8 Movies About Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a condition that affects around 2.8 percent of the adult population in the United States. This mental health issue can be treated through therapy and medication, and if you or a loved one is struggling, it’s important to reach out for help. At Westwind Recovery®®, we offer dual diagnosis treatment to help […]
Where to Get Chronic Pain Management in LA
Pain is a natural reaction to illness or injury, alerting us that something is wrong. Usually, when the illness or the injury is healed, the pain goes away. When pain persists for at least three months or longer, it is considered to be chronic. The underlying causes of chronic pain are wide-reaching. Research indicates that [...]
9 Tips for Building Self Esteem During Recovery
In recovery, many people have a wide range of feelings about the past, including guilt, shame, remorse, self-judgment, worry, and even fear. Depending on your experiences, you might struggle with self-confidence and self-esteem. In fact, commonly, substance use helps to mask those feelings of insecurity and self-doubt. But without the use of substances, those feelings [...]
How Grief and Substance Abuse Are Connected
Grief is an emotion that occurs after loss, especially the loss of a loved one. Symptoms of grief may be denial, shock, guilt, or anger. The trauma experienced from a loss of this kind can be all-consuming and debilitating, causing some individuals to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope or develop other mental health [...]
How Celebrating Stress Awareness Month Can Benefit Your Mental Health
April has been observed as Stress Awareness Month since 1992. This nationwide, collaborative effort aims to increase public awareness about the causes and effects of stress, which is considered by most in the healthcare field to be an epidemic in the United States. Stress is generally defined as any factor that causes physical, emotional, or […]
March Is Self-Harm Awareness Month
Throughout the United States, Canada, and Western Europe, March is recognized as Self-Harm Awareness Month, which calls attention to the nearly two million self-injury cases that occur each year. Much like addiction, self-harm occurs across all ages, races, religions, and socioeconomic and education levels. There is a strong connection between self-harm and substance addiction. At […]
Can an Obsession Lead to An Addiction?
An obsession is different than an addiction. An obsession is an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person’s mind. However, an addiction is an illness that affects the brain, causing a person to engage in compulsory substance use or addictive behaviors, such as gambling.
How to Cope with Being Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired (HALT)
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been a lifesaver for many people. AA not only provides a recovering addict with a community of sober people (or at least trying to stay sober) but there is also an entire philosophy behind life after addiction. AA provides a clear set of guidelines, a map that will direct you out [...]
