Unfortunately there is no cure for alcoholism or Alcohol Use Disorder. There is no pill or medicine that enables someone to drink safely and without consequences. There is no pill that will make someone stay completely abstinent from alcohol...not yet anyway. People with alcoholism or Alcohol Use Disorder have to use a combination of resources that help them stay abstinent...
All Posts By Joseph Barker
Depression and addiction are often experienced hand-in-hand, sometimes as a dual-diagnosis. The symptoms of substance abuse disorders can look almost identical to many depressive disorders. In addition, understanding the relationship between depression and addiction is complicated because depressive disorders and substance use disorders can be caused or made worse by each other. For instance, someone experiencing grief or trauma may...
Dear BARC Community: Though times surrounding COVID-19 are changing rapidly every day, our services are here. Our services are evolving with consideration to CDC, HHS, State, and local government guidance to keep our clients and staff as safe as possible while maintaining all rules and regulations. Our Outpatient Services remain fully functional, though we have switched to Telehealth until further...
A recent UMass Amherst study published in Addictive Behaviors has revealed that delving deeper into the triggers of someone struggling with opioid addiction can inform treatment and improve outcomes. Many of these triggers are gender-specific, requiring tailored advice and support services to overcome addiction. What Did the Addiction Study Reveal? In this study, a UMass public health professor reviewed 600 opioid use disorder cases to evaluate...
Rehabilitation from drug or alcohol addiction is not an easy task, and many who first seek help have tried on their own to overcome their addiction, only to find they need help. Estimate are than between 40 and 60 percent of people who have been treated for addiction relapse within the first year. Relapse is often thought to be part...
Many states like Texas have recently enacted laws to crack down on mothers who expose their unborn children to illicit substances, but the consumption of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy remains relatively common. As early as 2012, nearly six percent of expectant mothers reported using illegal drugs during their pregnancy, along with another eight and a half percent who used...
Codependency in a drug abusing relationship is characterized by the sober partner fixated on helping the addict meet their needs, to the detriment of their own. It's a family issue that is very common, fueled by the emotional fact that is difficult for anyone to watch a loved one spiral out of control. As the codependent partner focuses on helping the...
A heartbreaking trend of more infants and toddlers being thrust into foster care has child welfare professionals on high alert. Many experts are drawing links to the opioid and methamphetamine addiction crisis that has devastated families across the country. With the nation’s welfare system already strained, rampant drug addiction continues to force more young children into foster care and pushing...
The term "dual diagnosis" is used to describe a person who struggles with both a mental health issue and substance abuse. When an addiction co-occurs with a psychological disorder, the patient may not realize the existence of the mental issues due to the overwhelming dominance of the substance abuse and its specific behaviors. The reality is that alcohol and drug...
It is no secret that opioid use is on the rise in communities across the country. Illegal substance abuse in rural, urban, and suburban homes that may have begun with a prescribed pain killer is now being affected by a national tightening of opioid-based pharmaceuticals. The unfortunate collateral damage has resulted in an epidemic of "pill to needle" drug users. According to...