American Addiction Centers Blog
Transform Your Life: 6 Benefits of New Year’s Resolutions in Recovery
October 28, 2024
Individuals in recovery are typically encouraged to take one day at a time. Looking too far into the future can be overwhelming, especially for someone newly in recovery. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set goals, which are really what New Year’s Resolutions are–goals we set for ourselves for the year ahead. Resolutions or goals […]
How different are men and women when it comes to substance use disorders and addiction treatment? Which gender uses more illicit substances? Are men or women more likely to die of illegal or prescription drug overdose? Which gender is more susceptible to relapse? Insights from the Substance Use in Women Research Report—available from the National […]
Most people associate St. Patrick’s Day with raucous parties, historic parades, and copious amounts of alcohol. But the holiday’s origins have little to do with these associations. According to insights from the History Channel, St. Patrick’s Day is historically a Roman Catholic celebration marking the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland (who, […]
Did you know that heavy drinking over time—or even too much on one occasion—can damage your heart? Alcohol misuse can lead to strokes even in people without pre-existing heart disease. It can also contribute to high blood pressure, impact heart rate, and cause alcohol-associated cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder […]
How Racism Impacts Health and Treatment Among Black People Over the last several years, there has been increasing evidence indicating that structural factors are the fundamental cause of health inequities, which result in poor health outcomes among racial and ethnic minorities. Black people as well as other racial and ethnic minorities with a substance use […]
Substance use disorders (SUDs) often go hand in hand with mental health disorders—such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), etc. There’s even a term for the simultaneous existence of these two conditions: co-occurring disorder.1 However, some people fail to realize that eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, binge eating, etc. are mental health issues. […]
What is a High-Functioning Alcoholic? While some of the criteria used to diagnose an AUD include an inability to control drinking even after it has caused issues at their job or in their personal life, someone who is a “high-functioning alcoholic” may not demonstrate this diagnostic criteria. However, they may meet other criteria that leads […]
A History of the ‘Dry Drunk’ The term dry drunk syndrome was originally coined by the creators of the 12-Step program, Alcoholics Anonymous. Author R.J. Solberg defined the term in his 1970 book, The Dry Drunk Syndrome, as “the presence of actions and attitudes that characterized the alcoholic prior to recovery.” Someone struggling with dry […]
Blurred Lines: 1 in 5 Americans admit lying to their doctor about how much alcohol they consume. Half of drinkers would ignore their doctor’s advice to cut down their alcohol intake. Men are more likely to lie about their drinking than women. Infographic included on why not to lie about your drinking habits. It’s no […]
What Is Alcohol Use Disorder? According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 29.5 million people, aged 12 or older, had a diagnosable alcohol use disorder.1 In 2022, more men than women had an alcohol use disorder—almost 17.4 million men compared to 12.2 million women. Additionally, 753,0000 adolescents—aged 12-17—had an alcohol use […]
What is Alcohol Moderation Management? Alcohol moderation management is a form of harm reduction for those struggling with the consequences of alcohol use and who do not have an alcoholism issue. Alcohol moderation is not the same as alcohol abstinence. Those who suffer from drinking problems, in general, do not respond well to a one-size-fits-all […]
Social media is an undeniably powerful force of our modern culture. From geopolitical governance to trending makeup tutorials, social media has been proven able to shape, shift, and shake our collective consciousness. When it comes to recovery-oriented or sober lifestyles, social media has increasingly become a beacon for many–both for “sober curious” individuals and those […]
Launched in 2006 by then President George W. Bush, National Methamphetamine Awareness Day is observed annually on Nov. 30 as part of an effort to educate the public about the effects and dangers of meth. But given the overabundance of national days, including everything from National Cereal Day (March 7th) to Hagfish Day (celebrated the […]
