Recognizing Addiction: Warning Signs & How to Help

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Recognizing Addiction: Warning Signs & How to Help

What Is Addiction, Really?

Addiction isn’t always obvious. It can sneak into everyday habits—until it’s hard to tell routine from real trouble. Addiction isn’t just a bad habit—it’s a long-term condition that can take over, even when it’s clearly causing problems. It’s not about being weak or lazy. Addiction actually rewires the brain, making it super hard to quit without help. Here’s a bit of neuroscience 101. Ever heard of your brain’s reward system? It’s basically like a cheerleader with a megaphone. Every time you do something it likes—like eating chocolate or getting a hug—it shouts, “That felt good! Do it again!” It’s how we learn what brings us pleasure. But with addiction, that cheerleader starts cheering for the wrong things, way too loudly, way to often, and it becomes harder to tell what’s actually good for you.

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4 Ways To Deal With Misuse During COVID-19

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4 Ways To Deal With Misuse During COVID-19

We need to discuss and address misuse.  As I have said in previous blogs, perhaps my head was in the sand or perhaps I was being overly optimistic or even a combination of both, but I had hoped that substance use/misuse/abuse and dependence would have decreased with COVID-19.  No such luck.  I keep reading articles and hearing about how use of drugs and alcohol is up.  Relapses are up as are overdoses.  This is not just happening locally, but across the United States and in other countries too!  It makes absolute sense though.  As I have mentioned in previous blogs on addiction, people have never really had the goal to struggle with addition, rather use often begins when people seek ways to cope with stress, pain, and/or trauma.

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Strategies of Help for Addiction-Part 3 of 3

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Today’s blog is the final in a 3 part series on addiction.  This series is to help you gain a better understanding about what addiction is, signs and symptoms of addiction, and help available to those struggling with addiction as well.  Please click here to read the initial installment in introduction to addiction, and click here to read about sign and symptoms of addiction. Today’s focus is on help available for those struggling with addiction, and some do’s and don’ts of getting and accepting help for addictions.

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Signs and Symptoms of Addiction-Part 2 of 3

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Today’s blog is the second in a three part series on addiction.  This series is to help you gain a better understanding about what addiction is, signs and symptoms of addiction, and help available to those struggling with addiction as well.  You can read Part 1 of this series here. Today’s focus is on recognizing and accepting of signs and symptoms of addiction.  

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