Family Support

If you’ve identified a need to do something about a drug or an alcohol problem, you’ve got some decisions to make. One of them is deciding on detox vs. rehab — getting on the other side of withdrawal for the substances to which you’re addicted, or enrolling in a program that will go beyond mere…

You’ve identified you have a drinking problem, and you’re ready to do something about it. Now, you’re wondering, what your next step should be: Rehab or AA? More specifically, you’re wondering whether to get help at a drug and alcohol treatment center, or to seek sobriety solely in the rooms of the 12 Step program…

Booze flows freely in our society, but not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic. In fact, many people who imbibe, and the vast majority of those who don’t, often see friends, peers and loved ones who struggle with it and ask, “Why can’t an alcoholic stop drinking?” It’s not that simple, but for individuals unfamiliar…

If you follow social media and engage with any news outlets, then stories of addiction inevitably bring out a singular question from a great many people unfamiliar with the disease: Why can’t an addict stop using? From the outside looking in, it seems like a black-and-white solution: Just quit. Reality, however, is much more complex,…

If you’re a heavy drinker and decide to quit, then the clock is ticking: What is the timeline for alcohol withdrawal symptoms? It’s important to understand both the nature of those symptoms and when you might begin to experience them — but more importantly, it’s critical that you take into account the severity of them.…

You’ve made the decision to stop drinking, but you’re still grappling with your biggest worry: How long does it take for alcohol withdrawal symptoms to start? Withdrawal from any drug, alcohol included, is a cause for concern, because even the most innocuous of substances have such an impact on the brain and body that withdrawal…

Given the horrific nature of the opioid epidemic in the United States, everyone should know the answer to this question: What are the signs of a fentanyl overdose? Earlier this summer, the Centers for Disease Control released the provisional drug overdose death statistics for 2020, and the numbers were grim, as the publication Scientific American…

If you’re unsure of who pays for drug rehab, know this: Someone does. Despite some of the mystique surrounding drug and alcohol treatment, it’s a medical service provided like any other. If you break your arm, the continuum of care is relatively straightforward: You go to the emergency room, you get X-rayed, you get a…

If you’re considering it for a drug and alcohol problem and wondering what rehab is really like, blogger Adam Fout has a good analogy. It is, he said, like high school. I know that a lot of people who have never been to rehab are scared of going,” Fout writes. “I was scared too. I…

Individuals on the fence about getting help for a drug and alcohol problem are often reluctant to do so, and when they’re weighing options, many of them wonder why rehab is good for them. It’s only natural; addicts and alcoholics, by nature, are generally mistrustful (many times because their actions while drinking and using have…