The holiday season can be a difficult time for people in recovery – and that is during a regular year. It is no secret that 2020, which has consisted of a global pandemic during an election year, has been challenging for everyone. Rates of anxiety and depression are at an all-time high.[1] Isolation and loneliness […]
Staying Sober While Social Distancing For the Holidays Read More »
Almost everyone knows that vaping is not a good thing. Although vaping products can only be sold to people over the age of 21, it has become one of the most popular forms of substance abuse among teenagers and young adults. Between the wide variety of appealing flavors, aggressive marketing, and sleek, easy-to-hide devices, vaping
5 Things Parents of Teenagers Need to Know About Vaping Read More »
In my last blog post, I introduced a common issue in relationship dynamics and particularly in addiction experiences: codependency. In this post, I’ll discuss what keeps cycles of codependency running. If you have loved ones struggling with addiction problems, it may be useful to identify parallels in the experiences of addicts and codependents. In addiction,
Codependency, Part II Read More »
On November 5, Brent Bonham shared his recovery story with us and discussed issues surrounding treatment and recovery in the Birmingham area with Recovery Coach Art Wimberly. Follow up on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more content!
Recovery Story: Brent Bonham Read More »
In the United States, more than 1.2 million people are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus that leads to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).[1] HIV, is a viral infection that is transmitted via blood and other body fluids, and it is easily passed from one person to the next by needle-sharing and unprotected
Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS: Two Co-Existing Epidemics Read More »
On November 4, 2015, Alabama’s acting State Health Officer Thomas Miller signed a letter in support of the Alabama State Plan for Tobacco Prevention and Control 2015-2020. The plan is a statewide initiative to reduce the effects of tobacco on the population through media campaigns, organizational partnerships, and policy revisions. In the letter, Dr. Miller
Alabama Needs a New Plan for Tobacco Read More »
“We admitted we were powerless over our addiction – that our lives had become unmanageable.” For those of us who used the 12 Steps on our quest to recovery – step one can be a lot to take in. For me personally, this first step was a tough one. Step one encompasses the total and
Step One: What Powerlessness Means to Me Read More »
Codependency is one of the most challenging problems that can be present in relationships. When relationships are impacted by addiction issues as well, codependent tendencies and behaviors usually become more apparent in the dynamic. Because there is no simple definition of codependency that fully addresses its intricacies, many people lack an understanding of why we
Codependency, Part I Read More »
The fact is drug abuse has a stigma. It follows a person long after last use and into every facet of life. It has the potential to impact adversely all domains of life, such as employment, housing and social relationships. And as we have seen recently , that stigma applies to the national stage as
The State of the Stigma Read More »
It may start innocently enough. Perhaps a child sees their parent regularly grab a couple of tablets from a prescription pill bottle and gets curious. Maybe a classmate dares a teen to down a mystery capsule and the teen doesn’t want to be labelled a chicken. It could be that an adolescent is bored and
Digging Deeper: 8 Reasons Children & Teens Get Mixed Up with Prescription Drugs Read More »
