We’ll go into more detail on relapse prevention planning in another post. Recovery from substance use is a lifelong journey that involves ongoing awareness and management of triggers. Recognizing that triggers—whether internal feelings like stress or external cues such as familiar places—can resurface at any time helps individuals stay prepared. These strategies empower individuals to…
Screening by a primary care provider or other health practitioner (e.g., pediatrician) provides an opportunity to identify problems early and address them before they escalate. It also allows adolescents to ask questions of a knowledgeable adult. NIAAA and the American Academy of Pediatrics both recommend that all youth be regularly screened for alcohol use. Why…
It’s like putting together a jigsaw puzzle of your life, trying to see where the pieces of your scrambled brain fit in. Antihistamines, antidepressants, or birth control can include brain fog as a side effect. Moreover, some medical conditions like anxiety, depression, or autoimmune diseases (as well as long COVID) are linked to cognitive sluggishness….
Alcohol consumption was defined as the national average of registered amount of alcohol consumed (litres of pure alcohol) per capita aged ≥15 years during a calendar year. The aggregate indicator from taxation data included consumption for the entire population based on production, import, export and sales (6). As the statistics showed above, quitting cigarettes or…
Staying busy is a great way to stave off boredom and create space for healing the parts of your brain that took a walloping from drinking. It’s particularly therapeutic to find something to do with your hands. Not on its own, but maybe it starts a conversation drinking out of boredom and a friend comes…
Alcohol withdrawal can cause severe and sometimes life-threatening symptoms. Compared to those without them, people with anxiety disorders—mental health conditions that cause frequent worry and panic—have lower levels of zinc, iron, and selenium. If you have social anxiety or a social phobia, therapy may work best to reduce your levels of anxiety (combined with a…