A person may believe that after weeks, months, or years without alcohol, drinking is now something they can control. But for people whose recovery goal is abstinence, that first drink can represent an important relapse risk. Not … Read more
When a controversial public figure experiences a personal crisis, people may be tempted to describe the situation as “karma.” Perez Hilton’s recent mental-health crisis has prompted exactly that kind of reaction online. But a life-threatening mental-health emergency is not an appropriate moment for celebration, punishment, or amateur diagnosis. It is an opportunity to discuss compassion, … Read more
Relapse stories involving celebrities, athletes, musicians, and other public figures often attract headlines, but behind the publicity is an experience shared by many people living with substance use disorders. Recovery is rarely a perfectly straight path. A return to substance use can occur after months or even years of progress, especially when stress, cravings, untreated … Read more
Sweet and fruity vape flavors can make vaping seem harmless, especially to young people. However, vape aerosols can contain nicotine, flavoring chemicals, solvents, metals, and compounds created during heating. Nicotine poses the clearest established risk to the developing brain by promoting dependence and affecting brain systems involved in attention, learning, and reward. Researchers are still … Read more
Ozzy Osbourne became one of the most recognizable figures in heavy metal as the lead singer of Black Sabbath and later through his successful solo career. Behind the theatrical image of the “Prince of Darkness,” however, Osbourne openly described decades of emotional difficulties, substance misuse, anxiety, depression, psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation, and periods when his behavior … Read more
Marilyn Monroe remains one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars, yet the glamorous public image associated with her was very different from the emotional difficulties documented during her life. Born Norma Jeane Mortenson in 1926, Monroe experienced an unstable childhood that included foster homes and an orphanage while her mother struggled with serious mental health problems. … Read more
Recovery from addiction involves much more than stopping alcohol or drug use. For many women, recovery also means confronting memories, damaged relationships, parenting concerns, financial consequences, lost opportunities, and decisions made while substance use was controlling their lives. As the mind becomes clearer, guilt about the past can become especially difficult to carry. Some guilt … Read more
Naomi Judd was celebrated as one half of the country music duo The Judds, but behind her success was a deeply personal struggle with severe depression, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health challenges. She also wrote about difficulties involving prescription medications and addiction during periods of psychiatric treatment. Naomi spoke publicly about her mental health … Read more
Some people find themselves repeatedly caught up in arguments, relationship conflicts, gossip, social media disputes, or emotional highs and lows. Over time, this level of intensity can become so familiar that a peaceful environment feels uncomfortable or even dull. This pattern is sometimes described as “drama addiction,” although it is not an officially recognized medical … Read more
Drug overdose affects both women and men, but women may experience a distinct combination of biological, psychological, medical, and social factors that influence substance use and recovery. Although men currently have a substantially higher overall overdose death rate in the United States, focusing only on that comparison can hide important risks faced by women. Trauma, … Read more