According to recent data from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, over 13.6 million employed American adults suffer from some form of substance use disorder (SUD). They represent nearly 9% of all workers, in fields like construction, recreation, entertainment, and food services.

Addiction is a serious health condition that affects not only an individual’s job performance but also their mental health and overall quality of life. Without a proper treatment program, addiction can lead to a range of problems, including deadly diseases.

Unfortunately, only a small number of employees report receiving substance abuse treatment every year, with only 1% (1.9 million) admitting they’re on a recovery.

Fear is one of the primary reasons employees don’t seek help for their drug or alcohol addiction. They may be afraid that their condition might affect their job. The prospect of the long-term effort they must put in to heal may also force them to shy away from treatment.

But can you get fired for going to rehab?

If you or any of your loved ones suffer from SUD, you may wonder what will happen after you decide to start your addiction recovery journey. Below we’ll share everything you need to know about employee drug recovery, including the federal laws that protect your job security.

The Cost of Substance Abuse in the Workplace

There are several reasons workers turn to drug use in the workplace. Factors like chronic stress, loneliness, long work hours, environmental stressors, painful job conditions, work insecurity, and toxic work cultures increase the likelihood of drug and alcohol addiction.

Male-dominated industries also exhibit higher rates of substance misuse according to the American Addiction Centers. These include jobs in construction, mining, and service industries, as well as safety-sensitive work like trucking and air traffic controls.

Unfortunately, besides the debilitating effects of drug addiction on the victim and their family’s well-being, it also impacts the economy in significant ways.

In addition to the loss in productivity, injuries from workplace accidents are considerably higher when employees suffer from SUD. The US Department of Labor discovered that drug and alcohol use contributes to over 65% of on-the-job accidents.

Companies with SUD issues in their workforce also observe higher rates of absenteeism, turnovers, theft, and management conflicts. Because of these drug and alcohol-related problems, businesses are losing over $81 billion annually per SAMHSA.

Can You Get Fired For Going to Rehab?

Your employer shouldn’t fire you for seeking medical help or deciding to enter a rehab program. Federal laws also offer some protections against discrimination for employees suffering from any form of disability or medical conditions, including those who battle with drug addiction.

However, it doesn’t mean your employer can’t fire you from your job. If your condition interferes with your ability to work and affects your performance or if you engage in improper behavior in the workplace, it is within your employer’s rights to terminate your contract.

Frequently skipping shifts, working under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or deliberately violating your company’s policies can all be legal grounds for termination. Still, there are ways you can approach your recovery without losing your valuable livelihood.

Talking to Your Employer About Your Condition

Whether or not you’re aware of it, addiction can affect your career in many ways. You may fall behind in your commitments, keep coming down on illness, or be unable to focus on your tasks. Talking with your employer and communicating your situation is a great place to start.

• Be Transparent: Be open and honest about your condition. Communicating your genuine desire to seek help allows your employer to provide the much-needed support in your journey.
• Tie-Up Loose Ends: Ensure everything is settled before taking a leave of absence. Coordinate with your managers and coworkers to handle the remaining duties while you’re away.
• Keep It Private: If you’re concerned about your colleagues’ perceptions about you, remember that you’re entitled to privacy. You don’t need to tell your co-workers about your reasons for taking time off.

Some companies offer employee assistance programs or EAPS. For those who qualify, you can use the EAPS to receive medical counseling or referrals to drug rehab centers. Don’t forget to check with your insurance provider for your insurance coverage.

What Protections Are Provided in the Workplace?

There are a few laws protecting recovering SUD patients when seeking time off work to enroll in a treatment center. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with these laws and regulations to help in your journey to bounce back from substance use disorders.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is one of the first federal acts addressing equality in the workplace. It mandates that those who suffer from disabilities, including but not limited to mental health diagnoses, be provided the same opportunities, programs, and services.

Fortunately, RA 1973 recognizes substance use disorder and mental health conditions as a disability. So, if you work in any government or federal position, you may also qualify for provisions related to SUD or AUD.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

For those who don’t work for the government and are worried about becoming unemployed, the Americans with Disabilities Act offers some protection for workers with a history of drug or alcohol use.

Under this mandate, you won’t have to worry about your employer terminating your contract based on your decision to seek professional help. It also stipulates that the recovering individual be provided with reasonable workplace accommodations, such as a modified schedule.

However, note that the ADA only applies to employees attempting to recuperate and are no longer actively using illegal drugs. It also treats alcohol misuse more leniently and covers those who are “an alcoholic or recovering alcoholic.”

If you think you’ve been treated unjustly after deciding to attend drug or alcohol rehab programs, the ADA allows you to file a formal complaint against your employer.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Unlike the ADA, the Family and Medical Leave Act grants employees undergoing addiction treatment and other medical reasons a job-protected leave. The act permits up to 12 weeks off work for qualified workers.

While an FMLA leave is unpaid, it provides ample time for someone to receive the necessary help to bounce back from an illness. The employee also continues to receive health insurance benefits as they heal.

To qualify for an FMLA leave, you must:

• Have a qualifying reason to file for a leave
• Worked for the employer for at least one year
• Worked for at least 1,250 hours
• Worked in a location with at least 50 other employees

Finally, the employer must be covered under the FMLA Act. Like ADA, this leave also doesn’t protect ongoing substance users or those who violate workplace policies.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, enacted in 1996, aims to safeguard your rights to privacy on health information. This means all records involving your health conditions must be treated with confidentiality.

This law primarily applies to healthcare providers handling protected health information (PHI). Under HIPAA, those who seek professional help to address SUD or AUD can rest easy that no one, not even your employer, can access your medical records without your permission.

Best Treatment Options For Workers Who Suffer From SUD

Knowing your options for treatment is one of the most vital steps you should take when considering a rehab program. With the right treatment facility, you can access comprehensive yet practical interventions that could allow you to keep your job while healing.

Outpatient Rehab Programs

An outpatient treatment program is a less restrictive version of an inpatient program. In this approach, the recuperating patient receives therapy and other services in a facility but returns home at the end of the day.

Rehab centers provide a wide range of treatment services in an outpatient program. Depending on your situation, this can include outpatient detox treatment, therapy sessions, support groups, physical checkups, medications, and other resources.

Outpatient plans typically fall under two categories: partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP).

PHP is the most intensive where patients receive five to six hours of daily treatment with a focus on resolving problematic behaviors during early recovery. IOP is the most flexible, requiring only three hours of sessions for three to five days weekly.

Final Thoughts: Getting the Help You Need

Don’t let addiction derail your career. Long Island Interventions offers a full continuum of comprehensive services, including outpatient and inpatient programs for employees desiring to break the toxic cycle.

Reach out and start healing today!

References

• https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2022/11/30/workplace-supported-recovery/
• https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_1959/ShortReport-1959.html
• https://adata.org/factsheet/ada-addiction-and-recovery-and-government
• https://www.eeoc.gov/employment-protections-under-rehabilitation-act-1973-50-years-protecting-americans-disabilities 
• https://www.usa.gov/disability-rights
• https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla

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Published on: 2025-04-01
Updated on: 2025-04-06

Alcoholism is often considered a brain disease because it messes with the brain’s neurotransmitters. It rewires the brain’s chemistry, throwing its natural processes off balance.

This article discusses the effects of alcohol on the brain and how it alters brain chemistry over time. What neurotransmitter does alcohol affect, and why does it lead to addiction? Let’s discuss.

What Are Neurotransmitters?

To understand what neurotransmitters alcohol affects, we need to discuss what neurotransmitters are and do.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that allow neurons—also known as nerve cells—to communicate with each other throughout the body.

We’ve yet to discover the exact number of unique neurotransmitters in the human brain, but scientists have identified at least 100 distinct types. These transmitters regulate a handful of bodily functions, including mood, emotions, movement, cognition, and processes like heart rate and digestion.

When a neuron sends a signal, it releases neurotransmitters into the synapse (a small gap between neurons). These chemicals bind to receptors on the receiving neuron, triggering a response that either excites or inhibits further signals.

Excitatory neurotransmitters cause the receiving neuron to fire its own signal, stimulating brain activity. Inhibitory neurotransmitters do the opposite—they reduce activity and calm the brain.

How Does the Body Know What Neurotransmitter to Release?

Neurons release neurotransmitters based on the signals they receive.

If the body needs to be alert or take action (like in a dangerous situation, for example), the body releases excitatory neurotransmitters like glutamate or norepinephrine. If the body needs to relax or slow down, it releases inhibitory neurotransmitters like Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or serotonin.

The release of neurotransmitters isn’t something you can consciously control. You can’t just go to work, exhausted, and think time to release excitatory neurotransmitters! to switch your brain to work mode. It’s this very reason that people can’t choose to be happy, relaxed, or alert all the time, and why mental illnesses like depression, ADHD, anxiety, and addiction exist.

The brain and nervous system work together to decide what’s best released based on the situation, past experiences, and the body’s needs. They process signals from the environment and internal body conditions, then adjust neurotransmitter levels accordingly.

That said, neurotransmitter activity can be triggered artificially.

Medication, drugs, and exercise can impact how much is released or how long it stays active in the brain.

For example, antidepressants (SSRIs) increase serotonin levels to regulate mood while caffeine blocks adenosine to keep you alert.

Alcohol, meanwhile, boosts the effects of GABA to induce relaxation and drowsiness while at the same time blocking glutamate receptors to further slow down brain function.

What Neurotransmitter Does Alcohol Affect?

Alcohol has a profound impact on neurotransmitters, leading to a wide range of psychological and physical effects when consumed even in moderation.

Since the body has potentially hundreds of neurotransmitters (many of which are yet to be discovered), we don’t know the exact number affected by alcohol. However, research has identified several key neurotransmitters that are most affected by alcohol consumption.

These include:

GABA

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. It slows down brain activity to regulate mood, reduce anxiety, support sleep, and prevent overstimulation.

Alcohol is an indirect GABA agonist, meaning that it mimics—or more accurately amplifies—the effects of GABA.

When alcohol (specifically ethanol) enters the brain, it binds to GABA receptors and makes them more responsive to GABA. This is why alcohol causes relaxation, drowsiness, and reduced anxiety in the short term.

Since alcohol only mimics rather than replacing GABA’s effects, the brain compensates by reducing natural GABA production or making GABA receptors less sensitive. So when alcohol is removed, the brain is left with too little GABA activity, leading to withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, tremors, or even seizures.

Glutamate

Glutamate is the brain’s main excitatory neurotransmitter.

It plays a key role in most CNS functions, including learning, memory, attention, movement and coordination, emotional regulation, and sensory processing (vision, hearing, and touch).

Excessive and long-term alcohol consumption throws these CNS functions out of balance, leading to slower thinking, poor coordination, memory impairment, and blackouts.

Alcohol inhibits glutamate by blocking glutamate gateways called N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. In an attempt to restore normal brain activity, the brain increases glutamate production. It recognizes that the brain is producing way too much GABA and needs to balance it out by producing the same amount of glutamate.

But since the gates are blocked, the extra glutamate sort of just stays there, waiting for an opportunity to bind. Once alcohol is removed, the gates suddenly open and all that accumulated glutamate rushes in at once.

This explains why chronic alcohol use can lead to withdrawal symptoms like anxiety, restlessness, and even seizures when alcohol is suddenly removed. The brain is flooded with too much glutamate and not enough GABA to balance things out.

Dopamine

Dopamine is perhaps the most well-known neurotransmitter in the brain. It acts as the “reward center” and plays a major role in how we feel pleasure.

Smelling cookies baking in the oven, exercising, meeting with a close friend, sex, and shopping are activities that can trigger dopamine production. It also plays a role in other major functions, like heart rate, movement, kidney function, blood vessel function, lactation, pain processing, sleep, and learning.

Low levels of dopamine can make you feel unmotivated, moody, and tired. It can also lead to more serious disorders like Parkinson’s disease, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), depression, and ADHD to name a few.

Alcohol triggers the release of dopamine levels in the brain’s reward system. This is why people feel happy, relaxed, and giddy when drinking.

Repeated use of alcohol disrupts the brain’s natural dopamine balance, causing individuals to drink more and more as their tolerance and dependency increase. 

Serotonin

Serotonin is much like dopamine; they both create feelings of happiness and pleasure. The difference is that dopamine creates motivation and reward-driven pleasure, while serotonin is more associated with overall mood stability and long-term well-being. It helps regulate mood, sleep, appetite, and stress levels, preventing feelings of anxiety and depression.

Alcohol temporarily increases serotonin, making people feel calmer or happier after drinking. But serotonin levels drop as soon as alcohol leaves the system, leading to feelings of irritability, anxiety, or even depression.

Endorphins

Alcohol also triggers the release of endorphins, which are the brain’s natural painkillers and mood boosters.

Endorphins create feelings of euphoria, relaxation, and pain relief, similar to the effects of opioids. Repeated alcohol use can alter the brain’s endorphin system, making it harder to experience pleasure naturally without alcohol. This can lead to tolerance, where a person needs to drink more to feel the same effect.

Adenosine

Adenosine is the neurotransmitter primarily responsible for a person’s need to sleep.

Alcohol increases adenosine levels, which makes you feel drowsy and sedated while drinking. The overproduction of adenosine stimulated artificially by alcohol forces the brain to reduce natural adenosine activity, leading to poor sleep quality and insomnia.

Those who drink to induce sleep often wake up feeling exhausted and slugging because it interferes with REM sleep, which disrupts deep sleep. Alcohol also throws off the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall and stay asleep without it.

Enkephalins and Dynorphins

Enkephalins and dynorphins belong to the same class of endorphins called endogenous opiates.

Enkephalins regulate pain and mood, though to a lesser extent than endorphins. Alcohol boosts enkephalins alongside endorphins.

Meanwhile, dynorphins produce feelings of dysphoria, stress, and discomfort—mostly to prevent the brain’s reward system from becoming too overstimulated.

What’s interesting is that researchers believe that dynorphins are the ones responsible for withdrawals.

When the brain is too overloaded with pleasurable sensations (due to increased production of dopamine, serotonin, GABA, etc.), dynorphins produce more of themselves to balance brain activity. It’s basically saying, whoa there, you’re not supposed to be this happy, it’s unnatural! and floods the brain with dynorphins to keep things in check.

The more someone drinks, the more dynorphins build up over time. And when alcohol is removed, the person feels worse than before. This cycle is why alcohol can become habit-forming—people drink not just to feel good but also to escape the dynorphin-driven discomfort when sober.

