Recognizing and Processing Trauma In the treatment of substance use and eating disorders, much of our work involves processing trauma. In fact, an estimated two thirds of all individuals suffering from substance use disorder have experienced some type of trauma. Furthermore, a 2012 study by Mitchell et al found that the “vast majority of women…
Making Things Harder on Ourselves When we were out on the streets in our active addictions, eating a healthy, balanced meal was probably one of the last things on our minds. Most of the time we were either too wasted or too sick to keep any food down anyway. However, if the kitchens and pantries…
The Cure to a Disease of Isolation Since 1989, September has been National Recovery Month. There are an estimated 23 million Americans in recovery from substance use disorder. National Recovery Month is an opportunity to celebrate these folks. It’s also a chance to increase awareness and understanding of the disease that they’re dealing with. The…
Addressing the Problem According to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey, almost 20 million adult Americans are struggling with a substance use disorder. And as we pointed out last week, the coronavirus pandemic is only making it worse. Substance use disorder wreaks havoc not only on the lives of those afflicted but…
More Casualties of the Coronavirus Pandemic The Wall Street Journal recently published an article echoing some of the things we’ve been saying in our blogs over the past six months. Namely, that the coronavirus pandemic is proving to be devastating for those struggling with substance use disorder. The article cites a June Center for Disease…
Make an Informed Decision About Your Health Ocean Recovery could not be prouder or more thrilled to announce that we have been named one of the best rehabilitation facilities in the Long Beach area by Help.org. According to their mission statement, Help.org is “devoted to empowering people to take control of their lives by providing…
A Five Year Explosion The opioid epidemic has gotten a lot of the press in recent years and for good reason, with over 46,000 deaths per year. However, as we pointed out in our blog on the resurgence of crystal meth, opioids and opiates are certainly not the only lethal drugs out there. After falling…
Some Familiar Faces If you take a look at a list of twelve-step meetings, you’ll see entries for plenty of familiar faces. Alcohol, narcotics, cocaine, crystal meth, and other substances all have their own recovery fellowships. But so, too, do sex, food, and gambling. Can people really become addicted to these things? And if they…
Some Unsettling Statistics The coronavirus has meant that anxiety is on the rise. And when anxiety is increasing, so, too, do prescriptions for anxiety-relieving drugs. This is an unsettling thought, considering a recent article from Psychology Today. The piece cites a report by the US National Center for Health Studies as well as the National…
A Word About Trauma The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines trauma as an event involving exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violation. The exposed individual must directly experience the event or witness it firsthand, learn that it occurred to a close family member or friend, or experience repeated…