National Recovery Month: A Time to Heal
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five American adults lives with a mental health condition. September is National Recovery Month, and this year’s theme is “Recovery is for Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community.” The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which sponsors Recovery Month, is using the slogan to encourage people to speak up about their mental
Substance Abuse and the Developing Mind
The human brain is still maturing significantly during adolescence and young adulthood. Given that the brain is still developing, it may help to explain why adolescents struggle with healthy decision-making and why this poses concerns for their health and safety. Emerging Patterns Prior to entering the adolescent stage of development, the brain adds a considerable amount of connections between brain cells. Around the ages of 11-12, the
Signs and Principles of Teen Drug Use
When is it time to get professional help for your teenager? Science tells us how drugs and alcohol affect an adolescent differently than adults. In the adolescent years, the areas of the brain that are responsible for judgment and self-inhibition are still developing, while the areas of the brain that govern reward-seeking and emotion are fully formed. In other words, the adolescent brain can be thought
Addiction, Trauma, and Wounds
Society as a whole has an easier time accepting medical healing and treatment than we do behavioral health and addiction treatment. If we were to take the time and see the similarities, it could help with any conflicting ideas that we may be holding onto that prevents us from seeking help when it is needed. In the medical world, doctors follow certain steps to heal wounds. Step
The Scary Truth About Drug & Alcohol Abuse in Teenagers
For many teenagers partaking in drug or alcohol use is a way to “fit in” or be cool to their peers. Many teens begin using substances as a result of peer pressure or curiosity and are not as concerned with the potential risks of these substances. Some teens may try these substances a few times and stop, but others may decide they want to continue