Final Thoughts

There are numerous other neurotransmitters that go haywire when affected by alcohol, but the ones mentioned above are the most significant ones.

When the brain gets used to the pleasurable effects of alcohol, it adapts by reducing its natural production of key neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. At the same time, it increases stress-related chemicals like dynorphins and glutamate, creating an imbalance that makes sobriety feel difficult.

As a result, when someone stops drinking, they often experience mood swings, anxiety, depression, and cravings, not because they lack willpower, but because their brain is struggling to regain balance.

If you or someone you know struggles with alcohol addiction, we can help. Contact us today to learn more about treatment options, support programs, and coping strategies. Recovery is possible, and you don’t have to go through it alone.

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Published on: 2025-04-01
Updated on: 2025-04-06

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 4% of the world’s population experience PTSD at some point in their lives. In other words, 4 out of every 100 adults suffer from PTSD.

Up to 84% of domestic violence survivors develop Domestic Violence Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Individual responses to trauma vary significantly; some people may experience severe anxiety, flashbacks, or hypervigilance, while others struggle with emotional numbness.

This article discusses the most common PTSD Domestic Violence symptoms to help you recognize the signs in yourself or a loved one. It also touches on how PTSD affects the brain, as well as the treatment options available.

What Is Domestic Violence PTSD?

Domestic Violence PTSD is a mental disorder caused by prolonged exposure to physical, emotional, economic, or sexual abuse in an intimate relationship.

The abuse of power that occurs in domestic relationships creates an environment of control, fear, and manipulation, leaving victims vulnerable and unable to defend themselves.

People who experience Domestic Violence PTSD often develop depression, avoidance disorders, hypervigilance, anxiety, and heightened stress responses even long after they’ve left the abusive situation.

Here are the different types of abuse in domestic violence:

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse involves any intentional act of violence that causes harm or injury to another person. This includes slapping, hitting, burning, choking, kicking, or using objects or weapons to inflict fear and pain. It can also involve actions that don’t immediately cause pain, like shoving, restraining, or denying medical care.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse, also known as psychological or mental abuse, is a form of abuse that damages a person’s self-esteem and emotional well-being.

It includes constant criticism, name-calling, insults, humiliation, and making someone feel worthless and unloved.

The abuser may gaslight the victim, making them doubt their own memories or perceptions. They may also use silent treatment, refusal to listen, or emotional withdrawal as a form of “punishment,” making the victim feel isolated, unheard, and unimportant.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse refers to any unwanted sexual act, whether through coercion or power imbalance.

It includes rape, unwanted touching, forcing a person into sexual activity, or making them feel obligated to engage in sex against their will.

It can also include non-contact sexual abuse, like exposing a person to explicit content without consent or forcing a person to engage in sexual conversations or behaviors online.

Economic Abuse

Economic abuse happens when the perpetrator makes the victim financially depend on them. They may withhold access to funds, forbid employment, spend the victim’s money without their consent, or force the victim to ‘earn’ their money through unwanted acts. They may even prevent the victim from shopping or spending money, even if that money is their own.

What Are the Common Symptoms of Domestic Violence PTSD?

PTSD manifests in different ways, and one person’s reactions can greatly differ from the next. Here are some of the most common symptoms of Domestic Violence PTSD:

• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem and persistent feelings of shame, guilt, worthlessness, and failure
• Depression, including prolonged sadness
• Flashbacks (re-experiencing the traumatic event)
• Hypervigilance (constantly on high alert and always scanning for danger even when they’re safe)
• Avoidance or detachment from people, environments, or events related to the trauma
• Frequent negative thoughts and emotions
• Difficulty developing and maintaining meaningful relationships
• Overwhelming feelings of fear, even when nothing is causing them harm
• Difficulty trusting others
• Difficulty sleeping
• Physical pain that migrates through the body
• Lack of interest in activities they once found pleasurable
• Feelings of numbness
• Emotional outbursts
• Heart palpitations and chills when reliving the event

If left untreated, Domestic Violence PTSD can result in long-term mental health effects.

Many who experience this type of PTSD often struggle with suicidal thoughts, severe depression, anxiety, and intense loneliness.

It also increases the likelihood of developing life-threatening conditions like heart disease, substance abuse disorders, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and stomach ulcers.

How Does Domestic Violence PTSD Happen?

PTSD is up to 80% more common in domestic violence survivors because the abuse is ongoing and unpredictable.

Unlike a single traumatic event, for example a car accident or robbery, which occurs in a short and defined timeframe, domestic violence happens repeatedly over months or even years.

People in abusive relationships are in a constant state of fear and stress, overwhelming the brain’s ability to process experiences normally. The brain switches to survival mode to cope and often gets stuck in that mode even after the victim leaves the abusive relationship.

With how long the brain is in survival mode, it can take time to adjust to a safe environment. This is particularly true if the abuser is violent or extremely controlling.

The abuse can linger in the subconscious for a long time, especially when the trauma isn’t processed correctly. Some people’s trauma is so severe that it inhibits their day-to-day life, preventing them from living normally.

Can Children Get PTSD from Witnessing Domestic Abuse?

Domestic abuse has a profound impact on the survivor, with some needing months if not years of professional help to combat the struggles of PTSD. But what about those who witness it, like the survivor’s children?

According to research, over 37% of children witness violence between their parents. Up to 50% of these children develop PTSD, even if they are not directly harmed.

Repeatedly witnessing violence, threats, and emotional abuse in their home can be just as traumatic as experiencing it firsthand.

Children who grow up in these environments often feel unsafe and experience chronic stress, fear, and helplessness, leading to long-term emotional and psychological effects.

They often experience the same symptoms as Domestic Violence victims because they themselves are technically victims too.

Witnessing a loved one being abused is deeply traumatizing and terrifying, especially for a child who has yet to develop a solid understanding of the world. They may also live in a constant state of fear and uncertainty, wondering when the violence will turn to them.

What Are the Treatment Options for Domestic Violence PTSD?

Many people with PTSD from domestic violence feel like they shouldn’t feel terrible anymore because they’ve left their abuser. They may think that since the danger is gone, they should be fine. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

While PTSD develops from prolonged abuse, the symptoms may not appear until long after the victim has left the relationship.

During the abuse, the brain is stuck in survival mode. The victim focuses only on getting through each day and has neither the time nor energy to process their emotions. But once they’re finally out, the floodgates open, and all the buried emotions, memories, and trauma come rushing in.

This is why PTSD is often diagnosed after leaving an abusive relationship. It’s also the reason why people who experience domestic abuse turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and despair.

The good news is that the brain is malleable, meaning that it can get better with time. With the right treatment, survivors can heal and live a long, happy life, and eventually find the courage to open their hearts to potential new partners.

Here are some of the most effective ways to treat Domestic Violence PTSD:

Therapy

Professional therapy, such as Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Individual Therapy, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), helps survivors process trauma, reframe negative thoughts, and reduce PTSD symptoms.

Medications

As of now, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve medication that treats PTSD. However, healthcare providers may prescribe antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications to help manage severe PTSD symptoms, such as panic attacks, depression, or sleep disturbances.

Support Group

Victims of domestic abuse are often kept in isolation, not only in the physical sense but also psychologically. Abusers may prevent them from speaking up, convince them that no one will love them, and that they’re alone.

This is where support groups come into play. Support groups offer emotional validation, encouragement, and practical advice for coping with PTSD from professionals and people who have experienced domestic violence themselves.

Self-Care and Coping Strategies

Therapy has a heavy focus on self-care and self-love.

Activities like exercise, meditation, yoga, and breathing techniques can reduce stress, improve mood, and promote relaxation.

The goal is to re-establish a person’s sense of control. Setting small goals, building routines, and making time for things that bring them joy and peace go a long way in reclaiming one’s sense of self.

Final Thoughts

Domestic violence is one of the most common causes of PTSD.

Symptoms associated with Domestic Violence PTSD include depression, anxiety, flashbacks, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and being easily startled.

Survivors of domestic violence often turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with feelings of helplessness, which is why early and immediate professional intervention is crucial.

If you or a loved one is struggling with the effects of domestic violence and PTSD, we’re here to help. Reach out for support today and take the first step toward recovery.

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Published on: 2025-04-01
Updated on: 2025-04-01

According to Psychiatry.org, over 43% of American adults experience high levels of anxiousness daily. Single Care found identical results, with over 90% of the responders admitting to losing sleep at night worrying over their health and finances.

Despite our best efforts, stress is a natural aspect of life. Anything from your education, social life, career trajectory, and family relationships, can be a significant source of anxiety. Many of us simply learned to tolerate it.

Unfortunately, exposure to chronic stress over long periods of time can be debilitating to your wellness. Your mental health is one aspect that takes the brunt first. Poor nutrition, sleep disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and other health problems often immediately follow.

Sadly, when people get used to stressors, their bodies adapt to the constant stress. The fight or flight response becomes a natural state, their bodies become accustomed to functioning with it—much like how substance abuse patients are to a drug.

If you or any of your loved ones suffer from chronic stress in this manner, there’s a likely chance that you also suffer from a condition called cortisol addiction. Below, we’ll discuss everything you should know about this disease and the best ways to address it.

Can You Get Hooked on Stress?

While it can have a significant impact on your mental health, stress, technically speaking, isn’t a disease. It’s the body’s natural response to threats of harm and physical danger. It does this to protect you against perceived threats or potential aggressors.

But can you be addicted to stress?

Yes, you can get hooked on stress, despite the myriad of negative consequences that come with it. It’s also more common than you might think.

Stress addiction is primarily characterized by a conscious desire to seek out stressors or behave in ways that could potentially increase cortisol levels. That means the person can be fully aware of their distress, but find it hard to stop.

So, why would a person want to increase stressful emotions voluntarily?

This curious desire has something to do with how the brain reacts to distress and perceived dangers. Anxious feelings typically involve several brain hormones, primarily cortisol (the stress hormone) and dopamine (the happy hormone).

What Is Cortisol?

Cortisol, a steroid hormone, is produced in the adrenal glands sitting at the top of both of your kidneys. Some call them the suprarenal glands.

Besides cortisol secretion, these glands also regulate your blood pressure, immune system, metabolism, and many more bodily functions, such as increasing blood sugar and managing fat and protein use.

What controls cortisol production, that is, how much your body releases, is your brain’s pituitary gland (through the ACTH), found in the hypothalamus region in your brain.

Cortisol is a crucial hormone in the body. Most of your cells have cortisol receptors, using the hormone for various purposes, including blood sugar, metabolism, and immune system regulation.

In regular amounts, cortisol is crucial to how your body operates. However, too much cortisol in the system may result in serious health issues that could endanger your well-being.

Why Is Cortisol Addictive?

You can think of cortisol as your body’s natural home security alarm. It manages your mood, fear, and motivation. But it also gives your body an energy boost, keeping you focused and on high alert, which helps you handle stressful situations.

Besides cortisol, your nervous system releases dopamine as part of the stress response. The “feel good” hormone activates the brain’s reward system to increase motivation and encourage coping and stress management.

So, while many of us think of stress as unpleasant and something that should be avoided, some people thrive and desire to experience it more frequently. They may enjoy the energy boost and the elation that comes with the cortisol and dopamine surges.

Ultimately, stress-seeking becomes a habit and a craving similar to people suffering from substance use disorders. It essentially becomes a natural “high” that they seek out despite the health risks it involves.

Why Is Cortisol Addiction Dangerous?

The body’s stress response typically regulates itself. After the stressful situation or perceived danger has passed, the cortisol and dopamine hormones subside and return to normal levels. Along with them your adrenaline, blood pressure, and heart rate.

However, when under frequent stress and your body always feels under attack, its fight or flight status remains turned on. And while that may feel exhilarating to some, it brings about all sorts of serious issues.

Having your stress response activated for long periods and exposure to high amounts of cortisol derail the entire body’s natural processes. So, when stress addiction takes hold, it puts you at risk of various health conditions, such as:

• Weight gain
• Burnout
• Digestive problems
• Frequent headaches
• Muscle fatigue
• Reduced sex drive
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Sleeping disorders
• Depression and anxiety
• High blood pressure and stroke
• Memory and concentration issues

Some reports also found increased body hair and irregular or total absence of periods for females persistently exposed to cortisol. Cushing’s syndrome is also observed, which can include physical symptoms, including:

• Flushed face
• Fat deposits on shoulder blades
• Increased water intake
• Urinating frequently
• Sudden mood swings
• Weakened bones (osteoporosis)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Unexplained bruises or marks on the skin

Note that your genetics and taking certain medications (e.g., oral contraceptives) may influence your stress levels when distressed. People with unresolved trauma also tend to respond more intensely to stressful events.

Recognizing Signs of Stress Addiction

Cortisol can be just as addictive as drugs. Given its serious health risks, it’s crucial to spot and deal with cortisol addiction early on.

If you suspect you or any of your loved ones suffer from this common impairment, here are some of the most common signs you can watch out for:

Obsession With Productivity

It’s a fantastic footnote on your resume, but thriving under fast-paced deadlines and a pressured environment can be a telltale sign of cortisol addiction.

If you can’t seem to sit still and disconnect from your responsibilities, you may be avoiding what you consider “uncomfortable emotions” like loneliness, boredom, and uselessness. Guilt also often follows whenever you take time off your work.

This incapability to rest may be rooted in a self-inflicted pressure to succeed. But it also leaves you prone to severe stress and various other complications, including cortisol addiction.

Saying Yes to Everything

Even if you recognize yourself as a good person, saying yes to everything and exerting unnecessary pressure on yourself in the process could indicate stress addiction.

You may feel the need to double your tasks and responsibilities. As a result, you keep saying yes to other people’s requests, despite not having the time or physical energy for them.

This tendency could be an attempt to supplement the feeling of being “needed” or productive. The problem is it takes away from the valuable time you need to care for your health and well-being.

If you can no longer remember one moment when you weren’t feeling overwhelmed, it may be time to pause and reconsider your health.

Experiencing Physical Symptoms of Stress

Like a typical substance abuse disorder, cortisol addiction manifests itself physically in many ways. Physical symptoms include:

• Frequent back or neck pains
• High blood pressure
• Constant fatigue
• Feeling mentally weak
• Insomnia and other sleep challenges

Some withdrawal symptoms may also present themselves during moments of rest. This can include bouts of irritability, restlessness, anxiety, and depression.

