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Recovery Awareness Day: A Proud Blanchard Tradition
Achieving recovery from addiction is worth celebrating! People suffering from a substance use disorder (SUD) often still face stigmatization, even when in recovery. Although the opioid epidemic has led to more understanding, promoting awareness of the disease of addiction and how it can be overcome is still important. Recovery Awareness Day at The Blanchard Institute…
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Family Involvement Indispensable in Addiction Treatment
“Approximately 21 million people in the United States have a substance use disorder (SUD); the number of family members impacted by a loved one’s SUD is exponentially greater,” wrote Alicia Ventura, MPH, and Sarah Bagley, MD in the Journal of Addiction Medicine in 2017. Affected family members of individuals with SUDs are at high risk…
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The Blanchard Institute: More Than a Treatment Center
According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) “addiction is a treatable, chronic, medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences.” In his 2022 book The Myth of Normal, addiction expert Gabor Maté offers a definition that isn’t all that different from ASAM’s although he avoids…
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Relapse Prevention Strategies: Building Resilience
Telling yourself it is time to pick up the pieces of your life and begin the journey of recovery through substance abuse treatment requires a lot of courage and resilience. Staying sober after addiction is no easy feat, but it sets you on the path to recovery. Addiction is a chronic condition, and to overcome…
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The Impact of Trauma on Addiction and Recovery
Traumatic events that a person experiences during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood can be the leading causes of addictions. It is vital to be aware that addiction and trauma can be severe and that one needs to seek help from a specialist. This article will focus on what we need to know about addiction and…
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Conquering Stigma: Addressing Shame and Guilt in Recovery
People with a substance use disorder might experience emotions like guilt and shame. This might seem normal, but feelings like guilt and shame in recovery negatively affect the recovery process. It’s challenging to acknowledge your own mistakes, especially when you’re using addictive substances. The rehabilitation of someone who is trying to recover from addiction rests…
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Holistic Approaches to Addiction Recovery
In recent years, there has been a significant paradigm shift in addiction recovery, moving away from old models focused solely on symptom control. The rise of holistic approaches signals a profound realization that addressing chemical dependency goes beyond mere cessation of use. Emphasizing the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit, holistic approaches recognize addiction as…
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Recovery and Nutrition: Fueling the Body and Mind
Recovering from the ravages of substance abuse can be a lengthy process, often spanning months or even years. Restoring the body from the damage that addiction does requires achieving nutritional balance. Moreover, nutrition in recovery means laying the groundwork for a generally healthier way of life. Addiction recovery requires healing on many levels of your…
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Art and Creativity in Addiction Recovery: Healing Through Expression
Those who suffer from drug or alcohol addiction frequently begin using the substances as a means of managing or enduring both physical and mental discomfort. Unfortunately, numbing thoughts and feelings may seem to help for a while, but as we all know, trauma takes work to overcome. Through addiction recovery art, psychological concerns like stress,…
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The Role of Family Support in Addiction Recovery
Addiction recovery commonly faces concerns such as re-entering society as a sober individual, dealing with emotional and psychological issues, financial difficulties and legal issues, controlling cravings and triggers, and rebuilding relationships and trust. Completing a drug and alcohol treatment program and re-entering society as a sober person is not without problems. Individuals that are recovering…