For a comprehensive database with many guides and resources for substance use recovery, rehab, questions, treatment pointers, and education, visit our colleagues at MGH Recovery Research Institute using the following link: https://www.recoveryanswers.org/recovery-101/resources/.
Substance use problems, including alcohol and drug misuse, are much more common in people with mental health challenges than in the general population. For example, about 50% of people with serious mental health challenges experience problematic substance use at some point in their lives, compared to only about 15% of people without a mental health condition. Why are the rates of substance use problems so much higher in people with a mental health condition?…
You’ve been hearing about them. You’ve seen them hanging out at the Recovery Center and your friend’s sister’s partner is one! That’s right! Recovery Coaches are more and more common. In Massachusetts, they are everywhere. It’s a beautiful thing! Yet, some amount of mystery remains…What is a Recovery Coach and what do they REALLY do?…
Few things in life have effects that are as immediate, potent, and predictable as the effects from psychoactive drugs. Of all commonly used drugs, alcohol is the world’s favorite. This is because it is legal in most societies, socially accepted and less stigmatized than other drugs, and when the alcohol molecule reaches the human brain, it is generally perceived as good news. In addition to producing…
So here we are, over 200 days into experiencing COVID-19. In some ways, it is true that we are all in this together, yet we are also painfully aware of the uneven community level impact of COVID-19 depending on social factors—the neighborhood you live in, your race/ethnicity, and your socioeconomic status. We know that people of color are at higher risk of becoming infected and dying of the virus. Vulnerable communities are experiencing proportionally greater…
As we surpass the 6-month mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, some people’s lives are affected to a small degree while others are facing serious social, emotional, and/or health challenges. For all of us, there is uncertainty with no clear “end date.” A key task during the pandemic has been, and will continue to be, minimizing distress and maximizing resilience. Resilience refers to the ability to mentally and emotionally cope with a crisis, such as COVID-19. With this in mind, people have started to ask: “What can we do to build and maintain resilience over the long-term?”…
Living through a pandemic has forced me to take a new look at coping, particularly since my life has been spared many of the things fate can throw at you: wars, loss of a career, severe illness. I was not really prepared mentally for living through a pandemic, but I have always looked at philosophy to help me live better – by reading and extracting interesting ideas that I can try out. Let me introduce you to a few practical points that I gleaned from Stoicism as a way of coping with our current pandemic…
When we perceive a threat to our wellbeing, our bodies activate the acute stress response, also known as the “fight or flight” response. This is designed to give us a burst of strength and energy, and impacts systems in our bodies. For example:
Our heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing increase, to deliver oxygenated blood to our muscles…
Q: What have been some of your personal challenges during COVID-19?
A: Not being able to see loved ones has been very difficult. I haven’t been able to see my daughters. One is in Canada, the other one is homeless and using. I can’t put myself and my family here at risk. We need to keep safe. And then having to deal personally with working outside of the home, as a front-line worker, and essential staff. Trying to do everything possible to keep myself healthy, to take proper precautions. Wearing the mask, sanitizing, washing my hands…
