American Addiction Centers Blog
Effective Techniques for Managing Social Anxiety
April 14, 2025
Living with an anxiety disorder can be incredibly disruptive and negatively impact your quality of life. Social anxiety is a type of anxiety disorder where an individual will feel anxiety or an intense fear about situations that could involve feeling scrutinized, judged, evaluated, or where they might meet new people. This fear can be so […]
Signs of a Rehab Scam Addiction is an extremely prevalent issue in the United States. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 12.8 million Americans 12 or older (4.5%) received treatment within the previous 12 months.1 And the number of people who get treatment is just a small fraction of […]
Whether you’ve been to treatment, you’re contemplating rehab, or your loved one is struggling with substance misuse, the more tools you have in your arsenal the better. Everything from inpatient rehab and sober living facilities to peer-support groups and outpatient care can move you or your loved one another step closer to long-term recovery. Self-help […]
The number of men with alcohol use disorder exceeds the number of women with with the disease, but research indicates that women may be narrowing the gap.1 In fact, among adults, alcohol use is increasing for women but not for men.2 So, why is alcohol consumption on the rise for women? Let’s take a look at […]
Sometimes, information seems to take on a life of its own, particularly if it’s found on the internet. A seemingly reputable (and perhaps well-intentioned) source puts out info, someone else sees it and creates similar content, everyone assumes it’s true (because multiple sources are talking about it), and away we go into the Land of […]
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 […]