Treatment Options For Cortisol Addiction

Despite its real threats to mental and physical health, “stress addiction” isn’t considered a clinical diagnosis. So, there’s no foolproof way to reduce or eliminate cortisol dependence and its symptoms.

Stress management, deep breathing exercises, and meditation are the common expert recommendations to curb someone’s desire for stressful situations.

Of course, if you believe you can’t overcome this unique form of addiction alone, you can always seek out professional help from the experts. Treatment centers like Long Island Interventions provide holistic programs to deal with chronic stress.

Here are some of the evidence-based mental health therapies and approaches you may expect to receive:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A typical SUD treatment, CBT can be effective in managing stress and anxiety by identifying and resolving negative and unhelpful behavioral patterns.
• Meditative Therapy: Meditation therapy helps patients through mindfulness practices, which help lessen cravings, alleviate withdrawal symptoms, and decrease the risk of relapse.
• Support Groups: Support groups allow you to meet people sharing similar experiences and struggles. It helps by easing feelings of isolation and offering opportunities to learn effective stress-coping mechanisms.

Final Thoughts

Our social media culture glorifies the constant grind mindset and wears it like a badge. However, addiction to chronic stress poses serious health hazards that may endanger your or your loved ones’ lives.

Breaking the toxic cycle alone can be daunting. So, don’t hesitate to reach out to Long Island Interventions and recover your life today.

References

• https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/annual-poll-adults-express-increasing-anxiousness
• https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/stress-statistics/
• https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/stress
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500031/
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cushing-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351310
• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-13927-7
• https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/addiction-withdrawal
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322335
• https://americanaddictioncenters.org/therapy-treatment

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Published on: 2025-03-25
Updated on: 2025-03-25

The connections we cultivate with others can profoundly influence our mental health. A healthy relationship involves many things, with mutual respect, open and honest communication, and empathy being essential components. Positive relationships are built on a foundation of trust, compassion, and understanding. They’re crucial for daily life and play an important role for those going through addiction recovery. They can often be a source of encouragement, reduce feelings of isolation and shame, and promote accountability, all of which are key to the healing and recovery process.

Key Qualities of a Healthy Relationship

A good relationship, especially a long-term relationship, thrives when both partners commit to its most vital aspects. Mutual respect and understanding are essential; each person should value the other’s opinions and feelings without judgment. Good communication, including effective communication, is crucial for navigating challenges and strengthening the bond. In a healthy relationship, each partner should feel heard, respected, and understood.

Trust is non-negotiable in a strong relationship. It’s the foundation of any lasting bond, allowing both people to feel secure and supported. One of the characteristics of a healthy relationship is respecting individual space. Contrary to popular belief, giving each other personal space and breathing room isn’t a sign of trouble; it demonstrates trust and allows both partners to maintain their sense of self and pursue individual interests while still spending time together. Physical affection, like holding hands, can also contribute to feeling connected.

Shared values, interests, and goals are also important for building a strong connection and solidifying the bond. These shared elements contribute to emotional intimacy and help healthy couples thrive. Ultimately, a good relationship fosters healthy behaviors and allows each partner to feel loved and appreciated.

Signs of an Unhealthy Relationship

A toxic relationship isn’t limited to romance; any relationship can become unhealthy. Recognizing the signs is crucial for personal growth and well-being.

A lack of trust, such as constantly needing to check in on someone or isolating them from friends, is a major red flag. Criticism, whether tied to this or separate, is another warning sign. For example, one person might criticize another’s appearance before they go out.

These behaviors can be controlling or manipulative, sometimes overtly, sometimes subtly. Often, they start subtly and escalate gradually. For instance, guilt-tripping someone about seeing friends might progress to completely cutting them off from loved ones. Miscommunication can also contribute to these patterns.

It’s a misconception that abuse must be physical. Emotional abuse can be just as destructive. Signs include gaslighting, criticism, insults, belittling achievements, isolating you, excessive possessiveness or jealousy, withholding support, invalidating your feelings, and lack of accountability. Threatening self-harm if you leave is also emotional abuse. In severe cases, this can even escalate to domestic violence.

Codependency is often mistaken for a healthy relationship, but balance is key. Both people should feel equally supported, validated, and understood. This should be a reciprocal arrangement – vice versa.

Unhealthy dynamics, particularly in a toxic relationship, can significantly impact mental health and stability, especially for those in addiction recovery. It can increase stress, trigger relapse, and hinder focus on personal needs and well-being. If you recognize these signs in your relationship, it’s important to get help. Sometimes, the healthiest option is to let go and break up, allowing both people to prioritize their own needs and personal growth.

How Mental Health Affects Relationships

Just like relationships can affect mental health, the opposite is also true. Mental health can affect relationships positively and negatively. For example, healthy and honest communication can encourage positive relationships, whereas emotional unavailability can push others away.

Mental health struggles can often lead to an increased level of stress and anxiety in a relationship. For instance, when someone is stressed, they may take their irritability and frustration out on their partner and have challenges managing conflicts. Anxiety can often lead to misinterpretations and clinginess. Depression can also be a factor, leading to emotionally shutting down and having little to no motivation to do regular tasks, such as helping out around the house.

Addiction can deeply strain relationships, often resulting in a constant cycle of misunderstandings, hurt, and frustrations. Those with addictions often lie about their behavior, become defensive over it, and emotionally shut down because they feel guilty or ashamed. It’s then common for their partner to feel hurt and experience frustration in their own right. This can often result in an unhealthy relationship where one person tries to “fix” the other.

There will also likely be a substantial lack of trust. The person with the addiction will often steal, lie, break promises, and manipulate to get what they want, each one doing more damage than the last to the relationships in their life.

The financial strain is also significant. Money is wasted on substances rather than contributing to financial goals or household expenses. Many addicted individuals make monumental financial decisions that negatively impact themselves and those around them, such as draining their child’s college fund so they can buy substances. It’s not uncommon for addicted individuals to lose their jobs, resulting in further financial strain.

A relationship can often get so damaged that the person in recovery has no idea where to begin to repair the connection. Seeking help during the recovery process is crucial to restoring and maintaining healthy relationships, especially while also dealing with other challenges, such as maintaining sobriety.

Getting help can be a sign to others that they’re making an effort to heal themselves and make better decisions. It could be a major stepping stone in improving communication, restoring trust, and rebuilding emotional support while breaking harmful patterns.

Building a Healthy Relationship in Recovery

Rebuilding or building a healthy relationship while in recovery isn’t something that will happen overnight. It requires patience, clear communication, empathy, and mutual respect. Open communication is crucial.

Not everyone will be receptive, especially immediately, to the attempt to repair the relationship. This is where self-awareness, self-care, and patience can come in. The person going through the addiction recovery can hope for a reconciliation but cannot expect that they’re owed one.

Understanding vital conflict resolution skills can be a major part of trying to repair a relationship. For example, never start a sentence with “You.” Say “I” instead while taking accountability and focusing on your feelings.

Active listening is also essential. The other person may have plenty to say about how they feel. Let them say what they need to, and make sure you acknowledge that you heard what they said. Some things they say may make you angry, but staying calm is important, as is pausing before you respond.

The Role of Support Systems

Having a healthy support system is paramount for addiction recovery as it can offer emotional security while holding you accountable for your actions. It can also help reduce feelings of isolation, especially when struggling on challenging days. You can have many types of individuals as part of your support system, whether it’s a romantic partner, friends, or family. However, professional counseling can also be beneficial, especially for helping maintain and strengthen the relationships you value.

How to Foster Mutual Respect in a Relationship

A healthy relationship can’t thrive without mutual respect. Fostering mutual respect in a relationship requires empathy, understanding, and honest communication.

It also requires acknowledging the relationship as a partnership consisting of two individuals. This means honoring and recognizing each person’s values, preferences, needs, and personal boundaries. Establishing healthy boundaries ensures that both partners feel respected and valued, allowing for a deeper connection built on trust. Active listening is crucial, as is showing appreciation for both small and large positive actions.

Avoiding unhealthy behaviors, such as criticism and name-calling, is important. It’s necessary to consistently make a conscious effort to treat each other respectfully while also respecting boundaries to maintain emotional well-being within the relationship.

Overcoming Challenges in Relationships

Every relationship is going to face challenges at some point, but it’s how both people handle them that’s important. There will always be stresses and external pressures, but understanding how to manage individually and as a team is necessary.

It’s essential to handle disagreements in a healthy way and have patience for yourself and the other person. Open communication is one of the best ways to handle challenges, especially disagreements. Both partners should feel free to express their concerns and feelings while actively listening to the other person’s point of view. Doing so can help foster a deeper connection.

Repairing trust during the addiction recovery process will be a major challenge. However, once again, honest communication is key. It can help build trust and improve confidence in the relationship.

Some people wait to seek professional help until something major happens within the relationship. However, going through the addiction recovery process is a challenge on its own, whether you have the addiction or you love someone going through recovery. Professional counseling can be an excellent idea for anyone who wants to learn how to improve themselves as an individual and to maintain and build healthy relationships with others.

Seeking Help for Relationship Issues

Seeking professional help, whether you’re going through addiction or loving someone who is, offers numerous benefits that can significantly enhance healing.

It offers a safe and neutral space where people can openly express their concerns, frustrations, and fears without judgment. This can lead to a better relationship filled with mutual respect, open communication, empathy, and trust. It can also allow you to manage your stress and triggers better while handling emotional challenges.

Professional counseling can be a powerful tool in preventing your own relapse or understanding how to better help someone you love through their addiction recovery journey. It strengthens a relationship’s foundation while encouraging a deeper bond and boosting the chances of long-lasting success.

It’s time to take the first step toward healing the relationships in your own life. Long Island Interventions offers support to couples and individuals who want to rebuild their bond while strengthening and improving themselves. We provide various types of therapy so everyone can choose the one they feel will help them have the most success with rebuilding their lives.

Being part of a healthy relationship in any capacity, whether it’s romantic, platonic, or familial, can be a crucial component for navigating the addiction recovery process. Keep in mind that factors like mutual respect, open and honest communication, trust, shared values, and emotional security can make a significant difference in everyday life. Don’t hesitate to reconnect with people with whom you feel you can have a healthy relationship. Continue to build stronger connections on a daily basis. The team at Long Island Interventions is always here to assist if you need guidance and support. Contact us today for more information.

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Published on: 2025-02-01
Updated on: 2025-03-13

Addiction can affect cognitive functioning and mental health in numerous ways, leading to cognitive impairment, loss of focus, memory issues, and a reduced ability to learn or retain information. Drug overdose, especially involving opioid use disorder and synthetic opioids like oxycodone or methamphetamine, can more directly impact the brain by causing seizures or reducing oxygen flow. This oxygen deprivation, also known as anoxia or anoxic brain injury, can result in severe cognitive deficits, traumatic brain injury, or encephalopathy in some cases.

Opioid overdoses are particularly dangerous and can lead to both fatal and non-fatal overdoses, increasing the risk of anoxic brain injury due to oxygen deprivation. When opioids attach to receptors in brain cells, they block pain signals from the nerves, but in higher doses, they can also block signals that control breathing and heart rate, slowing the oxygen flow to the brain. This can lead to severe impairment, brain damage, or death. Naloxone (brand name Narcan) is a critical medication for reversing opioid overdose, potentially preventing these severe outcomes if administered promptly.

Addressing addiction issues early with the help of healthcare providers, family support, and public health interventions is essential to reduce the increased risk of overdose-related complications. Seeking addiction treatment now is the best way to mitigate the potential for cognitive impairment or life-threatening outcomes from overdose.

Risk Factors for Opioid Overdose

Opioid addiction comes with a built-in risk of overdose because of the way in which these substances affect the brain. According to the American Psychological Association, about 136 people die of opioid-related overdoses each day in the United States. Some of the most common factors that increase the risk of opioid overdose include the following:

• Changes in drug tolerance: Patients who have recently been released from prison or a drug rehabilitation program and who begin to use opioids and other drugs may have a lower tolerance for these substances. This can result in unintentional overdose on opioids and certain other substances, which can increase the risk of an overdose among these individuals.
• Previous overdoses: Patients who have previous overdose incidents are more likely to experience overdoses in the future.
• Changes in how opioids are administered: Changing from smoking or snorting drugs to injecting them directly into the bloodstream is also associated with a higher risk of overdose for many drugs.
• Mixing drugs: Combining opioids with alcohol, antidepressants and other substances can also increase the risk of overdose in addicted individuals.
• Solitary use of drugs: Using drugs alone can increase the risks not only of overdose but of death or severe injury caused by overdoses of opioids and other drugs.
• Poor physical health: Patients with serious or chronic health problems are more likely to overuse drugs or alcohol, which can lead to a higher risk of overdose among these vulnerable individuals.
• Variations in illegally obtained opioids: The strength, quality and purity of illegally obtained opioids can pose real risks to users. In some cases, cheaper drugs may be used to increase the apparent effects of opioids and other drugs obtained from street sources.

While opioids are often the focus of studies on overdose deaths and brain damage, other substances may also be implicated in certain categories of brain injuries.

What Substances Have Been Linked to Brain Damage From Overdose?

Depending on the severity of addiction, the tolerance of the user and the concentration of the substance in the bloodstream, a variety of drugs and substances have been linked to brain damage caused by overdose:

• Alcohol, when used in large quantities, has been linked with respiratory depression. This is one of the key factors in reducing the flow of oxygen to the brain and can cause hypoxia and brain damage.
• Amphetamines are also implicated in the disruption of the blood-brain barrier, which can allow toxins from the blood supply to enter the brain and to do damage to nerve cells.
• Inhalant drugs, including airplane glue, lighter fluid, cleaning products and gasoline, can be absorbed into the bloodstream and can cause direct damage to brain cells along with suppressing and replacing the flow of oxygen to the brain.
• Cocaine use can change the structures of the brain, which can cause brain damage and loss of gray matter in patients with long-term addiction issues.
• Opioids pose the greatest threat to users in terms of brain damage and overdose potential. Substances like codeine, fentanyl, morphine, hydrocodone, tramadol and heroin are among the most commonly abused and readily available opioids. Because these drugs attach to receptors in the brain that control pain and pleasure, opioid overdose cases can quickly result in loss of oxygen to the brain that can cause damage to tissue and could lead to death.

Understanding the mechanisms by which opioids and other drugs affect brain function and can cause brain injuries can allow patients and their families to reduce the risk of these serious consequences of addiction.

