As the days grow shorter, it’s more important than ever to get outside, especially for those in recovery for drug or alcohol addiction.
As the days grow shorter and it’s dark before you even begin your evening commute, there’s a tendency to want to huddle inside where it’s warm and hibernate. The gray days of late fall and winter lead to a seasonal depression for many people. That’s why it’s so important to take advantage of the natural light the season does offer. (more…)
Mental health disorders are on the rise, but are training and treatment methods keeping pace?
More people are suffering with mental issues than previously thought, and those issues, especially when untreated, can contribute to addiction problems. 
Emotional pain is part of emotional health, and every one of us has found our own path to our own pain. If that’s tough news, tough. It’s also reality therapy. So however you think you got here in your life, or who you think got you here, and whether you’re suffering from the need to please, the blame game, or simply sitting there wearing a feeling-sorry-for-yourself party hat at your own pity party, it’s time you knew the party is over.
You’d have to be living at the North Pole to not hear about the financial bailout package that went before the congress late last year. What you may not have heard about is the mental health “parity” bill that was tacked onto the bailout package before it passed. That landmark law requires employers to provide mental health insurance benefits comparable to their medical coverage. This will affect 113 million Americans, providing them with the parity in insurance benefits, making treatment for mental disorders and addiction affordable. 
What does anxiety possibly have to do with addiction? Studies show that up to 65.5 percent of people with a substance dependence disorder have at least one mental disorder and 51 percent of people with a mental disorder have at least one substance abuse disorder. Add to that the fact that anxiety disorders are the most common group of psychiatric disorders, and the connection becomes clearer. 