Keeping you in-the-know about addiction and recovery.
High-Functioning Addiction: What It Really Looks Like
Reviewed by: Lauren Grawert, M.D. She makes partner at 38. Coaches her daughter’s soccer team on Saturdays. Never misses a deadline. And most nights, after the kids are asleep, she finishes a bottle of wine alone in the kitchen, telling herself it’s just how she unwinds. He’s the guy everyone calls reliable. Promoted twice in
The Hidden Health Effects of High-Dose Nicotine Pouches
Reviewed by: Lauren Grawert, M.D. I started noticing a pattern before I understood the diagnosis Not in a detox unit. Not in a smoking cessation clinic. But in otherwise healthy young men sitting in an outpatient office: high school athletes, college students, gym-goers, kids who looked like they should have
What Happens When You Stop Drinking for 30 Days?
Reviewed by: Lauren Grawert, M.D. For a lot of people, alcohol has become woven into their daily and weekly routines. Wine with dinner, a beer after a long day, or a cocktail on the weekends. It becomes so embedded in daily life that many have not even thought about what would happen if they stopped, even just for a month. Taking
Understanding Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare
Reviewed by: Aware Recovery Care Health insurance can feel confusing, especially when different programs and plan names sound similar and are often talked about together. Medicare, Part A, Part B, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid… It is a lot to take in, and many people are never given a clear explanation of
Understanding Co-Occurring Disorders
Reviewed by: Lauren Grawert, M.D. What Are Co-Occurring Disorders? Co-occurring disorders—also known as dual diagnoses—refer to the presence of both a substance use disorder (SUD) and a mental health condition in the same individual. This combination is far more common than most folks realize. In fact, more than half of
Get the Facts: Substance Use in the LGBTQ Community
Reviewed by: Aware Recovery Care Addiction impacts people from all walks of life. However, certain groups experience addiction at higher rates than others. Even though members of the LGBTQ community are more likely to use to drugs and alcohol, there aren’t many studies that focus specifically on why this might
How Are Men Really Doing?
Reviewed by: Lauren Grawert, M.D. June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. So, how are men doing? Well, unfortunately things could be better. Despite all our progress in other health arenas, there is still significant stigma and misunderstanding surrounding male mental health. Current American expectations still dictate that men should
Your Brain Can Heal: How Recovery Helps Rewire and Restore
Reviewed by: Aware Recovery Care It’s a fact that addiction changes the brain. Most of us are not born dependent on substances, though addiction can form over time from learned behaviors that create habitual pathways in the brain. Thankfully, the reverse is also true, and the brain can change once
Understanding Alcohol’s Toll on Mental Wellness
Reviewed by: Aware Recovery Care It’s not uncommon to turn to alcohol to cope with trauma, mental health struggles, and plain old stress. All around us, cultural messages perpetuate the myth that alcohol can soothe and heal our psychic ills. Just turn on a TV sitcom and you may see
Why Sooner Is Better: The Power of Early Intervention for Alcohol Use
Reviewed by: Aware Recovery Care It’s never easy to see someone struggle with alcohol use, which can take an emotional and physical toll on everyone in their midst. The transition from gray-area “problem drinking” to full-blown alcohol dependence can happen quickly. That’s why it’s critical to act early—whether it means
The Hidden Toll: How Alcohol Affects Your Body from Head to Toe
Reviewed by: Aware Recovery Care For many people in recovery—or those supporting a loved one who’s struggling—alcohol isn’t something to take lightly. Whether you’ve experienced the painful cycle of addiction firsthand or witnessed its effects in someone close to you, the physical toll alcohol takes on the body is a
Women, Hormones & Substance Use: What We Know Now
Reviewed by: Aware Recovery Care Women and men are not exactly the same when it comes to substance use. Yet, as medical science has historically focused more on male subjects, there are gaps of knowledge around women and substance use, which modern science is only now beginning to fill. Let’s