How an Overdose Can Cause Brain Damage

During normal medical use, opioids are administered in dosages designed to relieve pain without blocking essential signals from nerve endings. Prescription opioids can be abused or overused, however, which can result in severe inhibition of the central nervous system. In essence, the body forgets how to breathe on its own. Slowdowns in both breathing and heart rate can quickly lead to a loss of consciousness due to lack of oxygen reaching the brain.

Brain cells can die within just a few minutes when deprived of oxygen and nutrients. When enough of these cells die, the function of the brain is usually severely reduced. The Brain Injury Association of America estimates that about 25 percent of those who are admitted for brain injury rehabilitation require treatment because of drug or alcohol abuse.

Hypoxic brain injuries are not uncommon among overdose survivors. These injuries can cause serious and ongoing issues that may include the following:

• Short-term or longer-term memory loss
• Temporary paralysis in legs or arms
• Disorientation and mental confusion
• Strokes
• Loss of motor skills
• Seizures
• Incontinence
• Loss of control of eye movements
• Changes in walking gait
• Slower reaction times

While these issues are most common among opioid overdose survivors, patients who overdose on alcohol and other drugs may also experience some or all of these side effects. Withdrawal from some medications and substances can also pose risks of seizures, which can sometimes cause brain injury resulting from lack of oxygen or direct damage caused by falls.

What Are the Signs of Brain Damage After an Overdose?

Warning signs of brain injuries caused by overdoses, strokes and physical impacts include the following:

• Severe headaches can be early warning signs that not enough oxygen is reaching the brain and that prompt medical attention is needed to prevent damage to nerve cells.
• Issues with cognitive processes that may include mental fogginess, poor judgment, slowed thinking and general disorientation are often signs that brain function is impaired. Some overdose patients may also have trouble reading, writing or remembering basic information.
• Slurred speech can occur after a stroke or an overdose-related brain injury.
• Balance problems and dizziness are often associated with brain injuries caused by overdoses or other factors.
• Irritability and mood disorders may occur if brain function has been impaired by a drug or alcohol overdose.
• Seizures are one of the most obvious signs of brain damage caused by overdose. Seeking medical attention quickly can often mitigate some of the potential effects of brain injuries caused by overdose, by severe impacts to the head or by other medical conditions.

Can Brain Damage Be Reversed?

Most medical authorities believe that brain damage cannot be reversed because neurons, the primary cells found in the brain, do not regenerate. The cells that are lost in an overdose will never be restored. However, the brain can often compensate for even serious injuries by rerouting neural paths around the damaged areas. Seeking treatment for addiction disorders can often reduce the risk of future brain damage while providing avenues for recovery from brain injuries caused by overdoses. While every case is different, many patients see good results through a targeted program of recovery from addiction combined with treatment for brain injury issues.

Begin Your Recovery at Long Island Interventions

Finding the right team to assist you in recovering from substance use disorders, drug abuse, substance abuse, and hypoxic brain injury can be challenging. At Long Island Interventions, we offer customized addiction treatment plans that are tailored to suit your needs now and as your recovery progresses. We provide both inpatient and outpatient rehab programs, as well as drug and alcohol detoxification services to address issues related to substance use and drug use.

If you have a friend or loved one who needs immediate help, our trained professional interventionists can offer guidance and support in addressing concerns with drug or alcohol addiction.

To learn more about the services we offer at Long Island Interventions, call our team today. We’re here to help you begin your recovery in a safe and caring environment and to provide you with the tools you need to build a brighter tomorrow.

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Published on: 2024-10-31
Updated on: 2025-04-28

In essence, self-love is exactly what the name suggests. It’s about practicing true self-love, thinking highly of yourself, respecting yourself, and recognizing your self-worth and the positive impact you have on other people’s lives. Far from being self-absorbed or showing signs of narcissism, true self-love is about embracing your value as a human being and understanding how it enhances well-being in daily life.

In many ways, self-love is the foundation of good health, happiness, and productivity. When you see yourself positively, you’re much more likely to care for your mental health, recognize your own needs, and establish healthy boundaries in your relationships.

How Self-Love Helps

Some people think that loving themselves is selfish or narcissistic. It’s certainly not. On the contrary, self-love empowers you to be more open, selfless, and supportive of loving others in healthy, meaningful ways. Practicing self-love is not only about feeling validated but also about developing self-confidence and the strength to manage negative thoughts while setting healthy boundaries with others.

When you care for yourself, you become physically and mentally stronger, which allows you to better support and give sound advice to family members, friends, or those around you. Additionally, the way you treat yourself becomes a model for healthy relationships and shows others how to love in a balanced, respectful way.

Strengthening Relationships

Self-love is a tremendous boost to your interpersonal relationships. When you feel good about yourself, you’re more willing to introduce yourself to new people, join a crowded lunch table at the office, meet up with people after work, and so forth.

Consequently, your circle of friends and acquaintances will keep expanding throughout your life.

Just as crucial, if you love yourself, you’ll make sure that you’re treated with respect. If people are mistreating you, you’ll talk to them, set appropriate boundaries, and reassert your rights. Or you might ask someone else to help you mediate these conversations.

Reaching Your Goals

With self-love, you’ll be better equipped, emotionally and spiritually, to follow your dreams. You’ll be more inclined to pursue your dream career, for instance.

On top of that, you’ll be more resilient in the face of professional challenges: studying for difficult licensing exams, for example, or dealing with difficult customers.

Overcoming Obstacles

For sure, self-love can help get you through tough times. In life, everyone faces hardships: medical problems, financial setbacks, troubled friendships, failed romantic relationships, or other issues.

However, if you love yourself, you’ll be determined to overcome these obstacles. And you’ll focus on the constructive actions you could take to improve your situation.

If you see yourself in a negative light, however, you might see your problems as insurmountable. You might even think that you deserve those problems!

Therefore, you’d be more likely to settle. You’d stay in a toxic relationship, for example, or you’d remain at a workplace where your contributions are not appreciated.

Naturally, settling only leads to more misery. And, to cope, you might turn to such measures as drugs, alcohol, or gambling.

Forgiving Yourself

A key aspect of self-love is the ability to forgive yourself. At some point and to some degree, everyone fails. It’s a fact of life. People make mistakes. They lose control of their emotions. They say or do things they later regret.

It’s vital, then, to put your mistakes into perspective. Your professional or personal shortcomings don’t define you. They’re not who you are. Instead, they’re momentary deviations from your true self. And, most likely, they’re reactions to stress or pain.

Of course, it’s right to feel sorry when you hurt others or let them down. By all means, when people are wrong, they ought to apologize. And they should do their best never to repeat those mistakes.

After making amends, though, it’s time to forgive yourself and move past the mistake. If it helps, you could think about all the great things you’ve done for other people over the years. And you could realize that you have so much more to offer everyone you know. Then you could go forward with pride and optimism.

Practical Tips for Cultivating Self-Love

Maybe you’ve always loved yourself. Or perhaps, throughout your life, you’ve dealt with low self-esteem issues. Maybe self-love seems like a constant struggle, if not an unobtainable concept.

In any case, self-love is a journey and not a destination. No matter how you feel about yourself at this very moment, there are ways you can cultivate greater self-love. You can keep taking care of yourself, keep refreshing your spirit. And you could even pamper yourself from time to time!

Here are some strategies for building and maintaining your self-love:

• Set aside time each day for self-care: pleasurable activities that boost your mental and physical health. They include healthy eating, vigorous exercise, communing with friends and loved ones, and getting plenty of sleep.
• Find things that make you feel happy, and do them as often as possible. Examples could include long walks in the woods, playing catch in the backyard with your dog, taking warm baths while playing classical music, or making yourself delicious smoothies.
• If you don’t feel like doing something when someone asks you to, politely say no. And don’t give it a second thought!
• Every once in a while, splurge on yourself: Buy that extra-large latte, or stop in for a massage.
• Satisfy your curiosity by learning new things and having new experiences. Climb mountains. Go surfing or skydiving. Attend concerts. Read biographies of your favorite artists. Travel to new places. Explore new restaurants right in your own backyard.
• Practice self-compassion by consistently speaking and thinking about yourself in positive terms. Do so even when you’re facing disappointments or criticism.
• If you ever need assistance, ask for it. And make it a habit!
• Validate your own emotions. That is, when you feel sad or angry, recognize that it’s natural and healthy to feel that way.
• Try taking a mindfulness course. Mindfulness is a calming state, and it lets people stay present in the moment. And various techniques help people to achieve mindfulness, including special breathing methods.
• Don’t dwell on mistakes, whether they’re your mistakes or others’. Instead, as often as you can, focus on what you’re grateful for: the people and things that make you feel happy and whole.

The Role of Self-Love in Addiction Recovery

If you suffer from a substance use disorder, self-love is necessary for a full recovery.

When you don’t feel good about yourself, it’s easy to blame yourself for your dependence. Even though your addiction is biological and chemical in nature, you’ll see it as a moral failing.

Just as harmful, if you don’t value yourself, you’ll lack the drive to fight the addiction as hard as you can. As a result, it will be easier to relapse and even overdose.

Fighting Addiction With Love

Simply stated, if you love yourself, you’ll fight your addiction with everything you have. You’ll fully dedicate yourself to your treatment plan. Whether you’re battling withdrawal symptoms during the detoxification process or sharing your experiences in group therapy sessions, you’ll give your all to the task at hand.

Furthermore, if you experience powerful cravings or even relapse at some point, you won’t be overly harsh on yourself. Rather, you’ll admit the mistake and recommit yourself to a sober lifestyle.

Above all, whenever you need extra support, you won’t feel ashamed. Instead, you’ll reach out to your treatment specialists, or you’ll call a friend and talk.

Everyone Needs a Helping Hand

No one can walk the long road to sobriety alone. Self-love will help you to understand and appreciate that fact.

Yes, this struggle requires the expertise, care, knowledge, and customized treatment plans that only qualified addiction specialists can provide.

Such professionals could thoroughly evaluate you and identify what’s causing your addiction. They could then develop a personalized program of recovery, one that’s carefully tailored to your needs. It might involve counseling, medication, or other methodologies.

Whatever your treatment entails, your specialists will be with you every step of the way.

In addition, self-love can help you maintain sobriety over the long haul. For example, you could surround yourself with supportive people who are devoted to sober living.

Also, you’ll be able to set proper boundaries. For instance, if someone invites you to a party where drinking will probably occur, you could decline without feeling any guilt.

Self-Love Is Selfless

As you can see, self-love is not a luxury or a frivolity. It’s essential to everyone’s mental, physical, and emotional health. It’s necessary for personal growth and lasting relationships. It’s required of anyone who wants to make positive contributions to society. There’s nothing selfish about it.

Finally, if you believe you’re suffering from an addiction — or if you think a loved one might have a substance use disorder — you could contact Long Island Interventions at any time. The Long Island Interventions team is dedicated to helping people overcome their addictions and continue on their paths toward self-care and self-love.

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Published on: 2024-10-31
Updated on: 2025-03-13

Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, gambling, or sex, many people in the U.S. are struggling with an addiction. And that’s not hyperbole but rather a sobering reality substantiated by numerous studies, one of which comes from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The study revealed that an estimated 17.3% of Americans aged 12 and older had a substance use disorder (SUD) in 2022, and around 8.8% had an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the same year.

As far as gambling, one study from the National Council on Problem Gambling revealed that an estimated 2.5 million adults in the U.S. have a severe gambling problem. And between 5 million and 8 million have what constitutes a mild or moderate gambling problem. As far as sexual addictions are concerned, a study published in Sage Journals, the world’s fifth-largest journal publisher, found that 8.6% of Americans struggle with compulsive sexual behavior.

In addition to these various forms of addiction, many Americans are simultaneously battling a mental illness of some kind. That, too, is substantiated in numerous studies. One of those studies comes from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). It revealed that 59.3 million adults in the U.S. had a mental illness in 2022. That works out to 23.1% of adults in the country.

Studies Show Many Americans Recognize That They Have an Addiction and Are Seeking Help

Many people have accepted they have a drug, alcohol, sex, or gambling addiction and, as a result of that self-awareness, have sought help in getting their lives back on the straight and narrow. The same holds true for individuals struggling with a mental illness. For reference, there were more than 50.4 rehab treatment admissions for every 10,000 or so people in the U.S. in 2022, according to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study. Most sought help overcoming their addiction to alcohol, drugs, or both, the study found.

In the same year, 50.6% of U.S. adults sought help from a licensed therapist to overcome anxiety, depression, sexual addiction, and other forms of mental illness. That is an increase of 19.2% compared to those who sought mental health treatment in 2019. Lastly, 1 in 5 people with a gambling problem sought help to quit gambling in 2022. The long and short of it is many people have recognized that their vices, whatever they might have been, were ruining their lives. And that was the motivation they needed to do something about it.

But most agree that the road to recovery is not an easy one, especially if they are battling more than one addiction or have been diagnosed with a co-occurring disorder. For those who might not know what a co-occurring disorder is, it is a clinical term used to denote the co-existence of a substance abuse problem and a mental health disorder. As of the writing of this article, nearly 22 million U.S. adults have such a disorder. The mental illnesses that are commonly associated with most co-occurring disorders include the following:

• Anxiety
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Bipolar disorder
• Eating disorders
• Major depressive disorder (MDD)
• Schizophrenia

Choosing the Right Path to Addiction Recovery

The right path toward addiction recovery can vary depending on the nature of one’s addiction. For example, someone with a severe substance use disorder that involves alcohol, opioids, methamphetamine, or another powerful substance might require medication-assisted treatment (MAT) along with traditional addiction recovery treatments before they can finally break the cycle of addiction. Among other things, MAT entails using FDA-approved medications, such as methadone, buprenorphine, naloxone, lofexidine, or benzodiazepines, to cope with challenging withdrawal symptoms that often come with detox. These symptoms, many of which begin within hours or days after someone consumes their final drink or last dose of their preferred drug, can include the following:

• Aches and muscle pain
• Anxiety and depression
• Confusion
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Irritability and agitation
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Paranoia
• Seizures
• Sweating
• Tremors

For those needing help overcoming a co-occurring disorder or a sexual or gambling addiction, counseling with a licensed therapist is often the best path toward recovery. These counseling sessions generally consist of contingency management, motivational interviewing, dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or another form of psychotherapy. Along with counseling, FDA-approved prescription medications, addiction education, and other addiction recovery protocols, self-care is also a critical part of overcoming any addiction.

What Is Self-Care?

