WHEN A YOUNG ADULT SAYS NO TO TREATMENT Young adult addiction treatment often begins before the person is fully convinced that treatment is necessary. A young adult may reject traditional therapy because they do not identify with the language of addiction, feel controlled by family members, have had a poor
CANNABIS WITHDRAWAL IS REAL Cannabis withdrawal symptoms can occur when a person who has been using THC regularly stops or significantly reduces use. The syndrome is well described in clinical research and can include irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbance, reduced appetite, low mood, restlessness, vivid dreams, headaches, sweating, chills, and strong
When media covers entertainment industry addiction, the focus is almost always on celebrities — the named actor, the chart-topping musician, the tabloid story. But the entertainment industry is a large ecosystem, and addiction affects every level: the crew members working 18-hour production days, the mid-level executives managing impossible schedules, the session musicians, the touring road crews, the writers’ room, the post-production teams. Treatment for the entertainment industry means treatment for all of these people, not
Recovery unfolds in phases — each with characteristic challenges, neurobiological changes, emotional experiences, and opportunities. Understanding what commonly happens at different milestones in early recovery helps people prepare, maintain realistic expectations, and recognize both the progress and the challenges as part of a known and navigable process. This article describes what the research and clinical experience show about the 30-day, 90-day, 6-month, and 1-year milestones — and what lies beyond Year One. 30 DAYS: PINK
For decades, treatment for alcohol use disorder relied almost entirely on therapy and willpower. Today, medicine offers additional tools. Naltrexone is one of several FDA-approved medications that can support recovery from alcohol use disorder — not by replacing therapy, but by working alongside it to reduce cravings and the rewarding pull of alcohol. This article explains what naltrexone does in the brain, the difference between its oral and injectable forms, when medication-assisted treatment is
This article is informational and not medical advice. Eating disorders are serious conditions that require specialized professional assessment and treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling with disordered eating, please seek professional support. For eating disorder support, contact the National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline: 1-866-662-1235. “Food addiction” is one of the most searched behavioral health terms online, reflecting real distress experienced by many people who feel out of control with food —
If group therapy is the community of recovery, individual therapy is its heart — the one-on-one, confidential relationship between therapist and patient where the deepest and most personal work of recovery happens. While group therapy addresses shared experience and peer connection, individual therapy goes where group cannot: into each person’s specific history, particular patterns, private struggles, and individual path. This article explores why individual therapy matters in addiction treatment, the main therapeutic modalities used,
The addiction field’s understanding of what addiction is has undergone a significant evolution in the past two decades. The traditional model — addiction as a physical dependence on a substance, producing withdrawal when stopped — has been replaced by a neurobiological model that centers on the reward circuitry of the brain. And the neurobiological model makes clear that substances are not required: any behavior that sufficiently activates the dopamine reward system can, in a neurobiologically
IMPORTANT NOTE: Temazcal is a voluntary activity at Oceánica; participation is never required. Certain medical conditions may contraindicate participation — the clinical team assesses individual suitability. This article is informational and not medical advice. Among the distinctive features of treatment in Mexico — and one that distinguishes Oceánica from treatment programs in the United States — is the temazcal: a traditional pre-Hispanic sweat lodge ceremony rooted in Mesoamerican indigenous culture. The temazcal is not a
At our addiction rehabilitation and treatment center, we know that being in love with a cocaine addict is not easy. In many cases, dependence on this substance does not arise immediately. In general, addiction is not apparent at first but develops after a short time together, becoming an obstacle and a significant break in communication. On the other hand, there are problems in all marriages. But where one of the two uses cocaine, many conflicts
For people who became addicted to pain pills, there is often a uniquely painful dilemma at the heart of recovery: the medication that took over their life was originally treating real, legitimate pain. The fear is understandable — if I stop the pills, won’t my pain come roaring back? This fear keeps many people stuck. The reassuring truth is that effective treatment for pain pill addiction does not mean abandoning pain management; it means finding
