Each May, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recognizes National Prevention Week: an annual health observance that is completely dedicated to increasing awareness – and promoting action – around substance use and mental health disorders. This year, National Prevention Week (NPW) will take place from May 13th – 19th, 2018. The weeklong […]

Each year, millions of people – approximately one in five Americans – face the impeding reality of living with a mental illness. Yet despite its prevalence in our society, we often speak about mental illness as though it is some foreign, abnormal state that we’ve never encountered before. As a result, those affected tend to […]

In a culture so consumed by substance use, it is very easy for us to say, “Of course my son is going to drink in college,” and, “She’s just experimenting,” as we shrug off our daughters’ drug use. All too often, we consider drug and alcohol use to be this quick-and-dirty phase that all young […]

Some people “drown their sorrows” during difficult times, reaching for the bottle when things get tough. Sometimes, when a person is feeling sad, hopeless, or alone, he or she will bottle those feelings up and drink them down, using alcohol to “numb the pain.” These situations or expressions may sound familiar to you. Perhaps you […]

Near 21 million people in the United States are currently battling a substance use disorder. According to recent research, however, only about 1 in 10 of these Americans will actually get the treatment they need. Of the 6.4 million adolescents and young adults needing addiction treatment – those who have been diagnosed with a substance […]

On March 19th, 2018, President Donald Trump proposed an official plan to combat the opioid crisis in America. The three-pronged policy, which can be found on the Whitehouse.gov website, outlines the Trump Administration’s top initiatives for stopping opioid abuse and reducing drug supply in the U.S. A portion of Trump’s plan focuses on expanding addiction […]

Alcohol has affected almost all our lives in some way. Maybe you’ve blacked out from too much drink and remember (or don’t remember) doing something you shouldn’t have. Perhaps you know someone whose health or life has been compromised by alcohol – liver disease, an alcohol-related accident, alcohol-induced violence or abuse. Maybe you or a […]

Studies show that drinking is often “naturalized” on television, and that drugs are often “glamorized” in media depictions. Time and time again, we’ve seen TV characters binge drinking, getting high, selling drugs, all without consequence. In the past, many TV shows have tried to touch on the topic of drug addiction, but quickly fell short […]

Your loved one has gotten past the point of what you thought was “experimentation.” You hoped his/her drug use was just a phase of “acting out.” You’re noticing strange behaviors – mood swings, anxiety attacks, or depressive episodes – alongside his or her drug use. He or she will not stop using, despite the social, […]

If you have a loved one who is addicted to drugs, you may be feeling a heavy weight on your shoulders of late, or as though a dark cloud has been hovering over your days. Maybe you feel anxious about your loved one’s whereabouts, constantly fearing where he is or wondering if she’s safe. More […]