There are big benefits to educating and spreading awareness about alcohol use and abuse, and Alcohol Awareness Month, recognized every April since 1987, is a great opportunity to get the word out. Alcohol Awareness Month was founded by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) with the original purpose of sharing information on …

The last week in March is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW), and it’s a great time to update the teens in your life—and yourself—about drug and alcohol use and abuse. National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, launched in 2010, is an annual event founded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) as …

While St. Patrick’s day does have a reputation for being heavily centered around drinking (it’s considered to be the third most popular drinking day of the year after New Year’s Eve and Mardi Gras), there are plenty of fun and festive St. Patrick’s Day activities that you can do while maintaining sobriety—including those that are …

What is TMS? TMS, which stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation and is sometimes abbreviated as rTMS, is a noninvasive procedure used to help improve the symptoms of depression through the use of repetitive magnetic pulses delivered to the brain. It is most commonly used for those individuals who have not had success with prior depression …

It’s National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, an annual awareness event meant to shine a light on what eating disorders are and what resources are available for those who need support. And, to help spread the word, we’re sharing some essential facts that you should know about eating disorders—plus some tips that you can implement at …

Recovery from grief and loss is neither a fast, nor easy process. And, when you add in the additional complexity of maintaining sobriety, it can become even more confusing to navigate. What’s important to remember is that we all have to deal with loss at some point in our lives. While experiencing grief and loss …

When we talk about holistic therapies for recovery, the art of meditation often comes up. That’s because meditation can be an exceptional tool for clearing the mind of negative thoughts and re-centering priorities—it’s also something that anybody can do, regardless of whether they’ve tried meditation before. Meditation is a mind and body practice with a …

The pandemic has been tough on everyone, but for those who are working on staying sober, the stress and loneliness that it’s brought on can be particularly damaging. There are many different ways to feel affected by the pandemic, and in some cases negative feelings could amplify a desire to drink or to revert back …

If the colder weather and the shorter days are causing you to experience serious changes in your mood, you’re definitely not alone. According to Cleveland Clinic, current winter depression facts include the sobering statistic that about 5% of American adults experience serious seasonal depression, while 10%-20% experience a milder version called the “winter blues.” Winter …

There’s been growing interest in using yoga therapy for substance abuse treatment and recovery. When done properly, yoga has the ability to help break the cycles of cravings and dependency. As such, many substance abuse recovery treatment centers—including Retreat Behavioral Health—offer yoga as a holistic therapy, and encourage patients to continue practicing  throughout their recovery …