Alcohol and drug addiction hit American Indians much harder than the general population. Methamphetamine in particular has reached epidemic proportions. But there’s hope through partnership and better means of treatment to help those in need, including digital treatment programs that can be accessed from anywhere and health plans that cover the costs of treatment entirely.…
Candy, cash, gifts: How rewards help recovery from addiction – AP article on Contingency Management
Carla Johnson covers how the contingency management approach to treating substance use disorders is more effective in this article. She quotes Harold Lewis, who had been struggling with an addiction for years and started getting better when he got into a program where he earned rewards for staying in treatment: “Recovery should be fun because…
Women who drink to cope are at greater risk for alcoholism and negative health effects
Research indicates that people who drink to cope have a higher risk of developing alcohol use disorder. And studies have found that women are more likely to drink to cope than men. While men once outdrank women, the gender gap in alcohol consumption has narrowed. For the first time since researchers began measuring consumption, women…
Methtacular: Humor and the power of laughter in addiction treatment and recovery.
The old saying, “Laughter is the best medicine,” has a lot of truth to it. It’s particularly true that humor and laughter play a big role in recovering from substance use disorders, and research confirms it. Laughter itself is medicine with proven therapeutic benefits in mental health. When we laugh, we alter dopamine and serotonin…
Why sleep is key to self care and a foundation of successful recovery
One of the most important things you can do to take care of yourself is get the right amount of good sleep. Your immune system is working to regenerate your body while you sleep, which is necessary to have a healthy mind and body when you are awake. And when it comes to recovery, research…
How to turn vulnerability into strength: Brene Brown
We talk a lot about being vulnerable and afraid in our group meetings, and how to turn that vulnerability into strength. Fear is the root cause of all negative emotions. It compels people to use drugs to make the feelings go away, but those feelings are right there waiting when the high wears off. People…