Self-care refers to self-care activities and self-care practices that help people achieve or maintain their physical, emotional, and mental health. One of the many benefits of incorporating a self-care routine into one’s addiction recovery journey is that it helps minimize stress. Multiple studies show that individuals who feel chronically stressed are more likely to give in to cravings and eventually relapse, regardless of the nature of their addiction. Additionally, following a self-care plan helps keep boredom and anxiety at bay, both of which can also open the door to relapse. In short, self-care gives people the best chance of achieving short- and long-term freedom from addiction.

Types of Self-Care

There are several categories of self-care, each targeting different aspects of an individual’s health and overall well-being. The main ones include the following:

Physical Self-Care: This type of self-care is essential for maintaining physical health, which can be severely impacted by addiction. For example, people struggling with addiction, especially drug and alcohol addiction, may experience vitamin deficiencies and other health issues. Engaging in physical self-care practices such as:

• Consuming a healthy diet
• Exercising regularly
• Getting plenty of sleep
• Practicing physical health self-care to reverse vitamin deficiencies and improve overall physical health

Emotional Self-Care: This category of self-care can have a profound impact on emotional well-being, helping to relieve stress and quiet negative thoughts. Repeating positive affirmations, practicing deep breathing exercises, and cultivating self-compassion are all examples of self-care that can benefit one’s emotional health.

Mental Stimulation: This type of self-care is essential for maintaining mental stimulation and preventing boredom, which can lead to feelings of restlessness and negative thoughts. Engaging in activities such as:

• Playing board games with friends or family
• Reading
• Learning a new skill

or practicing mental health self-care to keep your mind engaged and motivated.

Routine Care: This form of self-care involves prioritizing physical health, which can help individuals feel better about themselves and ultimately achieve long-term freedom from addiction. Examples of routine care include:

• Scheduling regular dental appointments
• Practicing regular health check-ups
• Engaging in self-care activities that promote overall physical well-being.

Social Self-Care: Nurturing relationships and social connections is essential for maintaining emotional well-being. By focusing on repairing or strengthening relationships damaged due to addiction, individuals can experience:

• Reduced loneliness
• Improved mental health and self-esteem
• A sense of purpose

Financial Self-Care: Managing finances effectively is a crucial aspect of self-care, as it can impact overall well-being. Practicing financial self-care involves setting realistic financial goals, creating a budget, and avoiding expensive habits that can perpetuate addiction.

Environmental Self-Care: Creating a supportive environment is essential for maintaining mental and emotional well-being. By engaging in environmental self-care activities such as:

• Practicing mindfulness and being present in nature
• Creating a peaceful living space

or practicing environmental self-care to promote overall well-being.

Conclusion

In summary, the U.S. is grappling with a widespread addiction crisis that is affecting millions of people in many different ways, impacting their emotional well-being, physical health, and everyday life. Fortunately, most rehab facilities provide comprehensive services that address these needs. Many facilities offer addiction counseling with licensed therapists, medication-assisted treatments, and programs that emphasize the importance of self-care, healthy boundaries, and stress management, all of which set people up to succeed in their recovery journeys. Reaching out to family members, loved ones, and caregivers as part of social support can also play a crucial role in sustaining long-term recovery and emotional well-being.

To learn more about these treatment modalities, healthy relationship building, or for help finding the rehab facility that is right for you, consider speaking with a Long Island Interventions specialist today.

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Published on: 2024-10-31
Updated on: 2025-03-13

Around 2.5% of the population meets the diagnostic criteria for a hoarding disorder, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). This complex condition is often misunderstood, and people’s idea of hoarding is usually influenced by how it’s shown on TV or in movies.

However, there’s much more to this condition than what you see on screen. Hoarding isn’t a lifestyle choice nor a sign of laziness. It’s a recognized mental health condition that can manifest in different ways and requires the right treatment and support for recovery.

Learning about hoarding disorder and its five levels can help you and your loved ones understand this condition, recognize its symptoms, and find help when necessary.

What Is Hoarding Disorder?

Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition in which a person finds it difficult to let go of material possessions, even when they have little to no value. They may also experience a strong desire to keep acquiring new items, and an inability to organize or prevent clutter.

A person’s hoarding behavior can range from mild to severe. It becomes a problem when it causes distress and negatively affects their health and quality of life.

Hoarding can exist on its own or alongside other conditions, like anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Commonly hoarded items include newspapers, magazines, books, clothing, containers, household goods, major appliances, and supplies. Some people also hoard animals.

Hoarding and Collecting: What’s the Difference?

Hoarding items and collecting items are two distinct behaviors that can sometimes look alike. However, you can usually tell them apart according to how the items are organized, their intended use, and their impact on an individual’s daily life and well-being.

For instance, many people collect books, coins, or stamps as a hobby and for viewing pleasure. They keep their collection easily accessible and well organized on shelves, albums, or display cases. Collecting these items brings joy and doesn’t negatively impact their lives.

Meanwhile, a hoard is often messy, takes up a lot of space, and involves items of limited usefulness. Hoarding poses many risks, including unsafe and unsanitary living conditions.

Signs and Symptoms of a Hoarding Disorder

The first symptoms of a hoarding problem usually appear during a person’s teenage to early adult years and tend to worsen with each passing decade, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).

Signs and symptoms of a hoarding disorder may include:

• The buildup of clutter to the point of not being able to use your rooms
• Conflict and distrust with others who touch, borrow, or organize your things
• Social isolation and having poor relationships with family and friends
• Struggling to perform everyday tasks, like cleaning and cooking
• Problems with planning, organizing, or decision-making
• Experiencing extreme stress when trying to let go of items
• Continuing to get items that you don’t need or don’t have space for

How Is Hoarding Disorder Diagnosed?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) provides the following criteria for diagnosing hoarding disorder:

• Persistent difficulty discarding or letting go of possessions, regardless of their value
• A perceived need to save possessions and feelings of distress in discarding them
• Symptoms result in the accumulation of items that clutter living spaces and compromise their intended use
• Clinically significant distress or impairment in important areas of functioning, including maintaining a safe environment for self and loved ones
• The hoarding behavior is not due to another medical condition, (e.g., brain injury)
• The hoarding behavior is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder, (e.g., major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder)

Mental health professionals may also speak with a person’s friends and family members to help them make a diagnosis. They may also use questionnaires in making their assessment.

Understanding the 5 Levels of Hoarding

To better understand the degree of clutter and the severity of hoarding behavior that a person is experiencing, the Institute for Challenging Disorganization developed a Clutter-Hoarding Scale.

This can serve as a tool for family members, friends, and health professionals in assessing the household environment of the struggling individual and identifying potential health and safety risks. It includes five progressive levels, such as:

Level 1: Low Clutter-Hoarding

The first level of hoarding involves non-excessive clutter, which is likely unnoticeable to friends and family. All rooms are being used for their intended purposes, and all doors, windows, and stairways are accessible in case of emergency. The home is safe and sanitized, with no odors.

At this stage, all household appliances are still fully functional, with plumbing, electricity, and HVAC systems in good condition. There’s an appropriate number of pets and no infestations.

Level 2: Guarded Clutter-Hoarding

When an individual reaches level 2, their hoarding behaviors become more apparent. Clutter is increasingly visible and obstructs functioning in living areas. Some household appliances, plumbing, or electrical systems aren’t fully functional. At least one major exit is blocked.

There’s also evidence that household pests, dander, and waste from pet animals are present. You may notice odors from dirty dishes, food preparation surfaces, toilets, or laundry.

Level 3: Elevated Clutter-Hoarding

At level 3, the person’s hoarded items overflow outside the home. At least one room has become unusable due to clutter, and light structural damage has occurred. Garbage cans are full, odors are obvious, and the house has accumulated dust, dirt, and debris.

There’s visible mildew in the bathroom or kitchen, along with dirty laundry, dishes, and toilets throughout the house. A light insect infestation is present, with evidence of unclean pets.

Level 4: High Clutter-Hoarding

This level represents a highly unsafe and unsanitary home environment. Excessive clutter prevents access to exits, entrances, hallways, and stairways. Serious issues, like water damage, sewer backups, mold and mildew, and broken doors and windows are present.

Dishes and utensils become unusable, and rotting food poses health risks to inhabitants. There’s evidence of poor animal sanitation, including spiders and webs around the house.

Level 5: Severe Clutter-Hoarding

At the last and most severe level, the house becomes unlivable, with irreparable damage to its interior and exterior structure, and disconnected or unreliable electrical, water, and sewage systems. All key living spaces, including most appliances, are unusable.

You may observe extreme clutter, both in and out of the home, along with overgrowth of greenery. Human urine and feces may be present, with heavy insect infestation, and pets that are at risk or dangerous to people.

What Causes a Hoarding Disorder?

There is no single factor that predisposes or causes a person to develop a hoarding disorder. However, research has been able to identify several risk factors and potential causes that can make a person more likely to have the condition, such as:

• Genetics and having family members who have a hoarding disorder
• Stressful life events and traumatic experiences
• Compulsive buying behavior
• Mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety
• Alcohol use disorder or other forms of substance use disorders
• Brain injury and problems with attention, organization, and decision-making
• Having a childhood deprived of material objects
• Growing up in a cluttered home or unhealthy family environment

Potential Risks and Consequences of Hoarding

If left untreated, a hoarding disorder can put the individual’s health and safety at risk. The condition can also cause harm to their home, pets, and family members, and negatively affect their relationships, finances, and performance at work or school.

Some of the potential risks and consequences of hoarding are:

• Hard to clean areas that are prone to mold growth or insect infestations
• Inability to prepare food or maintain personal hygiene
• Unhygienic spaces can become a breeding ground for bacteria and illnesses
• Clutter can cause trips and falls, or may collapse on people
• Fire hazards and blocked exits during emergencies
• Noticeable odors in the home
• Difficulty performing repairs and maintenance, resulting in structural damage
• Not being able to invite visitors, which can cause isolation and loneliness
• Family conflicts and legal issues, like eviction

How Is Hoarding Disorder Treated?

There are multiple treatment options for people with hoarding disorder, but the most well-known and commonly used form of treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

With the help of a licensed therapist or mental health professional, an individual will learn to identify harmful thought patterns that trigger accumulating items. They’ll learn to challenge these beliefs and resist the urge to hoard items, while gradually reducing the clutter in their home.

Other types of treatment for hoarding disorder include motivational interviewing and skills training in organizing items, discarding possessions, and reducing excessive acquisition. Treatment may also involve getting regular help and emotional support from family and friends.

Get Help for Hoarding Disorder Today

Hoarding disorder is a challenging and potentially harmful condition that can greatly affect the quality of your life and relationships if left on its own. The good news is that hoarding is highly treatable, and professional help is always available.

If you or a loved one are currently struggling with hoarding disorder, Long Island Interventions can provide the treatment you need, and guide you on the path to full and lasting recovery. Give us a call today or visit our About page to learn how we can help you and your family.

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Published on: 2024-09-23
Updated on: 2025-03-13

In the past few decades, there has been a huge amount of growth in addiction therapy. While healthcare providers still focus on tried-and-tested techniques like medication and talk therapy, they are also realizing the benefits of other treatment options. One of the most intriguing additions to addiction treatment is reiki therapy. This form of alternative medicine has its roots in Japanese healing practices, but it has practitioners all over the world. If you’re interested in applying reiki treatment to alcohol abuse issues, here’s what you need to know. 

Understanding Reiki

What is Reiki? This healthcare practice focuses on guiding the flow of energy throughout the body. It gets its name from the Japanese word “rei,” which means “universal,” and the word “ki” which means “vital energy.” After originating in the 1920s in Japan, reiki eventually spread to the United States in the 1970s. Since then, it’s become one of the most popular forms of holistic healing.  

How Reiki Works

Reiki treatments are provided by a practitioner who acts as a middle ground between the patient and universal energy forces. The practitioner places their hands on or above the patient to gently redirect this energy to the appropriate spot. Most treatments last around an hour, and patients typically spend the time lying down and relaxing while the practitioner does their work. The primary goal of reiki treatment is to encourage energy to flow evenly through your chakras. Reiki practitioners say this can address energy imbalances that may be causing problems like pain or anxiety. 

Benefits of Reiki

People who try reiki often report noticeable improvements in how they feel afterward. Some people say that they have less pain, better peace of mind, reduced depression, or a faster healing rate. Research backs up some of these claims. Studies show that reiki is more effective than a placebo at doing things like reducing pain and lowering blood pressure. Overall, it can help people improve their well-being and quality of life.

Alcohol’s Dangerous Impacts

To understand why reiki might be useful for people who drink alcohol, it’s necessary to take a closer look at how alcohol affects the body. Though this drink is often stereotyped as a form of harmless fun, the reality is that it can have a negative impact on many aspects of your life.

Physical Effects of Alcohol

Chemically speaking, alcohol is a toxic substance that can directly damage many parts of your body. Even just one night of drinking can be fatal if you drink too much. Alcohol interferes with normal brain functioning, slows breathing, and causes irregular cardiovascular activity. Long-term usage can be even worse. Research has linked long-term alcohol use with many health issues including:

• Increased risk of heart attack
• Liver damage and liver disease
• Higher rates of gastrointestinal cancer
• Pancreas inflammation and pancreatitis
• Higher risks of breast cancer
• Decreased immune system functioning
• Increased likelihood of dementia

Emotional and Mental Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol also impacts several important hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate your mood. Alcohol use has been linked to higher risks of many mental health disorders such as depression. People who regularly abuse alcohol are more likely to report negative issues such as:

• Anxiety
• Sadness
• Stress
• Apathy
• Anger

Alcohol Addiction

All of the negative effects of alcohol are worsened by the fact that this substance is highly addictive. If you drink it regularly, your brain and your body begin to crave it. Once a person has alcohol dependency, they’ll keep abusing alcohol despite negative consequences. For many people, alcohol addiction can destroy their health, their relationships, their finances, and their careers.

Reiki as a Complementary Therapy for Alcohol Addiction

As reiki becomes more popular, more and more addiction centers have started adding it to their treatment plans. Rehab locations interested in creating a whole-body approach to addiction find that reiki can be a very useful complementary therapy. Though it cannot heal addiction on its own, it can be a valuable part of a person’s journey back to health and happiness. 

Reiki Techniques for Healing

Reiki practitioners have a lot of different methods for helping patients. In cases of alcohol addiction, they typically focus on techniques that prioritize healing and calming energy. For example, reiki clearing techniques and methods for extracting harmful energy can help patients who are dealing with lingering stress or trauma from alcoholism. Meanwhile, techniques like infusing and beaming may help to provide people with peace or encourage their bodies to heal.

