Category Archives

Intervention and Recovery

older man bending down on stair

Shame, Alcoholism, Stigma, and Suicide

By Kristance Harlow | April 29, 2022 |
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Conventional addiction treatment suggests we have to let people hit rock bottom before we can help them. But what happens if rock bottom is dying from suicide?

woman with lines drawn on face

Childhood Trauma, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and Plastic Surgery Addiction

By Kristance Harlow | April 28, 2022 |
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With painkillers like OxyContin, the overdose reversal drug naloxone, and detox/maintenance medications like Suboxone, the pharmaceutical industry is making a profit off people addicted to opioid at every stage. Opioids are highly addictive and sometimes, especially in combination with other drugs, deadly.

narcan box and spray

Long Term Effects of Overdoses on the Brain

By Kristance Harlow | April 28, 2022 |
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With painkillers like OxyContin, the overdose reversal drug naloxone, and detox/maintenance medications like Suboxone, the pharmaceutical industry is making a profit off people addicted to opioid at every stage. Opioids are highly addictive and sometimes, especially in combination with other drugs, deadly.

prescription drug bottles

No, You Aren’t a Drug Addict If You Take Antidepressants

By Kristance Harlow | November 28, 2019 |
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Addiction or dependence? Words have meaning — and when it comes to something as serious as addiction, getting them right matters.

woman walking up stairs

Can 12-Step Programs Treat Dual Diagnoses?

By Kristance Harlow | November 23, 2019 |
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Effective treatment needs to include both the substance use disorder and the co-occurring disorder in an integrated approach because the two conditions build on each other.

scrabble tiles of lifelong learning

I Don’t Always Feel Relief After a 12-Step Meeting

By Kristance Harlow | August 15, 2019 |
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Why would someone continue to go to something that they don’t always like and don’t feel immediate relief from? I’m playing the long game.

header image of happiness

Letting Go of Control: How I Stopped Trying to Force Solutions

By Kristance Harlow | August 15, 2019 |
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Recognizing that I am not responsible for and cannot fix other people’s feelings is powerful; it frees up so much space and time for me to do my own healing and growing.

image depicting thoughtfulness and drama

Are the 12 Steps Safe for Trauma Survivors?

By Kristance Harlow | August 15, 2019 |
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When the 4th and 5th steps are done without support for the symptoms of PTSD, they have the potential to retraumatize.

top down view of desk with office items and stethoscope

What Is Evidence-Based Addiction Treatment?

By Kristance Harlow | April 17, 2019 |
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There is no one-size-fits-all solution; any list of evidence-based treatments is going to include a wide variety of approaches.

a dark library bookshelf

How Does AA Work? A Review of the Evidence

By Kristance Harlow | March 4, 2019 |
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AA is cloaked in misconceptions and mysticism: a society of “former drunks” who tout spirituality as a means to cure the chronic, genetic, and life-threatening disease of alcoholism.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. The numbers listed here are the commonly used numbers for the stated region, the numbers can vary greatly depending on where you live. If you don't know your country's equivalent to 911, this wiki page and The Lifeline Foundation have comprehensive listings.

Americas

911

The Americas

Europe

112

Europe

Africa

112 & 999

Africa

Asia

112, 999, 110

Asia

Oceania

112, 911, 999, 111, & 000

Oceania

Find help for a crisis by texting, calling, or chatting online with these free crisis organizations. Looking for one outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.

Crisis Text Line
Text: “HOME” to 741741

Suicide Lifeline
Text: “ANSWER” to 839863
Call: 1-800-273-8255

Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-7233
1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-422-4453

The Trevor Project
Text “START” to 678678
1-866-488-7386

These online and international resources may help you anywhere you are located. Looking for local support outside of the USA? Check out our support listings.

DV Support Abroad
Call toll-free worldwide
1-833-723-3833

I'm Alive Virtual Crisis Center
Live chat with trained volunteers

Crisis Connections
24/7 crisis support with interpretation in 155+ languages