The Role of Gender in Addiction and Treatment Men and women experience substance abuse disorders and substance abuse treatment differently.1 Women start using alcohol and drugs for different reasons, keep using alcohol and drugs for different reasons, experience addiction differently, and women have different needs during and after treatment. Gender makes a difference when seeking help for alcohol or drug...
All Posts By Joseph Barker
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to receiving care for substance use disorders. Where one person might need medical intervention to help ease off of heavy and continued use, another might need relapse prevention planning and coping strategies. Luckily there are many types of service at different levels of care, ranging from early intervention/prevention strategies, to 24-hour medically managed...
When most people hear the term “hard drugs” they probably think of heroin and other opiates, meth, or cocaine. These drugs get a lot of attention due to the current drug crises in cities and towns across America involving fentanyl overdoses and prescription drug abuse. However there is another substance many fail to recognize as a “hard drug,” yet its...
Whenever anyone has an issue they want to change about themselves, they go through steps or stages to bring about that change. Whether we want to change our diet and start working out as a New Year’s resolution, stop leaving dirty dishes around the house, or overcome alcohol and drug addiction, we all go through stages of change over a...
Many people who struggle with alcohol and drug addiction readily admit that their behavior is destructive and harmful. At certain times they might admit that their addiction is causing themselves emotional, physical, or financial harm, but often those same people have difficulty acknowledging the harm their addiction is doing to their families. Even though the individual who is active...
The Holiday Season is fast approaching. And while this time of year is usually perceived as a period of happiness and community, for those in recovery or in active addiction these few months can often be triggering and anxiety-inducing. Thanksgiving Day get-togethers, Christmas parties at work, the change in season and weather, spending more time with family, reliving memories of...
Over the past decade drug overdoses and drug overdose deaths have more than doubled.[1] One of the main reasons for this increase is the prevalence of fentanyl in illicit street drugs. While many of us have heard of fentanyl on the news or on social media, some may not know much about it. What is Fentanyl Fentanyl is a synthetic...
At Bay Area Recovery Center, we frequently meet with the families and loved ones of individuals suffering from addiction and substance use disorders. Addiction can cause an incredible amount of emotional pain within a family. There are often feelings of betrayal, distrust, confusion and anger from the family toward the individual who is addicted to a substance. Most times the...
“These allergic types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all; and once having formed the habit and found they cannot break it…their problems pile up on them and become astonishingly difficult to solve.” William D. Silkworth, M.D. The Big Book of AA This quote is taken from a chapter in the Big Book of Alcoholics...
Coming to the realization that you may need rehab for an alcohol or drug dependency can be very daunting. From coming to terms with an addiction, to choosing the right treatment center and figuring out how you will pay for it can be overwhelming to say the least. Fortunately, unlike in the past, nearly all insurance plans cover at least...