Advantages of Reiki for Alcohol Use

Reiki comes with a lot of potential benefits. Here are some of the most common reasons people find it useful to incorporate reiki into addiction therapy:

• Improve relaxation
• Decrease stress and anxiety
• Enhance your motivation to stay sober
• Enjoy better sleep
• Connect with your spirituality
• Reduce pain or withdrawal issues
• Manage cravings better

Integrating Reiki Into Alcohol Recovery Plans

Of course, anyone struggling with alcohol use disorder has the option of seeing a reiki practitioner in their free time. However, it can be particularly helpful to incorporate the reiki sessions into the rest of one’s alcohol treatment plan. Here are some tips for getting the most out of reiki during alcohol recovery.

Find a Qualified Practitioner

Of course, one of the most important things is to select a qualified reiki practitioner. Reiki is not a technique that requires a license to practice. However, it’s still important to get assistance from someone with plenty of training and experience. Before selecting a practitioner, ask them where they learned the service and how long they’ve been a practitioner. It can also be useful to see whether they’re trained in any other complementary treatments like shiatsu or acupuncture.

Consult With Healthcare Professionals

Don’t forget that reiki works best when used alongside evidence-based therapies. Make sure to talk to other healthcare providers, so you can get a full host of treatment options. Traditional treatments like medication, cognitive behavioral therapy, and group therapy are also an essential part of the recovery process. Combining treatments, such as using reiki to unwind after an intense therapy session, can help you make the most out of all your treatment options.

Create a Personalized Healing Plan

When you’re using reiki to target a specific issue like addiction, most practitioners will recommend a full treatment plan. Instead of just having one session, people typically prefer to get reiki on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Keep in mind that reiki often works well with other complementary holistic treatments. You may want to work with your treatment team to create a plan that also includes options like yoga or guided meditation.

Potential Challenges of Incorporating Reiki Into Treatment

Reiki does have some promising applications for addiction treatment, but it’s not for everyone. Here are some potential issues to be aware of before trying reiki in addiction recovery centers.

Limitations of Reiki

It’s important to acknowledge that research on reiki is fairly mixed. While no research has shown that reiki is harmful, some studies on the benefits of reiki have failed to fully prove its advantages. Reiki cannot replace other types of medical care or instantly heal addiction. While some people find it to be a helpful supplement, it is not a requirement for addiction care.

Ethical Considerations

Like any other treatment, reiki should only be performed after a patient is fully informed and has been able to consent to it. Since it is linked to spiritual practices, providers need to be particularly sensitive to patients’ beliefs. While it can be effective for certain patients, others may find that it is at odds with their religion or personal choices. Addiction centers need to remain respectful and ensure that patients who desire reiki can access it while those who do not can avoid it.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, reiki is an intriguing addition to alcohol abuse treatment. For patients who find that reiki helps alleviate stress and promote healing, it can be a fantastic way of improving general well-being. 

At Long Island Interventions, we’re happy to provide patients with a variety of holistic treatments. In addition to our evidence-based medical care, we also focus on treatment options that help you rebuild your life. Just like dance therapy, mindfulness, and yoga, we believe reiki can be a valuable tool for recovery. To learn more about our treatment options, contact us today!

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Published on: 2024-08-17
Updated on: 2025-03-13

You met a wonderful person. They seem to fit you in ways that nobody had before, and you do the same for them.

However, you just learned that the person who you are dating is a former drug addict. Perhaps you had never considered that possibility as they had kept that part of their life hidden, and you are stunned.

Whether the above situation describes you to a tee or your circumstances are somewhat different, you want to know where to proceed from here. Fortunately, yes, this partnership absolutely can still work, but it is important to consider the impact of possible obstacles in your paths.

There will likely be challenges, some that you are expecting, others that you had not thought of. These can involve not knowing if you can trust them, money disappearing and the direct ramifications of drug use. Or perhaps the issues will be minimal or nonexistent.

Understanding Addiction and Recovery

Drug addiction is a disease in which an individual continues to use drugs despite the harm that it causes them physically, mentally and in other areas of their lives, which can be related to finances, family, friends and you. Drug addiction may involve illegal drugs, such as heroin or cocaine, or legal substances, such as alcohol or, legal in many municipalities, marijuana.

Those who are going through addiction recovery often took part in a detox and continued to be treated at a professional facility. Regardless of the specifics, the next step likely involved further recovery and maintenance, which may have included relapses. The long-term goal is, of course, to minimize relapses and to be consistently sober.

Challenges of Dating a Former Drug Addict

Since you are dating a former drug addict, emphasis on former, that means that this person is now mostly or completely recovered from their past experiences. However, do keep in mind that many drug addicts feel that they are never fully recovered and that constant maintenance will always be required. In other words, you, as this person’s partner, should know that a relapse is possible.

In order to limit the potential for relapses, understand what types of triggers the person who you’re dating is attempting to avoid.

Additionally, a common concern that many in your situation deal with is trust issues. In many cases, those who are drug addicts lie a lot, especially if doing so helps them secure more drugs or, in their mind, effectively deal with the ramifications of having used drugs. If trust issues happened between you two, repairing that trust may be a significant challenge.

Also, if they became a former drug addict more recently, not years ago, they may be experiencing significant physical and mental health complications. In fact, this is possible even if it has been years, but it is much more likely if the substance use was recent. A relapse can cause these types of issues to reoccur, perhaps resulting in changes that you had not witnessed before.

Social and Family Dynamics

Know that the person who you are dating may have strained relationships with their family members for this reason and that those interactions may have been much different than they are now. In fact, even if your partner is mostly or completely recovered, those relationships may have remained damaged. Also, relapses have the potential to worsen them.

In addition, if your partner’s former substance abuse is common knowledge in your or their social circles, there may be a stigma and judgement there that could take a long time to overcome, assuming it ever happens. This may or may not be important to you, but it is something to consider.

Building a Healthy Relationship

One of the most important things that you two can do to build a healthy romantic relationship is to ensure that your dialogue is honest and open. This goes both ways as you should also feel comfortable communicating any concerns as well as feedback, both positive and negative.

An essential element of positive communication is voicing your expectations and boundaries. Describe what your boundaries are and what will happen if they are crossed. Most importantly, stick to them. Only communicate repercussions that you will follow through with.

Also be understanding and adaptable to any boundaries that your partner has set for you. These can be directly connected with their former drug use – i.e. helping them avoid relapses – and they can be related to other aspects of their life and your relationship with each other.

You do want to provide emotional support, same as you would anyone who you care for who is experiencing challenging times, but you should also balance that with taking care of yourself. Your well-being is of vital importance as well.

Perhaps most importantly, you do not want to become co-dependent, which means that you had become overinvolved with their addiction. Some describe being co-dependent as, in essence, being addicted to that relationship.

Often connected with co-dependency is enabling. You would be enabling your partner if you eliminate repercussions of drug use, an act that encourages them to continue using drugs and does not entice them to recover.

However, showing support and care is always a positive. Just keep in mind that you can show that support and care for your partner without being co-dependent or enabling them. One phrase that some think of in these more challenging circumstances is “tough love.”

Support your partner’s recovery journey while also ensuring that you are not enabling them or harming your own physical and mental health.

Red Flags and Warning Signs

Of course, the hope is that your partner will never relapse and that their drug use remains fully in the past. However, it is important to recognize signs of relapse in case that occurs.

A common red flag is an increase in other potentially compulsive behaviors, such as an increase in drinking if they had been addicted to heroin or gambling or eating more than is normal for them. If they were previously engaged with the sobriety process, such as regularly attending support group meetings, but this is no longer or rarely the case, that is a warning sign as well.

Being less than a year from the last drug use is a red flag in and of itself.

If you need to speak with your partner about possible or clear resumption of drug use, communicate that with care and without a tone of being judgmental or condescending. You may need to engage in tough love, but if you do, it is because you care about this person. Also be careful with your words if it is not clear that drug use had occurred.

Amidst all of this, take a look at yourself and see if there are any red flags or warning signs that you are putting out that may show you being co-dependent or an enabler. Some include this person’s drug use being the primary mental or financial focus in your life and you becoming isolated from others.

Seeking Professional Help

Seeking professional assistance may help.

One way that this can be done is through counseling.

An option is couples counseling, which would be a good way for the two of you to work through this challenging aspect of your relationship. A therapist can help you two understand how to best set boundaries on both sides and engage in healthy, open communication about this and otherwise.

Individual therapy offers numerous benefits as well. This for your partner could place them in an environment where they feel more comfortable being open than they are in couples therapy. The same can be true of you as well as individual therapy could help you handle the challenges of dating someone who was a drug addict.

Support networks can also be a pivotal resource. Of course, there are 12-step programs, which may or may not work for your partner, and there are alternatives, such as secularly focused support networks.

In addition, there are support groups specifically for people in your situation – i.e. partners of recovering addicts. Al-Anon is an option if alcohol was the drug of choice. That organization also welcomes those with partners who were addicted to other drugs – it says that 35% of its members fit that description – while Nar-Anon is more specifically focused on non-alcohol drug addiction.

Conclusion

Yes, there are challenges to dating a former drug addict, even if no relapses occur, but those can be worked with and, in many cases, ultimately overcome. Being understanding and communicative while setting and adhering to boundaries will help. That said, do also keep in mind that you are not at fault if those challenges become too much for one or both of you to handle.

If you know of a loved one who could benefit from the treatment services that we offer at Long Island Interventions, reach out to us. Our addiction treatment programs are individually focused and effective.

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Published on: 2024-08-15
Updated on: 2025-04-28

EMDR is a helpful therapy technique that many people need. However, not everyone can afford it, and access to therapists is limited in certain regions.

So, can you perform EMDR on yourself, and is it safe?

In this article, we discuss the limitations to consider before you self-administer EMDR.

What Is EMDR?

EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. It’s a type of psychotherapy that can help patients overcome post-traumatic stress disorder.

The psychologist Francine Shapiro discovered EMDR in 1989 as she was taking a walk in a park. She noticed that her disturbing thoughts disappeared after she moved her eyes from side to side.

Since then, many studies have suggested that EMDR can help those with PTSD, anxiety, and other phobias.

Today, EMDR is a recognized treatment method by the APA and WHO. The Department of Veterans Affairs also recommends EMDR for treating PTSD.

How Does EMDR Therapy Work?

EMDR works by directly altering a person’s thoughts through bilateral stimulation.

During EMDR treatment, a trained therapist will tell you to briefly focus on your trauma and then distract you from the intense emotions.

They may use their fingers or lights to get you to look to your left and right. In some cases, they may also use auditory tones or taps on your hands and legs.

With enough repetition, your brain will begin to desensitize. Afterward, the therapist will use various tools to replace the negative belief.

Following these exercises will make recalling the memory less traumatic over time.

Can You Perform EMDR on Yourself?

If you don’t have access to an EMDR therapist, it’s possible to perform EMDR on yourself.

Virtual EMDR is sometimes available on online therapy sites. You may use these as guides and resources to self-administer EMDR.

A study in 2020 found that self-administered EMDR can be effective in reducing PTSD, anxiety, and depression. In addition, the study found that this type of self-help is safe and highly accessible.

Another study proved that self-administered EMDR intervention was helpful for traumatized children.

So, yes, you can practice EMDR techniques by yourself. This is especially true if you’ve attended an EMDR session in person and know how it works.

That said, we still highly recommend you ask a professional to guide you through the stages of EMDR. While self-administered EMDR is helpful, it has its limitations.

5 Limitations to Consider Before Performing EMDR on Yourself

Below are some of the limitations of performing EMDR on yourself.

1. Lack of Knowledge

No matter how detailed an online EMDR program is, you can’t fully replicate a therapist’s experience at home.

Therapists have tools and techniques beyond a guide on the internet. They can help you recognize signs that you’re being flooded by emotions.

A trained therapist will ask you to step back in case you’re going through dissociation or panic attacks.

2. Dysregulation

Self-administering EMDR may not work if you’re dysregulated and have complex PTSD. This means you’re not functioning well, are depressed, or have suicidal thoughts.

Before you begin EMDR, you should improve your mental health first. You may need to attend cognitive behavior therapies before proceeding.

Remember, the EMDR process requires you to recall traumatic memories. If these memories disable you, you can’t perform EMDR on yourself.

3. Inherent Mental Disorders

EMDR is only effective for people who have experienced a traumatic event that may result in mental issues. It’s not a treatment for those who are born with bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia, and major depression.

If you want to treat inherent mental disorders, you should seek other therapies.

4. The Time of the Trauma

When the trauma occurred can affect the effectiveness of EMDR.

If the traumatic event recently happened, you may still not be ready to process your emotions through EMDR. Instead, you should ask your therapist about more appropriate treatment methods.

One way to tell if you’re ready to perform EMDR on yourself is by reflecting. Can you receive advice and refrain from acting on dangerous impulses when triggered?

EMDR works best if you can find a safe space in your mind.

5. Substance Addiction

If you’re suffering from substance addiction, EMDR may not be right for you.

Drugs and other medications can alter your mental state. These substances can interfere with EMDR therapy.

Because of this, you should seek treatment for your substance addiction. You may ask your doctor if you can try EMDR after detoxification.

Are There Risks to EMDR?

Despite all the studies proving EMDR works, some researchers also warn of risks to performing EMDR.

Below are potential dangers you should watch out for.

1. Retraumatization

A few people may experience an increase in stressful memories by practicing EMDR. As you unpack your memories, the trauma may resurface.

You should let your trauma therapist know if you’re experiencing lightheadedness, vivid dreams, and fatigue.

2. Psychosis

One study found that certain patients may experience psychosis during EMDR. In this study, two patients dropped out after they developed negative symptoms.

Still, the researchers reported that paranoid thinking decreased among the rest of the patients.

Tips to Prepare for EMDR

Here are some tips for those who want to start EMDR!

• Have a Coping Plan: When performing EMDR, you should ensure you have an effective coping plan. Be sure to inform your support system, as EMDR may change your behavior.
• Choose a Licensed Therapist: Only do EMDR with a licensed therapist or doctor. They should have training and certification in EMDR to safely treat you.
• Ask Questions: Some therapists have expertise in PTSD, while others focus on anxiety. You should check your therapist’s background and ask questions before starting EMDR.

What Can You Expect During EMDR Therapy?

These are the eight stages you’ll undergo during EMDR therapy.

