Every year people attempt to break their addictions using different methods The challenge to overcome any addiction is a process, but many people are focusing on the wrong thing

The reason almost all health insurance companies have stopped paying for residential addiction treatment is that the effectiveness of residential treatment and outpatient treatment has been compared many times, with no advantage being found for residential treatment The July, 1986, issue of the American Psychologist contains the definitive article (by Miller & Hester) on this subject

There is no single correct or best way to recover from addiction There is no element of the recovery process that must completed by all individuals

Are you searching for the “right” treatment center for you or a loved one This article is written to suggest that pre-established “programs” of treatment are not the best approach

Occasionally, I’ll get the call where a family member asks if there is a process to forcibly send a person into treatment Some families will ask if there is a way to simply restrain the addict, throw him in the back of a van, and haul him off to treatment

If starting your day with a cup or coffee or two, having another while you’re on the road, another after arriving at work, and another to get through the afternoon slump, and perhaps a can of pop or a candy bar after work followed by an ice tea and ice cream after dinner, you may have a serious caffeine addiction

There are a number of significant differences between men and women with respect to alcohol problems For instance, the same amount of alcohol (adjusted for weight) will have a bigger effect on a woman (because her stomach does not detoxify alcohol as effectively as a man’s stomach does), women may experience more medical complications (and these complications may be difficult to diagnose and therefore ignored longer), alcohol problems appear to develop (progress) faster in women, the effects of alcohol problems may be greater and more complex for women who have substantial responsibilities both at work and with their families, and the changing roles of women in society may create complications for women receiving adequate support for recovery (e

CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) is a non-confrontational approach to getting a loved one to enter addiction treatment It is an approach designed for the concerned other (spouse, family member, friend), who is seeking assistance in getting their loved one help

There are many effective alternatives to the 12-step addiction recovery approach This article will describe the major treatments and support groups that one might choose if interested in a non-12-step (alternative) approach

In the news media the typical expert describes addiction as a disease Often these experts work at addiction treatment facilities

At one time or another we have all said, “I am addicted to…” The difference between the person that says that and an addict is that that person is admitting that they know their behavior is excessive The truth is they aren’t addicted, and they can go with out what ever the activity or substance is, but an addict can’t