Amid the high-intensity of modern life, it is no secret that many people are prone to developing anxiety or sleep disturbances. Prescription sedatives known as benzodiazepines, or benzos, have become the go-to source for finding relief from the symptoms associated with these disorders. These medications provide swift sedating effects that have made them among the […]

People with bipolar disorder struggle daily with the unpredictable and often confounding features of this complex mental health disorder. There is still no known cause of the disorder, despite ongoing research. Some factors associated with bipolar disorder include family history of bipolar or other mental illness, unique brain structure features, highly stressful events, brain chemistry […]

While the nation has become well aware of the opioid epidemic in recent years, it is helpful to also understand how some segments of the population have been uniquely impacted. According to a report from SAMHSA, the rate of overdose deaths among Black Americans between 2015 and 2016 increased 41%, versus a 21% increase in […]

Most of us are familiar with the terrible hangover, plus lots of regrets, that follows an evening of overindulging in alcohol. However, drinking to excess can also lead to a serious medical condition called alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning occurs when the amount of alcohol ingested exceeds what the liver can safely process. Alcohol toxicity then […]

To succeed in recovery from a substance use disorder requires a toolbox of handy new coping skills. It isn’t enough to just identify triggers that could lead to a relapse, although that is useful in developing your relapse prevention strategy. Indeed, a solid, sustained recovery will depend heavily on maintaining a positive mindset. The internal […]

Living with pain can test us to our very core. Pain is something we would do most anything to avoid. When we do experience pain, we just want to numb it. Whether it’s chronic pain from an ongoing health condition like lupus, fibromyalgia, a neurological condition, or a back injury, or winding through a short-term […]