There’s nothing like the bond between a mother and her child. But when a mother is held captive by addiction, this disease attempts to make drugs or alcohol the most important thing in her life, until she becomes blind to everything else. If you have found yourself in the depths of drug or alcohol addiction,…
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When you have an addiction to drugs or alcohol, it seems like nothing remains untouched by this disease. While personal ramifications affect your physical health and emotional wellbeing, you aren’t the only one impacted by your addiction. Those you’re closest to are also hurt by how drugs or alcohol influence your decisions and behavior. As…
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The human brain is an incredible and complex organ. Each of its many parts is interconnected to regulate everything you do. From breathing to eating to creating beautiful works of art, it coordinates every human activity. It also enables you to interpret, respond and feel. Basically, your brain makes you, you. Much like introducing a…
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Alcoholism doesn’t just affect the one with the substance abuse disorder. Its far-reaching effects impact those around them, especially children of alcoholic parents. Alcoholism is a pervasive disease that has touched 45% of people living in the U.S. in some way. Of the 76 million people exposed to alcoholism, nearly 30 million of them are children. Growing…
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Millions of Americans have struggled with substance abuse or alcohol addiction. Yet there continues to be mainstream silence on these issues because of the negative stigma surrounding drug addiction. Even those going through the recovery process keep silent due to fear and shame. Recovery is a life-changing step. While you are entitled to your privacy when…
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Chronic pain is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. Opioid pain medication is a common treatment that can have dangerous repercussions, especially for those recovering from substance abuse. Many pain medications are addictive, leading to a slippery slope of dependency or relapse for those in recovery. That’s why finding alternative…
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Chemical dependency can creep up on you. For example, you may have had a great reason to start reaching for alcohol or benzos. However, it eventually turns on you. Case in point is the relationship between mental health and substance abuse. Because ultimately, the drugs hook you, there’s help in the form of dual diagnosis…
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During the month of June, there’s concerted outreach to inform people about post-traumatic stress disorder. It culminates in PTSD Awareness Day on June 27. Although many of these efforts originate from veterans’ organizations, you don’t have to be a military member to experience it. In fact, there are many people who never saw combat who…
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From time to time, we all need reminders that some people are out there suffering from various physical or mental issues. It’s not that they need or want our sympathy. It’s simply a matter of us being aware that we may be among the lucky ones who don’t have to suffer. To keep us aware…
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Teresa Garate, Ph.D., was recently recognized as one of Crain’s 2019 Notable Women Executives Over 50 for her years of nonprofit leadership. Since joining Gateway’s Executive Management Team as vice president of strategic partnerships and engagement in 2017, Dr. Garate has used her strengths in relationship development to increase visibility for the organization, bringing Addiction…
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