1. History Taking

Your therapist will ask about your history and memories. They will also examine your struggles to identify which memories you should work on.

This is when you receive a treatment plan tailored to your circumstances.

2. Preparation

The therapist will explain the treatment plan and prepare you for EMDR. You’ll receive resources and tips that can help you handle the stress.

During this time, you establish a trusting relationship with your counselor.

3. Activation

Your therapist activates the target memory and asks you to recall certain images.

You’ll experience the negative emotions from this memory. Afterward, your therapist will ask you about positive beliefs you’d like to have moving forward.

4. Desensitization

Next, your healthcare provider will reactivate the negative memory and help you notice new thoughts and insights. Your therapist will use bilateral stimulation through sight, sounds, or touch.

According to Forbes, this step activates both hemispheres of your brain, creating a soothing effect. You slowly change the bad images until the memory is no longer triggering.

5. Installation

During this phase, your therapist helps you associate the negative memory with a positive belief. For instance, whenever you remember a bad image, you tell yourself you’re safe and in control.

The goal of this step is not to erase the memory but to link it with good thoughts.

6. Body Scan

In the body scan phase, you assess the changes in your body whenever you think of a positive or negative thought. Your tension and symptoms should decrease.

7. Closure

Next, you wind down from the EMDR session and return to the present.

Your therapist will check in with you and ensure you’re in a good place. They may also give you homework and discuss what you should do until your next session.

8. Re-Evaluation

Finally, your therapist will re-evaluate your progress before you begin your next session. You can talk about your future goals and expectations and then review other memories causing you distress.

This is when you’ll find out if you need to take more sessions.

FAQs

Conclusion

So, can you perform EMDR on yourself?

The quick answer is yes, it can be helpful to practice EMDR with the guidance of online therapy sites. Those who have a limited budget or people without access to therapies can try EMDR and get positive results.

However, remember that self-administering EMDR has its limitations. A therapist can identify signs of distress that you might miss. They also have the tools and experience to better treat your condition.

If you can attend a few EMDR sessions, we highly recommend you do so. Don’t be afraid to reach out to us to learn about your options!

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Published on: 2024-07-05
Updated on: 2025-03-13

Are you taking Seroquel or Quetiapine and wish to stop taking it? Seroquel is a prescription medication that is FDA approved to treat schizophrenia, acute manic episodes, and as an additional treatment for major depressive disorder. Over the years, it’s also been prescribed for many off-label uses, including insomnia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and addiction and substance abuse treatment. While Seroquel is available only by prescription and is not considered addictive, a study in rodents by Chinese researchers found that it can cause psychological dependence. Stopping Seroquel suddenly can also cause many unwanted side effects and withdrawal symptoms, which is why getting help is essential if you want to week yourself off of Seroquel.

Side Effects of Taking Seroquel

As part of your drug addiction treatment program, you may have been prescribed Seroquel, especially if you needed dual diagnosis treatment or were also found to have a mental health disorder along with your substance use disorder. While taking the medication, you may have noticed specific side effects, including:

• Abnormalities in Your Cholesterol Levels
• Being Constipated
• Dizziness or Vertigo
• Feeling Agitated
• Feeling Drowsy, Tired or Fatigued
• Having Dry Mouth
• Increased Appetite and Weight Gain
• Increased Blood Glucose Levels
• Increased Blood Pressure and Heart Rate
• Increased Frequency of Headaches

As you progressed further in your drug treatment program and continued using the medication, these side effects probably lessened as you continued your journey to sobriety, health, and wellness. Now, it’s pretty likely you feel well enough to stop taking your Seroquel. However, it is recommended that you get help to stop the medication.

Seroquel Withdrawal Symptoms

If you’ve completed your initial drug treatment program and been sober for a while, you may be thinking about stopping the Seroquel to rid yourself of the last reminder of your addiction. Unfortunately, when you stop taking Seroquel suddenly, you can experience mild to severe withdrawal symptoms. They include:

• Anxiety, Depression, and Agitation
• Dizziness
• Hypersensitivity to Sensory Perceptions (Light, Sound, Temperature, etc.)
• Increased Frequency and Severity of Headaches
• Increased Heart Rate
• Loss of Appetite
• Mania
• New Mental Health Issues
• Severe and Sudden Mood Swings
• Suicidal Ideation or Attempts
• Vomiting and Nausea
• Withdrawal Psychosis

Seroquel Withdrawal Timeline

Because of the severity and long list of withdrawal symptoms, it’s generally recommended to stop taking Seroquel by gradually lowering the dosage while under a doctor’s care so that your physical and mental health can be monitored. The Seroquel withdrawal symptom timeline is generally broken down into three primary phases: initial, rebound, and post-acute.

Initial Withdrawal

The initial withdrawal period for Seroquel starts within four days of stopping Seroquel and can last as long as six weeks or a month and a half. During this phase, you may experience:

• Aching and Pain in the Muscles
• Agitation and Anxiety
• Burning or Prickling Sensations Throughout Your Body
• Diarrhea or Loose Stools
• Dizziness
• Excessive Sweating
• Increased Blood Pressure and Heart Rate
• Involuntary Muscle Movements
• Loss of Appetite or Anorexia
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Trouble Sleeping to the Point of Insomnia

Disease Rebound Withdrawal

When stopping Central Nervous System (CNS) drugs, like anti-psychotics and antidepressants, you may experience a resurgence in the mental health symptoms you were experiencing before starting the medication. This is known as disease rebound and can occur simultaneously with the initial withdrawal symptoms or as a separate phase. There is no specific timeline for this phase of withdrawal. However, it’s a good idea to be medically supervised and have a detailed medical history so that the medical provider can determine if you are experiencing new symptoms or simply a resurgence of the symptoms you had before starting the medication.

Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome can last weeks or months after stopping the use of Seroquel. This is because medications like Seroquel cause changes in the brain’s neurotransmitters. During this phase, you may experience:

• Disturbed Sleep Patterns
• Increased Stress Sensitivity
• Irritability and Anxiety
• Obsessive-Compulsive Behaviors (OCD)
• Pessimism
• Trouble with Your Social Relationships

Coping with Seroquel Withdrawal

Seroquel can begin anywhere from 24 to 48 hours after you stop taking the medication. This is because Seroquel has a half-life of about six hours, meaning six hours after you take your last dose, and the amount of the drug is 50 percent less than it was when you took the medication. You’d have 25 percent of the medication in your system in another six hours. As the medication is naturally released from your body, you’ll start to feel withdrawal symptoms. To lessen those symptoms, most medical providers recommend gradually lowering the dosage over a period of weeks or months and having a medical provider monitor your progress and the frequency and severity of your withdrawal symptoms so that additional treatments can be tried to help reduce your discomfort.

1. Make a plan to stop using Seroquel with help from your medical provider.
2. Start weening off the medication by gradually lowering the dose.
3. Discuss natural remedies to help with Seroquel withdrawal.
4. Create a support network of family and friends that can help you through your withdrawal and recovery.

I’m not a doctor, but I can provide you with a general understanding of how Seroquel (quetiapine) tapering schedules are commonly structured. However, you should always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any tapering process, as they will tailor the schedule to your specific needs, condition, and response to the medication.

Example Tapering Schedule for Seroquel (Quetiapine):

This is a general example and may vary depending on your current dosage and how long you have been taking the medication.

For Higher Doses (e.g., 300 mg or More):

• Week 1–2: Reduce by 50 mg every 7–14 days (e.g., 300 mg → 250 mg → 200 mg)
• Week 3–4: Slow to 25 mg reductions every 7–14 days (e.g., 200 mg → 175 mg → 150 mg)
• Week 5–6: Once under 100 mg, reduce by 12.5 mg every 7–14 days (e.g., 100 mg → 87.5 mg → 75 mg)
• Week 7–8: Once at 50 mg or lower, reduce by 12.5 mg every 14 days (e.g., 50 mg → 37.5 mg → 25 mg → 12.5 mg → Stop)

For Lower Doses (e.g., 100 mg or Less):

• Week 1: 100 mg → 75 mg (reduce by 25 mg)
• Week 2: 75 mg → 50 mg (reduce by 25 mg)
• Week 3–4: 50 mg → 37.5 mg (reduce by 12.5 mg)
• Week 5–6: 37.5 mg → 25 mg (reduce by 12.5 mg)
• Week 7–8: 25 mg → 12.5 mg (reduce by 12.5 mg)
• Week 9–10: 12.5 mg every other day for 1–2 weeks, then stop

Important Notes:

• Go Slow at Low Doses: Withdrawal symptoms are often strongest at lower doses, so reduce slowly.
• Use Smaller Tablets or a Liquid Form: If available, liquid Seroquel can help with gradual reductions.
• Track Symptoms: Keep a journal of sleep, mood, and side effects.
• Communicate with Your Doctor: Adjustments may be necessary based on your body’s response.

Long-Term Treatment for Seroquel Dependency

The good news about the long-term treatment for Seroquel dependency is that you can use a lot of the skills and coping mechanisms you learned in your initial drug treatment program. This means that you’ll want to focus on your recovery, build your support network, take advantage of the resources and help offered by your medical provider and keep yourself busy with hobbies. Some ideas for a more holistic approach to breaking your Seroquel habit include:

• Using a little ginger (the spice or root) to help control nausea.
• Using natural sleep aides like melatonin and warm milk.
• Staying active by getting plenty of physical exercises or participating in a sport.
• Taking up yoga and meditation to help keep your mind clear and focused.
• Trying new hobbies, like painting, crafting, and horseback riding
• Staying hydrated and focusing on eating healthy so that your body gets all the micro and macronutrients it needs.
• Using acupuncture for muscle pain relief.
• Keeping a daily journal to record your symptoms, what you ate and how you feel as you progress through your treatment

Getting Help for Seroquel Dependency from Long Island Interventions

If you need help with a Seroquel dependency resulting from previous drug treatment, our caring and compassionate team at Long Island Interventions can help. We understand that you want to continue your recovery, clearing the medications given to you as a part of your medication-assisted detox treatment (MAT). We offer detox services, inpatient and outpatient treatment, and holistic treatments.

To get help, call us, use our live chat, or fill out our contact form. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help you.

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Published on: 2022-10-31
Updated on: 2025-05-05

Recovery from drug or alcohol addiction includes a comprehensive range of treatments. Attending an inpatient rehab program that offers a variety of therapies can help you work toward complete health and wellness. One popular form of treatment that some programs offer is equine therapy or other animal-assisted therapies. A drug rehab horse ranch can be a powerful place to heal, especially if you have a strong connection to animals. Here’s everything you need to know about the role of equine therapy in addiction recovery:

What Is a Drug Rehab Horse Ranch?

A drug rehab horse ranch is a specialized addiction treatment center that offers equine therapy in addition to the other traditional therapies involved in substance abuse recovery. These facilities are typically found in remote, rural locations, so they provide a quiet and peaceful atmosphere for patients.

A day at an addiction program with equine therapy looks similar to a day at any rehab program. You’re supervised by healthcare professionals while engaging in group and individual therapies to address the underlying cause of your addiction and improve your coping skills. However, you also spend time every day caring for and interacting with the horses, which has its own therapeutic benefits.

What Is Equine Therapy?

Equine therapy is a form of mental health therapy provided by a trained and licensed professional. In some cases, a psychotherapist and horse trainer work together to provide equine therapy. In other cases, the therapy is provided by one individual with training in both psychotherapy and horsemanship.

Equine therapy is a relatively new form of therapy, and experts are still researching its benefits. However, the experience has shown a number of benefits for people with mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and other challenges. People of all ages and backgrounds can engage in equine therapy, and you don’t need any experience with animals to benefit.

The goal of equine therapy isn’t to become skilled at riding horses. Sometimes, patients at a drug rehab horse ranch never even ride the horses they work with. Instead, the purpose is to connect with the horses and experience the sense of meaning and fulfillment provided by caring for the animals.

The tasks and experiences involved in equine therapy usually progress over the course of your treatment. You might begin by simply petting or grooming the horses. Then, as you become more familiar and comfortable with the horses, you and the therapist might work on leading a horse or riding it.

Benefits of Equine Therapy

Equine therapy offers a wide variety of mental and emotional benefits for people who are overcoming drug or alcohol addiction. The following are just a few of the many benefits of equine therapy:

Horses have a calm and soothing presence.

Although a rehab facility can offer a great deal of emotional support, overcoming addiction is always incredibly challenging. You might feel anxious, depressed, angry, or overwhelmed as you navigate the early steps of addiction recovery. Equine therapy can be a very soothing experience, which is highly beneficial during inpatient treatment. Horses have a calm, stable presence that can be therapeutic in and of itself.

Equine therapy improves your emotional awareness.

Horses are highly intelligent animals, and they often respond to the emotions of the people around them. When you interact with a horse during equine therapy, you might learn a great deal about your own emotional state simply by observing how the horse responds to you. In some ways, the horse can act as a mirror for your thoughts and feelings, which can open the door for self-reflection.

Equine therapy puts you on a schedule.

Structure and routine are absolutely essential for anyone in addiction recovery. Resisting your cravings and staying sober are daily challenges in early recovery, but sticking to a consistent routine helps you stay grounded. Programs that incorporate equine therapy are usually highly structured because the horses require so much daily care. This can be a great way for you to relearn how to structure and schedule your day, which is a skill you will continue to apply after you leave the rehab program.

Working with horses promotes productivity and consistency.

If you attend a rehab facility that heavily incorporates equine therapy into their programming, you probably have tasks to complete for the horses every single day. The horses rely on you, the other patients, and the therapists for their care. Assuming responsibility for another living thing can be a very meaningful experience in recovery, and it can motivate you to stay committed to the program. Taking care of yourself may not feel like a priority when you’re going through a mental health crisis, but taking care of someone else can feel much different.

Equine therapy takes your mind off of your addiction.

At times during your equine therapy sessions, you and your counselor may discuss your addiction. However, equine therapy is largely an opportunity to take your mind off of your cravings. Addiction can completely take over your life and consume all of your thoughts and behaviors, so many patients find that they desperately need to replace their previous substance use with a healthier activity. While you’re in treatment, equine therapy serves as this positive activity.

Equine therapy provides a sense of pride and accomplishment.

When you’re struggling with addiction, you may lose your sense of self. It’s common for people in recovery to have low self-worth or to feel unsure of their place in the world. Caring for horses during equine therapy provides a valuable sense of fulfillment and accomplishment, which has enormous benefits for your overall mental health and self-esteem. As you see yourself get better at caring for the animals, you develop a strong sense of pride in the work. This can be a powerful reminder that you are a skilled, compassionate person who offers a great deal to those around you.

