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Recovery is about stopping substance use and learning how to move through daily life with new routines, healthier choices and practical tools for staying accountable. Recovery is an ongoing journey that can be challenging just as much as it is rewarding. Sometimes you need a little help. This is where a sober coach can play an important role. What is a sober coach?

For decades, parents, educators and public health professionals have warned young people about the dangers of mind-altering substances and cautioned that trying one drug will inevitably lead to more drug use. The concept of a gateway drug was created to highlight the progression of addiction and its vulnerability to youth and public health. How do you define gateway drugs?

Millions of people are prescribed powerful painkillers every year for legitimate and necessary reasons. Percocet is a highly effective prescription painkiller often used to alleviate moderate to severe pain caused by severe injuries, medical surgery or even chronic conditions. While it can provide immense and immediate relief for those who are suffering, Percocet dependence can happen faster than many patients realize.

You’re having a night out with friends and it suddenly takes a turn for the worse when someone in the group has overdosed on alcohol. They are lying unconscious on the sofa. What do you do? For decades, it’s been assumed that getting your stomach pumped for alcohol poisoning was the consequence of severe binge drinking. 

Watching a loved one spiral into addiction can be one of the most difficult and painful experiences families can endure. When addiction, a brain disease, takes control, the person’s ability to make rational and life-saving decisions often disappears. For decades, families have struggled to find ways to get their loved ones the help and treatment they need for substance abuse. In the state of Washington, Ricky’s Law allows for certain people in addiction crisis to be placed into involuntary treatment when they have become a danger to themselves and others. 

Many people believe that having a nightcap before bed will help them get a better night’s sleep. Alcohol may initially help get you drowsy, but it is, in fact, more detrimental to your sleep cycle than you may believe. You may even find yourself tossing and turning more than usual due to intense visual dreams. Alcohol and nightmares have a very complex relationship. 

If you take prescription stimulants like Adderall, you could be part of the 3.7 million Americans who misuse the drug, according to a 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Adderall is probably the most commonly misused prescription stimulant in the US. It is also one of the most commonly prescribed stimulants and can be very effective in treating symptoms of ADHD.

Unwinding with a glass of wine at the end of a long day or sharing beers with friends on the weekend is culturally and deeply ingrained in our society. But behind casual drinking lie some serious health consequences that can go overlooked. When it comes to brain health, alcohol use can be the riskiest. This leaves many considering, “Can alcohol cause a stroke?”

The combination of alcohol and Adderall is a very common pairing of substances, especially within the younger generation. Alcohol is a widely consumed social beverage and Adderall is a standard daily prescription, so it is assumed that bringing them together could be harmless. However, the combination of a central nervous system depressant and a central nervous system stimulant creates a dangerous environment inside the body.

Navigating treatment for a substance use disorder can be daunting. It is especially challenging when you have a dual diagnosis. According to a 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 21.2 million adults were diagnosed with a co-occurring mental health illness and substance use disorder. Having a drug addiction alongside a mental health condition is what is known as having a dual diagnosis.