About Cannabis use and addiction
Jada Pinkett Smith has spoken publicly about periods in her younger life when alcohol, drugs, and other compulsive behaviors became problematic. Her story provides an opportunity to discuss how addiction does not always look the same from one person to another. Someone can maintain a career, relationships, and public success while privately recognizing that certain … Read more
Celebrity life is often associated with wealth, success, glamorous events, and seemingly unlimited opportunities. Yet behind the carefully managed public image, celebrities can experience the same substance use disorders, mental health challenges, trauma, grief, relationship problems, and emotional distress as anyone else. In some cases, the pressures surrounding fame can create additional barriers to recognizing … Read more
Feeling exhausted, emotionally drained, unmotivated, or desperate for relief can make someone wonder: Am I burned out, or is something more serious happening? Burnout and addiction can sometimes look similar from the outside. Both may involve changes in mood, declining performance, withdrawal from other people, disrupted sleep, irritability, and difficulty managing everyday responsibilities. They are … Read more
Diabetes is usually discussed in terms of blood glucose, insulin, nutrition, exercise, and medications. Yet another issue can sometimes remain hidden behind unstable glucose levels: problematic substance use or compulsive behavior. Alcohol, nicotine, opioids, stimulants, cannabis, and other substances can complicate diabetes management in different ways. Eating disorders and recurrent binge-eating behaviors may also interfere … Read more
Recovery stories can be powerful. Hearing someone describe overcoming addiction may provide hope to people who are struggling and remind families that meaningful change is possible. Social media has made these stories more visible than ever, with celebrities, influencers, treatment advocates, and everyday people sharing their experiences publicly. But not every recovery story should automatically … Read more
Celebrity recovery stories are often presented publicly as inspiring transformations. What audiences do not always see is that recovery can include setbacks, and relapse may occur privately long before anyone outside a person’s inner circle realizes something has changed. For celebrities, maintaining privacy may be even more complicated because careers, contracts, public expectations, financial responsibilities, … 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
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
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
Being kind and being a people pleaser can look remarkably similar from the outside. Both may involve helping others, saying yes to requests, avoiding unnecessary conflict, or putting another person’s needs first. The important difference often lies in what is happening internally. True kindness generally comes from empathy, personal values, and genuine choice. People-pleasing is … Read more