How You Can Be an Advocate for Recovery Everyday

Being an advocate for addiction recovery, it is when you develop actions and activities to influence decision makers to grow, establish, or change policies concerning drug laws. Europe has 218 drug law advocacy groups. One of them is the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) which provides overview of drug problems and […]

Why Society Views Addicts and Alcoholics Negatively

Addiction is classified as a medical disease, just as asthma and diabetes are diseases. However, society has long treated addiction in a much more negative light than other diseases. Even when conditions such as cancer and hypertension result from habits like smoking cigarettes or eating a salt-rich diet, we treat the disease without judging the […]

Some Addictions Are Legal

Prescription painkillers can be sourced from two places. One is from drug dealers on the street. Buying prescription pills, making dirty deals with pharmacists, buying imitation drugs from manufacturers- however dealers get their prescription painkiller drugs, they are able to sell them illegally. The other option for getting prescription painkillers is not illegal. In fact, […]

Relapse Prevention for Sex Addiction

After completing a residential treatment programme for sex addiction, it is strongly encouraged to spend as much time in a structured, clinical environment as possible where abstinence is advocated. At least six months of sexual abstinence of all kind is recommended for those in treatment for recovery sex addiction. Abstinence is a way to make […]

Alcohol and Anger: Causes, Dangers, How to Help

Everyone gets angry sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, when that anger becomes constant or uncontrollable, it can cause a number of issues. One of the things that can make anger even more difficult to control is alcohol. In fact, alcohol is often linked to violence and crime. Alcohol doesn’t cause anger, but it […]

Alcohol and Pregnancy: Risks, Alcoholism, Treatment

To drink or not to drink while pregnant is a subject that has long been debated and one surrounded by much controversy. Due to stigma and fear of shame, many women are reluctant to even ask the question. Others see no problem in taking an occasional drink. Unclear guidelines and mixed information don’t help people […]

How Summer Can Benefit Addiction Recovery: 7 Tips for Summer

The sun is shining, the temperatures are rising, and the days are longer. You know what that means – summer is officially here! While some may argue that summer can pose challenges to those in addiction recovery, with boozy BBQs, late pub evenings and cheeky cocktail picnics common, that doesn’t have to be the case. […]

The Dangers of Nitrous Oxide: No Laughing Matter

Surely at some point you’ve spotted small bullet-like metallic canisters littered around the street. If you’re wondering what they are, you may be surprised to know they’re nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas. Nitrous oxide is currently legal to possess in Ireland, but not legal to sell for human consumption. For some time now, […]

Alcohol and Suicide: Statistics, Causes, Alcohol Misuse

There is a tragic link between alcohol and suicide. The World Health Organisation estimates that those who are currently misusing alcohol are at a risk of suicide 8 times greater than those who aren’t. Furthermore, alcohol is known to stimulate or worsen depressive feelings and anxiety. It also increases the risk of self-harming behaviour. It […]

Sleeping Pill Addiction

Sleeping pills are so widely used these days that we may not think twice when we see someone taking them. There is a dizzying range of sleeping pills available, from herbal supplements to OTC medications to prescription pills – and not all of them are as harmless as one would think. Some sleeping pills can […]

The Cycle of Addiction

It’s Friday night and you’re bored. You’re brainstorming things to do and recall how much fun that party last week was, despite the wicked hangover afterwards. So, you decide to call your friends and invite them to the bar. Unfortunately, they’re busy and you’re disappointed. Due to lack of other options, you go on your […]

Drug Induced Psychosis: What is it and How to Help

When people think of psychosis, they often think of someone acting “crazy” or “psychotic”. Psychosis is more than that, and is classified as a legitimate mental disorder. Although there are many types of psychosis, this article focuses on drug-induced psychosis caused by substance misuse. Defining Drug-Induced Psychosis Drug-induced psychosis is also known as substance-induced psychotic […]