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Social Media, the Ultimate Disconnector
This article discusses suicide. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources. Back in 2017, psychologist and author Jean Twenge warned of a mental health crisis on the horizon. In her influential book iGen she…
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How Chronic Stress in a Toxic Culture Drives Addiction
“In the most health-obsessed society ever, all is not well,” wrote addiction expert Gabor Maté in The Myth of Normal in 2022. “Multibillion-dollar industries bank on people’s ongoing investment—mental and emotional, not to mention financial—in endless quests to eat better, look younger, live longer, or feel livelier, or simply to suffer fewer symptoms.” We do…
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American Despair and Addiction
In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that life expectancy at birth in the United States was 77.5 years, which is 1.1 years higher than in 2021 but still 1.3 years lower than in 2019. This is a reversal from 2021, when life expectancy dropped to 76.4 years, the lowest it…
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“Feel-Good” Hormones and the Disease of Addiction
Addiction to substances like alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and cannabis used to be described as “chemical dependency,” suggesting that these substances simply hijack the brain promoting further misuse. In recent decades, neuroscience revealed that reality is far more complicated. “We are all chemically dependent,” declared Ward Blanchard, MA, MBA, CCS, LCAS, the founder and CEO of…
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Recovery Awareness Day 2024 Aims to Engage, Educate, and Inspire!
We’re celebrating recovery! Recovery Awareness Day at The Blanchard Institute is an annual cornerstone event highlighting the importance of understanding, treating, and celebrating recovery from addiction. This special day is dedicated to shedding light on the challenges and successes associated with recovery, and to enhancing community knowledge and support for those affected by substance use…
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Don’t Delay Treatment — Make The Call!
Drugs and alcohol were responsible for more than 1.3 million deaths among the US working-age (ages 25–64) population between 1990 and 2018, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2020. “The United States has a serious substance misuse problem,” wrote US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in his 2016 landmark report on addiction. “Substance…
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Addiction Treatment and Co-Occurring Disorders
“Substance use disorder is a highly prevalent condition, leading to significant morbidity, mortality, and burden on the healthcare system,” wrote Muhammad Iqbal, and Charles and Frances Levin in their 2019 review of the treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) with co-occurring mental illness. “Substance use disorders are overrepresented among individuals with a mental illness. The…
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The Blanchard Institute Provides Extended Care at Its Recovery Residences
“It is now well recognized that many persons with alcohol or drug problems require more than acute care interventions,” wrote Polcin, Mericle, Braucht, and Wittmand in their 2023 review of research on sober living houses (SLHs) also known as recovery residences. “Mutual-help programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), have been important because persons can stay…
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Family Support in Blanchard’s Resilience Group
Family involvement is crucial in anyone’s recovery journey. At The Blanchard Institute, we empower families to participate actively in the healing process. By learning and applying specific strategies, families can significantly impact the recovery trajectory of their loved ones. Our family-centered approach is designed to educate, support, and empower families to play a crucial role…
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Biosound Therapy at The Blanchard Institute
According to addiction expert Gabor Maté, “addiction is a complex psychological, emotional, physiological, neurobiological, social, and spiritual process.” Treating this complex disease effectively often requires individualized, holistic approaches involving multiple treatment modalities. Founder and CEO Ward Blanchard wanted The Blanchard Institute to be a modern clinic treating addiction but also functioning as a community resource,…