At Amethyst Recovery, we very much believe that recovery is a group effort. Not just in the sense of the other addicts and alcoholics that our patients will meet if they stay in our sober living facilities, but also in terms of the friends and family that the patient knew before entering treatment to begin…
Details
When many picture groups like AA or NA, they picture middle-aged men and women who have reached the end of their ropes. They picture people who have been beaten down by life for decades, losings jobs and families along the way. Sadly, however, there is no shortage of young people among our ranks. There are…
Details
Addiction takes time. It takes time to develop as the addict goes through the stages of the Jellinek Curve that lead toward the inevitable downward spiral. It takes time to recognize, as some signs of addiction will not show as immediately as others. And more than anything, it takes time to heal. It can be…
Details
It may sound strange to some people that treatment centers receive patients who are addicted to marijuana, but they most definitely exist. While many people defend cannabis as being non-addictive, there is no shortage of marijuana users who experience physical discomfort if they do not smoke it every day. And those who are not defending…
Details
Those who watched Julia Louis-Dreyfus host Saturday Night Live this past weekend may be aware of the controversy created after the show featured a fake advertisement for a product called “Heroin AM.” It presents itself as a harmless ad for an over-the-counter medication, not unlike the ads you might see for NyQuil or DayQuil. Many…
Details
We’ve spoken at length in the past about addicts and alcoholics with legal issues, and we’ve made copious mentions of the fact that those who commit drug-related offenses are sometimes asked to seek addiction treatment in lieu of a prison sentence. Those who do not understand the disease of addiction might be inclined to believe…
Details
Addiction recovery can be a nerve-racking ordeal for everyone involved. As the addict or alcoholic is attempting to accommodate a new, substance-free way of life, the family and friends find themselves struggling to maintain cautious optimism. Not only can it be hard for them to trust a person who has hurt them in the past,…
Details
Amethyst Recovery has been offering Vivitrol treatment for some time, but some have expressed concerns about the way it works. Vivitrol blocks the receptors that allow people to feel the effects caused by alcohol and opioid drugs. This is obviously useful in relapse prevention, but what of those who must receive such medications for surgical…
Details
Like many treatment centers, Amethyst has treated patients who were addicted to a wide variety of illicit substances. From barflies to heroin addicts, we have seen it all. But one of the more troubling developments in the addiction world over recent years has been a rise in the abuse of Schedule II medicinal drugs. We…
Details
Last month, we noted in our article on the Third Promise that it was technically only one half of a longer sentence contained within Chapter 6 of the Big Book. The second half of that sentence has been turned into the Fourth Promise, which is much shorter than the Third Promise yet no less important.…
Details