Disadvantages of Equine Therapy

Equine therapy is generally a very beneficial treatment for people in addiction recovery. However, there are some circumstances in which it might not be the best choice. If you feel nervous or uncomfortable around horses, you may not benefit from the therapy. Even though the horses at a drug rehab ranch are trained to be therapy animals, some people don’t experience the therapeutic benefits because being in the presence of such massive animals makes them feel anxious.

People with certain allergies may struggle with equine therapy, too. If you’re allergic to horses, hay, or barn dust, your doctor will probably advise you not to participate in equine therapy.

Another consideration to keep in mind is that equine therapy has not yet been extensively researched. Many people have reported having a powerful and healing experience in equine therapy, but much more research needs to be done to back up those claims scientifically. The best program is one that combines equine therapy with traditional, evidence-based treatments to ensure that patients get comprehensive support.

How We Can Help

Long Island Interventions offers inpatient and outpatient addiction recovery services for clients in the New York area. We are committed to helping our patients find the best possible treatment options that match their unique needs.

Attending a drug rehab horse ranch far outside the city can be highly beneficial for New Yorkers who need a calm, quiet, and private location to work toward their mental health goals. If you’re looking for a residential addiction center that offers equine therapy, there are a number of options available. Contact us today to learn more about equine therapy rehab facilities.

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Published on: 2022-05-31
Updated on: 2025-03-13

When a person is dealing with addiction, they often tend to think things like, “I’m not hurting anyone else, so why should I stop?” However, the reality is that addiction affects more than just the drug user. Substance use disorders are a very widespread problem that impacts society as a whole. Understanding how drug abuse affects society can help motivate you to make positive changes.

Does Drug Use Really Affect Society?

The idea of drug use being a personal matter is a myth. Using dangerous, addictive substances harms more than just the user. It can also be very dangerous for those around them. How does drug abuse affect society? It impacts our society by changing the way individual people behave. When a person is struggling with addiction, they cannot make reasonable choices. These poor decisions can snowball into major problems that greatly harm others.

Often, the people most affected by substance abuse are those nearest to the addict. Substance use can destroy relationships, harming a person’s ability to interact with their spouse, children, parents, or friends. It also makes it hard for a person to manage responsibilities like working or caring for children. This can lead to all sorts of disastrous consequences.

Addiction even harms people who are not in close contact with an addict. People dealing with substance use disorders can damage public property or injure others. They may also use taxpayer money for healthcare, housing, or even imprisonment costs.

Exploring the Costs of Drug Use

As you can see, drug abuse will affect society in all sorts of ways. To get a look at the big picture, it can be helpful to take a look at some financial statistics. Researchers have carefully analyzed all the negative impacts of substance abuse to see how much they cost society each year. Here are the estimated costs for some common types of drug abuse.

• Alcohol: Alcohol is one of the most costly substances to abuse. Society loses roughly $249 billion annually due to lost productivity, legal expenses, medical expenses, and more.
• Prescription opioids: Abusing prescription opioids in non-medically necessary ways costs society $78.5 billion. Roughly a third of these costs is due to helping opioid abusers with healthcare.
• Methamphetamine: The economic burden of methamphetamine use is estimated at up to $48 billion annually. Much of this is due to crime and premature mortality.
• Illicit drugs: Researchers estimate that all illicit drug use costs society $193 billion annually. This includes the use of various substances ranging from cocaine to heroin.

Other Ways Drug Use Impacts Society

Looking at the financial cost of drug use is one of the simplest ways of seeing its effects on society. However, lost or wasted money isn’t the only issue. There are a variety of other ways that substance use can harm society.

Decreased Productivity in the Workplace

One of the big reasons for the costs of drug abuse is decreased workplace productivity. When you are dealing with addiction, it is impossible to do your best at work. Many people with substance use disorders go to work while drunk or high. Even if they are sober, they tend to be distracted because they are thinking about how to acquire more of a drug or recovering from the effects of the drug.

Researchers have found that people with a substance use disorder tend to have a roughly 34% decrease in productivity. Of course, this does result in some financial losses for employers, but it does far more than that. The decreased productivity impacts a workplace’s potential. People are less likely to come up with new ideas or chase after new clients. They are also less able to achieve promotions or better their own career. This drastically reduces a workplace’s ability to grow, improve, and assist others.

Increased Crime Rates

Substance use is closely linked to increased crime which has a major impact on all sorts of people. When a person is under the influence, they typically do not exercise wise judgment. They are more likely to get into conflicts with others, and financial difficulties can encourage them to resort to desperate measures for their next fix. Research has shown that about one-third of all violent crimes may be linked to substance use. Substance use can also encourage theft, fraud, and other types of property crimes.

On a broader scale, addiction is also linked to criminal activities like drug trafficking and gang warfare. People who have a physical dependency on a substance often end up having to buy it from unethical organizations. Their money can contribute to drug organizations that are responsible for a variety of violent crimes.

Extra Stress on Healthcare Systems

Each year, a massive amount of time is spent helping people with overdoses, organ failure, and other side effects of drug use. This puts a massive amount of strain on our already understaffed healthcare system. Hospitals, doctors, and emergency departments struggle to provide adequate care because they don’t have enough time for every patient.

In many cases, those with substance abuse disorders cannot pay for their own care. This adds an extra burden to society. Medical professionals have to donate their free time, and charities must spend their resources helping impoverished addicts. Medicare and other national health programs often try to help with the costs, so taxpayer funds are spent on healthcare. Furthermore, emergency rooms must treat people even if they cannot pay. Hospitals start charging other patients more to offset the cost of non-paying patients.

Drunk Driving and Other Dangerous Behavior

Substance use puts many people at risk, even if they do not abuse drugs or know anyone who does. Almost all types of drugs and alcohol tend to impair a person’s judgment. They can cause aggression, paranoia, and all sorts of other problematic behaviors. This often results in dangerous interactions.

The most common example of dangerous substance use is driving under the influence. When a person is drunk or high, their impaired coordination can make them more likely to get into accidents. People who abuse substances may have an increased risk of getting in fights or abusing family members. They may also neglect children or do other negligent things that harm others.

How to Decrease the Effect of Drug Use on Society

As you can see, substance use has many negative effects on society. Figuring out ways to reduce those effects can be challenging. In some cases, the effects can be reduced with policy changes. Human rights advocates point out that decriminalizing drugs can reduce unnecessary prison sentences and weaken organized crime. Making it legal for substance use disorders to be able to test their drugs or own overdose-treating medications like Narcan can somewhat decrease impacts on the healthcare system.

However, the most effective method of reducing drugs’ impact on society is simply treating substance use disorders. When substance use disorders are demonized and treated as a moral failing, it is almost impossible for people to get the help they need. The reality is that a substance use disorder is a medical problem that deserves appropriate care. The right blend of medication and therapy can give people the skills they need to quit using drugs.

If you or a loved one is struggling with drug abuse, it is important to get help promptly. The right substance use care can help you overcome the negative consequences of drug use. When you’re ready to seek help, Long Island Interventions is here for you. We provide compassionate, effective assistance for those dealing with substance use disorders. To learn more about our services, give us a call today.

Reference section

• https://archives.drugabuse.gov/trends-statistics/costs-substance-abuse#supplemental-references-for-economic-costs
• https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9438.html
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7109245/
• https://www.unodc.org/pdf/technical_series_1998-01-01_1.pdf
• https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/10/12/us-disastrous-toll-criminalizing-drug-use

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Published on: 2022-04-20
Updated on: 2025-01-22

Often called “The World’s Deadliest Drug,” Krokodil is one of the most frequently misunderstood drugs. Some people have heard gruesome stories about the drug dissolving skin while others assume it is no worse than prescription painkillers. How do you tell fact from fiction? Explore this guide to discover what it is and how it really affects the body.

What Is Krokodil?

Krokodil is simply the street name for desomorphine which is a type of synthetic opioid. Though many people assume it is a new drug, it is actually a fairly old medication. Desomorphine was first made in the 1930s, and it was frequently used to manage pain. Due to its unpleasant side effects, this synthetic opioid was discontinued by the 1980s.

Unfortunately, in the early 2000s, drug traffickers found that desomorphine was very easy to produce. It could be manufactured with codeine, iodine, and other commonly-available substances. The drug became very popular in Russia where it was named after the Russian word for crocodile. Some people think desomorphine is called the crocodile drug due to its effects on the skin. However, it might also get its name from chlorocodide, the type of codeine derivative used to produce desomorphine.

Effects of the Drug

People use the crocodile drug because it provides many of the typical effects of opioids. When someone uses this drug, they may experience:

• Euphoria
• Feelings of relaxation and peace
• Slowed breathing heart rate
• Reduction of pain

However, these intended effects are not the only result of using the drug. It also tends to cause a lot of very nasty side effects. Due to the way it is manufactured, the substance often contains toxic byproducts that can poison the blood or damage the skin.

How Is Desomorphine Used?

Technically, there are multiple ways to use this drug. As an opioid, it can be consumed orally, snorted, or smoked. However, almost all users inject the opioid instead. This drug is usually sold as an injectable substance because that produces the most intense effects. Regardless of how a person takes the drug, it goes through their system fairly quickly. The fast-acting substance produces effects within two to three minutes, and typically, the effects wear off in two hours or less.

Understanding the Dangers of the Crocodile Drug

This drug is so frequently discussed because of its many disastrous side effects. Even if a person uses pure desomorphine, they are likely to deal with unpleasant issues like dangerously low breath rates and higher overdose risks. These dangers are why the opioid was discontinued in the first place. However, in modern times, the main issue is the toxic byproducts in the substance. Though it is easy to create with a kitchen and a few common household substances, it is almost impossible to produce a pure version. Almost all street versions of the drug have toxic byproducts that can cause major health problems.

Skin Necrosis

Many people believe this drug gets its name due to its effect on the skin. At the injection site, this drug tends to cause swelling and pain. It then progresses to skin that looks discolored and scaly. Skin may look blue, red, purple, or green, and the scabby texture causes skin to resemble crocodile scales. With repeated injections, a person’s skin starts to rot and die. 2013 research shows that this happens because the toxic additives in the drug are corrosive. They quickly travel through the tiny blood vessels near the injection site, damaging the cardiovascular system and the skin. In habitual users, skin necrosis can be severe enough to cause limb loss and system-wide infection.

Muscle and Bone Damage

The drug’s toxic effects appear all over the body. Once it enters the circulatory system, it travels through the body and causes damage to muscles and bones. These small spots of damage turn into infections that gradually eat away at surrounding tissue. People may develop giant abscesses or lose the use of their arms and legs. These effects tend to be most noticeable at injection sites. However, the damaged circulation also affects other parts of the body. Many users also see damage to the tips of their fingers and toes.

Organ Damage

The crocodile drug’s toxicity also harms the organs that process opioids. Whenever you take any sort of opioid, the liver and kidney process the drugs and remove them from your system. Over time, the small amounts of damage cause scarring in these organs. They cannot function as well, and they start to shut down. People who use the drug can end up with life-threatening kidney failure or liver damage. This is especially common among those who take enough to cause an overdose.

Mental Deterioration

This drug is sometimes called “the zombie drug” due to its mental impact. The substance drastically harms the cardiovascular system, so users basically end up suffering from a series of mini-strokes. Burst blood vessels in the brain tend to leave users with speech impediments and memory problems. Some people may have impaired concentration, difficulty focusing, or trouble regulating moods.

Who Is At Risk for Krokodil Addiction?

This drug is still a little on the rare side. However, as the opioid crisis progresses, it may show up in some surprising places. Addiction to this drug is definitely something you need to be on the lookout for.

Which Countries is This Drug In?

The crocodile drug is typically only found in a few regions. It is primarily used in Russia and Ukraine. Reports indicate that up to 35% of drug users may have tried this substance. There are also some reports of the drug being found in Georgia, Kazakhstan, Norway, and Germany. Outside of these Eastern and Central European countries, the drug is quite uncommon. There have been a few government reports of it in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and other similar places, but it still is not a widely-available option.

This is partly due to the substances used to make it. The codeine that is necessary to make the drug is a controlled substance in the United States. In many other countries that do allow over-the-counter codeine sales, the crocodile drug still isn’t used because most countries do not have as strict anti-heroin laws as Russia. Most people are aware of how dangerous the drug’s side effects can be, so they prefer alternatives like heroin or prescription painkillers.

Are All Users Addicted?

It is extremely rare for anyone to go straight from being sober to using the crocodile drug. Instead, it is almost always used by people who already have an opioid use disorder. In most cases, people were using other opioids but can no longer get them due to legal crackdowns or financial issues. Therefore, most users already tend to qualify for an addiction diagnosis. However, there are occasionally situations where a person takes a desomorphine-containing substance without realizing it’s the notorious crocodile drug. In this sort of case, you may be addicted if you:

• Notice dangerous side effects but keep taking it anyway
• Find yourself constantly thinking about the drug and wanting to use more
• Take the drug even though you are trying to cut back
• Participate in risky behavior while under the influence of the drug
• Begin to take the drug more frequently or in larger doses

What to Do If You Suspect You’ve Taken This Drug

After reading all about the dangers of the drug, it is easy to panic if you think you have taken it. However, just using it once does not necessarily mean you are going to lose your limbs. The most important thing is to seek immediate medical care. Even small skin infections can grow into a major problem, so you need to address any sores, scabs, or necrosis immediately.

The effects of the drug become more dangerous with each repeated use, so it is also essential to quit using the substance. Seeking treatment for an opioid use disorder can do more than just protect your physical health. It can also improve your mental health and make it easier to manage your daily responsibilities.

Get Help for Krokodil Addiction

If you or a loved one is dealing with addiction, Long Island Interventions can help. Our substance abuse professionals help patients begin addressing virtually any addiction. To learn more about our services, give us a call today.

Reference Section
https://archives.drugabuse.gov/emerging-trends/krokodil
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233938321_Desomorphine_Goes_Crocodile
https://www.drugs.com/illicit/krokodil.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2537678/
https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-krokodil-the-russian-flesh-eating-drug-makes-a-rare-appearance-in-australia-117594
https://nida.nih.gov/international/abstracts/emerging-drug-in-ukraine-crocodile-desomorphine
https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/16/health/krokodil-zombie-drug/index.html

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Published on: 2022-04-10
Updated on: 2024-12-12