Does Alcohol Alter Your Brain Forever?
Alcohol use is embedded in American culture. Legal and easily accessible, alcohol use is widely promoted everywhere you look. Plenty of people can drink alcohol without developing a problem. However, it is estimated that 15 million Americans have an alcohol use disorder. The terms abuse and addiction are often used interchangeably, but they are different. […]
Dangers of Self-Medicating with Drugs and Alcohol
Research on substance use disorders and mental health disorders depicts strong evidence for consistent links between the two. Approximately half of Americans who have substance use disorders also have mental health disorders and vice-versa. While it cannot be said that one causes the other, the two are complexly intertwined. When these disorders coincide, it is […]
11 Tips in Facing This Sober Holiday Season
The holidays are fast approaching, and while they can be exciting and fun, they can also cause chaos and panic. This is especially true for those who are newly sober or those in recovery. After all, you will find that your social calendar is filling up with dinner, parties, and so much more. When you [...]
LGBTQ Trauma and Addiction
Compared to the general population, the rates of mental health disorders and substance use disorders are significantly higher among the LGBTQ community. Members of the LGBTQ community are at increased risk of experiencing trauma centered around shame, discrimination, abuse, acts of violence, and hate crimes. At Westwind Recovery®, all of our treatment programs and sober […]
Wilderness Therapy for Addiction
Wilderness therapy, also called adventure therapy, combines nature and survival experiences with rehabilitation therapy to treat mental health disorders and substance use disorders. The activities in wilderness therapy are designed to foster the recovery process by creating positive learning experiences in nature. Experiential therapies are those that use expressive tools and activities to help clients […]
Long-Term Effects of Painkillers on the Body
The way pain is experienced is through how the body communicates with the brain. When pain is present, the central nervous system sends signals to opioid receptors in the brain, alerting the brain to discomfort. When an individual takes painkillers, two things happen: the central nervous system is depressed, making it harder for pain signals [...]
Symptoms of Prescription Drug Addiction
Most people acquire prescription drugs legally from their doctor for legitimate reasons, take them as prescribed, and stop taking them when the prescription is out. Too frequently, however, people come to enjoy the psychoactive effects of certain drugs and begin to misuse them. The misuse of prescription drugs involves taking them in any way other [...]
Reducing Anxiety Through Meditation
In 2016, the World Health Organization classified stress as the most significant health epidemic of the 21st century. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, reported stress, anxiety, and depression rates have substantially risen worldwide. Anxiety is often linked with substance use disorders. Many who suffer from anxiety disorders turn to drugs or alcohol to […]
Healthy Ways to Address a Family History of Addiction
Drug and alcohol addiction is one of the most significant problems facing the healthcare system. Much of the efforts to reduce addiction rates focus on prevention because it is better to stop addiction than to treat it after it has occurred. Prevention involves having an understanding of the risk factors for addiction. Research indicates that […]
