Reading Time: 4 Minutes According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for the 12 months ending in April 2021, there were over 100,000 overdose deaths, an increase of 28.5 percent over 2020 levels. Often lost in the understandable concern about these fatalities are millions of chronic pain patients who cannot get adequate pain relief. What are […]
Month: March 2022
Substance Use Disorder vs. Dependency: What’s the Difference?
Reading Time: 3 Minutes Many individuals often interchangeably use the terms “dependency and substance use disorder.” Although these terms share some commonalities, they are not the same and should always be differentiated, especially in the treatment setting. Defining substance abuse Substance use disorder is the formal medical term for addiction. It is defined as the compulsive misuse of a […]
Bipolar Awareness Day
Reading Time: 4 Minutes On March 30th each year, the world comes together to raise awareness of a mental health disorder that affects nearly 6 million Americans, each in a distinctive way. Bipolar disorder has an impact that goes far beyond numbers. Living with bipolar disorder may not be easy, but as van Gogh, himself once said: “The beginning […]
Five Ways to Cope When Your Partner Has Depression
Reading Time: 4 Minutes Suppose you are in a relationship with a partner who has depression, who most likely deal with a mix of emotions and questions, especially when issues arise. It can be difficult to truly understand someone who is struggling with depression. As a result, it can potentially take a toll on your own emotions and impact […]
Sleep Awareness Week: Sleep and Mental Health
Reading Time: 3 Minutes Sleep Awareness Week, March 13th-March 19th, 2022, aims to highlight the importance of good sleep and educate individuals about improving their sleeping habits. Founded by the National Sleep Foundation, Sleep Awareness Week provides individuals the opportunity to learn about why sleep is important, how good sleep can improve health, whether or not certain sleeping habits […]
Sleeping Pill Addiction
Reading Time: 4 Minutes For many American adults, falling asleep and staying asleep is complicated and sometimes impossible. As a result, many individuals wake up groggy and feel stressed throughout their day. Getting a restful sleep throughout the night is incredibly important for mental and physical health, and often out of desperation, many individuals turn to sleeping pills. According […]
Self-Harm Awareness Month
Reading Time: 3 Minutes Self-Harm Awareness Month is observed in March in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. There are two million cases of self-harm reported each year in the United States. Self-harm happens across all genders, races, beliefs, and ages. Approximately 90 percent of self-harm behavior begins during adolescence, usually around age 14, and continues into the […]
Long COVID and Mental Health
Reading Time: 4 Minutes It is easy to say that 2020 was one of the most difficult years for many individuals worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic took 5.7 million lives worldwide, rattled economies, caused 114 million people to lose their jobs, and pushed many people to their breaking point, resulting in broken relationships, domestic abuse, severe mental health disorders, addiction, […]
How DUIs Can Affect More Than Just Your Ability to Drive
Reading Time: 4 Minutes It all seemed like such a fun time, you met a few friends at a local bar to watch a March Madness game and only had a few drinks, right? You feel good and decide to head back home. That’s when it hits you and you hear the sirens behind you and your heart starts […]