7 Signs of an Alcoholic

There comes a time in every drinkers life where they are faced with the question, “Do I drink too much?” Many people liken alcoholics to only those living under a bridge or have ruined their whole lives due to drinking, but this isn’t always the case. According to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, there are only two real qualifying factors that define someone as an alcoholic. They are: If you find that when you are not drinking, you are obsessing about when you get to drink When you do drink, you cannot control how much you end up drinking Overall - each person's drinking career can look a whole lot different from others’, and losing everything doesn’t have to be the precipitating factor to getting sober. There are usually some similarities though when it comes to someone who is struggling with alcoholic tendencies or behaviors. Here are some of the top 7 most common signs of an alcoholic. 1. Lying About Their Drinking Alcoholics tend to have a lot of guilt and shame around their drinking. This actually occurs a lot more with women - as there are certain “expectations” placed on women to be good mothers, matriarchs and members of society. For those alcoholics who are living in this dual reality, they will begin to drink more and more in the comfort of their own home or a private location where they won’t be discovered. There can also be a lot of deception around how much they drank, for example, if their partner asks how many drinks they had at the bar, they will most likely always respond with...

How Family Therapy Can Help in Sobriety

During our addiction, or even just during the depths of a mental disorder, people tend to push their family members and loved ones away. This usually isn’t on purpose, but sometimes just happens as a result of miscommunication, resentments, failed expectations, and stress. When it comes time for that individual to begin the healing process, family therapy can be one of the most beneficial support systems to incorporate into the recovery plan. The Family Disease If you have been around the block in your addiction or as a bystander who loves someone struggling with mental health, you are probably well familiar with the statement that “addiction is a family disease.” This doesn’t mean that everyone in the family struggles with mental illness, but what it does mean is that the family can play a massive role in the person's addiction process and behaviors. Some of the most common characteristics in the family system of someone who is an alcohol, addict, or has mental health issues are: Codependency Enabling Alcohol or Substance Abuse Divorce Physical, emotional, mental abuse Abandonment Lack of communication Denial It can be hard for the family of someone who struggles with addiction or mental health to admit or come to terms with their “part” in the family dynamic. Many parents struggle with accepting that their own behavior may have made it difficult for their child to cope with certain emotions and turn to substances to find consoling. In addition, many siblings can often express their anger, shame, and guilt towards a sibling who struggles with drugs or alcohol, but they may be unwilling to admit that they...

Is it Normal to Have Drug Dreams in Sobriety?

When we get sober, we go through a whole lot of changes, physically and mentally. For those of us who have been using for several years, it can take some time for everything to truly get back to normal. During that time, we will probably experience a whole gambit of different side effects and behavior patterns that will be confusing and maybe even uncomfortable. One of those things is having drug dreams. If you really think about it, it would be much stranger if we DIDN’T have using dreams, especially for those of us who used frequently and for extended periods of time. Consider it, for years we have been putting all sorts of substances into our bodies that alter the chemistry of our brains. When all of a sudden we decide to stop doing that, our brain is going to feel the loss. What is a Drug Dream? For those who may not have experienced a using dream as of yet or if you are looking to gather more insight on a loved one who is in recovery, it might be beneficial to know what a drug dream is. Let me give you the rundown of my most frequent type of drug dream. Let it be known, I have almost 3 years sober, at this point, so yes, you can still experience them after early sobriety. I am usually in some sort of party setting to start the dream off. It is usually random, unfamiliar yet familiar faces, maybe a random person from my past that I haven’t seen in years, you get the idea. All of a sudden,...

How Colorado AG Candidates Would Handle Opioid Crisis

When it comes to the Opioid debate, there are a lot of different sides and a lot of different perspectives on tackling the epidemic facing our country. Over the last year, more than a dozen U.S. states have filed lawsuits against Big Pharma companies for false advertisement and damages and now Colorado’s next Attorney General will be “inheriting” this lawsuit. The big question on Colorado’s mind is how each of these candidates plans to face this lawsuit and protect the state and its citizens. The Lawsuit Filed this year by current Attorney General Cynthia Coffman, the lawsuit was aimed directly at Purdue pharmaceuticals, the creators of Oxycontin, for alleged “fraudulent and deceptive marketing of prescription opioids.” According to Coffman, “Their corporate focus on making money took precedence over patients’ long-term health, and Colorado has been paying the price in loss of life and devastation of its communities as they struggle to address the ongoing opioid crisis.” Colorado is just another state on the list of states that are currently filing lawsuits against big pharma companies for the same actions. Across the country, state and local governments are demanding reimbursements for the devastating financial and social toll that opioids have caused. Over 1,000 deaths from drug overdose occurred in Colorado in 2017 - 558 of them were from opioids alone In 2016, 912 people died, with 300 from opioid overdose alone Over 40 states are currently investigating or taking legal action against opioid manufacturers A council of White House Economic Advisors estimates the opioid epidemic has already cost the nation over $504 billion in losses Nationwide, over 11.8 million Americans misused...