The Addiction & Recovery Resource Blog

Childhood Trauma and Addiction: How Are They Linked?

• Mandy Sandhu
• 12 Jan 2023

Our childhood experiences shape us, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that trauma in the formative years can have a long-lasting impact. You may be wondering how childhood trauma and addiction are related; are people more prone to developing an addiction after going through adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)? Is there a way to prevent past trauma from causing addiction...

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What Are the Principles of Trauma-Informed Care?

• Mandy Sandhu
• 5 Jan 2023

Everyone plays a part in healing people with trauma. Even non-therapists can participate in someone else’s recovery. However, these efforts should be guided by the principles of trauma-informed care. First responders, law enforcement officers, service providers, and support staff can help improve health outcomes and patient engagement by implementing a trauma-informed approach. Let’s take a closer look at the fundamental...

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Am I Addicted? 11 Questions to Ask Yourself

• Mandy Sandhu
• 26 Dec 2022

“Am I addicted?” This is a serious question no doctor should ignore. There are many reasons why people start using substances. Sometimes, it is out of curiosity, for entertainment, or to ease emotional pain. There are also times when it is necessary, such as during an illness or after an accident. But when casual use reaches levels of abuse or...

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10 Things Addicts Say to Justify Their Alcohol Addiction

• Mandy Sandhu
• 19 Dec 2022

The lies we tell to preserve our dignity are sometimes necessary. Other times, they’re downright destructive. The things addicts say to justify their actions could be influenced by their need to belong, to avoid judgment, or to maintain their bad habits. Understanding that people with addiction may feel challenged in many different ways will help guide them in the right...

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Inspiring and Motivational Rehab Success Statistics

• Mandy Sandhu
• 12 Dec 2022

When we read about addiction statistics, we usually see depressing numbers and varying degrees of negativity. While their purpose is to paint a picture of the severity of substance abuse, this can actually cause more anxiety and shame to a person seeking addiction treatment. What some data fails to report is what happens during and after treatment. There’s a lot...

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What Happens When You Mix Alcohol and Ativan?

• Mandy Sandhu
• 5 Dec 2022

Ativan is the brand name that dispenses lorazepam as a generic medication, and is only accessible by having a prescription from your doctor. While this drug is mainly used to combat anxiety, it has highly addictive components that can lead to substance abuse. Moreover, when intake is mixed with alcohol (which is often the substance abused with Ativan), it can...

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10 Celebrities With Addiction: Triumph Over the Condition

• Mandy Sandhu
• 28 Nov 2022

Addiction and fame seem to be somewhat intertwined. So, is it the pressure that pushes celebrities into addiction, or is it the money that attracts the vice?  According to studies, certain personality traits are more prone to addiction. Impulsive, obsessive and novelty-seeking behaviour are often tied to addiction, qualities that many celebrities also possess, being the natural entertainers and high...

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How Long Do Opioids Stay in Your System?

• Mandy Sandhu
• 21 Nov 2022

One of the early steps in seeking help for opioid abuse is to confirm that misuse is happening. Do opioids show up in drug tests? Yes, and conducting a drug detection test is often the best way to confirm opioid abuse. With that said, there are some things you should know about how long opioids stay in your system as...

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Addiction Replacement: How to Spot and Stop It

• Mandy Sandhu
• 14 Nov 2022

When addicts attempt to recover from addiction, they may find themselves substituting their former addiction with another in an effort to stay sober or to lessen the stress of treatment. Sometimes, the addiction replacement is obvious, but other times, the patients are not aware of the substitution. This is especially the case when the substituted behaviour seems like a positive...

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Understanding the 5 Types of Alcoholism

• Mandy Sandhu
• 7 Nov 2022

There are several different classification systems that identify types of alcoholism and alcoholics. These typologies are created to effectively understand the cause of or the influence behind alcoholism, and hopefully with that knowledge, be able to treat them. One widely-acknowledged classification system is physiologist Elvin Jellinek’s 5 Alcoholism Species, which identifies 5 different forms of alcoholism differentiated by level of...

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