Tag: Addiction Advice

Ireland has one of the highest rates of underage binge-drinking in Europe, ranked fifth, and drug use among young people has been steadily rising. Binge-drinking is the most harmful type of drinking, and it doesn’t take much to get there – for young women, it means four or more drinks in one sitting, and for […]

You may have had the experience of waking up somewhere unsure how you got there. Blackouts are common during episodes of binge drinking. The more frequently you drink, the more likely you are to black out. And while heavy drinkers tend to blackout more, anyone can blackout while binge drinking. It’s alarming to not know […]

All psychoactive drugs affect your brain, by definition. Habitual use will cause change neurotransmitter levels, making you physically dependent so you need more to feel the effects. Long term use of many drugs causes cognitive impairments, including poor memory, poor focus, and lack of coordination. If you quit, many of the withdrawal symptoms affect your […]

Most of the work you have to do in recovery requires some grit. You have to confront old wounds and examine some aspects of yourself you may not like. You have to learn constructive ways to deal with stress and wait out cravings. You have to make lifestyle changes like eating better and exercising. You […]

They say if you can’t find your AA meeting, look for the building with a group of smokers outside. Cigarettes, along with pastries and coffee, have been associated with AA since the beginning. People recovering from alcohol addiction smoke at much higher rates than the general public. While estimates for smoking around the world are […]

Nearly everyone in recovery drinks coffee. It’s a fixture at AA meetings, along with pastries and cigarettes. It’s commonly said that coffee is just one way recovering alcoholics replace their addiction to alcohol, but is that all it is? There may be some good reasons for drinking coffee in recovery. There may also be some […]

Benzodiazepines are a prescription medication and are relatively common. They don’t cause euphoria like opioids and they aren’t ubiquitous like alcohol. Since they’re fast-acting, unlike SSRIs, you can take them only when you experience acute anxiety or can’t sleep. Benzos seem like a convenient and relatively harmless drug, yet it’s very hard to quit. What’s […]

It’s common for people wanting to get sober to shut themselves in their rooms and wait out the storm. The appeal of this approach is obvious. It’s free, for one thing. You also get to be somewhere safe, comfortable, and familiar while you spend a few days feeling awful. No one wants to see anyone […]

Making amends is one of the most difficult steps. You are forced to reflect on your mistakes and your shortcomings. It also requires you to put yourself at another’s mercy by apologizing and asking how you can make it right. That can be hard for the most trivial offenses, much less the big mistakes people […]

Making amends is an important step. It shows the people you’ve hurt that you regret hurting them. More than an apology, it shows you are willing to make some sort of effort or sacrifice to put things right. It’s also a way to move past guilt and shame. Instead of beating yourself up for all […]

Adderall has a reputation as a drug for overachievers. Every semester, students take Adderall to help them finish term papers and study for final exams. People working overtime use it to help them meet deadlines. The problem is that Adderall is basically prescription meth. Using it to get an edge at work or in school […]

The 13th step is when a member of a 12-step group who is well established in recovery makes sexual advances on a new member. This is strongly discouraged but does happen occasionally. 12-step groups are informal and any regulation must come from the members themselves. Some group cultures are more permissive than others, and unless […]