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From 2013 to 2014 the number of overdose deaths involving the synthetic opioid painkiller fentanyl more than doubled. Though the name fentanyl only became household after numerous celebrity deaths involving the drug last year, the synthetic substance has been problematic for some time. 1,905 people became 4,200 in the matter of twelve months. That’s almost

The activities, messages, and cliches used over and over in treatment can get annoying. When you start to ask yourself why you have to be so grateful and make good choices, remember this: a lot of scientific research has gone to great lengths to understand how the brain works regarding addiction and mental health. Nothing

Psychologists argue that the age of social media and selfies has turned everyone into a bit of a narcissist. Our devotion to various online profiles of how we want to be perceived is detrimental to a healthy idea of self. Narcissism, named after the Greek god Narcissus who met a bitter end at the hands

You’re Not Wasted: Some days this is more exciting than others. Even on your worst days sober, they are better than your best days drinking and using. It was fun until it wasn’t. Today, you get to live your life without the foggy haze of drugs and alcohol. You’re Not Hurting Yourself: Self-harm isn’t a

There’s a long list of physical symptoms which accompany early recovery. Early recovery is the beginning months of someone’s sober life, usually going from day one to about eighteen months to two years. During the first two years of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, there are ongoing physical changes. Weight loss, weight gain, change

You just aren’t built to go non-stop. None of us are. Even marathon runners have to stop to sleep during their training. Humans are not machines, no matter how hard we try to be. We can’t keep going without burning out. At some point we have to stop, take a breather, and reboot. In recovery,

Feeling isn’t always fun. That’s a hard fact to face when you are in recovery. Day in and day out of various clinical therapy groups, life coaching, mentoring, and more, brings up a lot of feelings. We don’t usually turn to drugs and alcohol to honestly confront our emotions. Usually, we turn to them to

For some people, there is no worse night sleep than one spent in the great outdoors. Rocky ground, bugs, fresh air. The thought is a total turn off. Others, however, light up at the thought. The comfort of a sleeping bag, the tranquility of nature far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Getting to go out and live your life is the not so hidden secret of recovery. During the initial detox phase of treatment, it can be hard to conceptualize a future without drugs and alcohol that will actually feel good. Through treatment programs like the one at LEAD Recovery Center, adventure therapy, nature therapy, and

Despite the drastic rise in opioid overdoses and addiction, some areas of the country are finally starting to see a decrease in the number of active addicts as well as the number of overdose deaths. However, the opioid epidemic still continues to be a severe problem for specific areas of the US including Ohio, New