American Addiction Centers Blog

According to Healthline, there are two types of addictions: chemical and behavioral. Chemical, or substance addiction, is the habitual use of a substance, as well as the compulsive need for it; whereas behavioral addiction involves repeated, persistent, and compulsive behaviors that tend to not offer any clear benefit. Although the two may seem similar in […]

Of the many helpful tools you can use to aid you in your recovery, keeping a journal is among the easiest and most powerful. It’s easy in the sense that you can do it pretty much anywhere, at any time. All you need to start journaling in recovery is a piece of paper and a […]

Whether you’ve been in recovery for years or you’ve just started the path to sobriety, you probably know how hard it can be to stay sober if your friends drink. After all, alcohol isn’t known as one of the most commonly used social lubricants for nothing. One of the most difficult things about getting sober […]

When you’re in recovery, the people you live with can have a big effect on your well-being—and vice-versa. For you both to succeed, it’s important to think about how you can help each other. It’s particularly important to find clean and sober roommates with a similar desire to improve their lives. To maximize your recovery, […]

On the occasion of Mother’s Day, we start with at a statistic. About one in five children live with a solo mom. This information comes from a post by the Pew Research Center. It refers to children younger than 18 years of age and to a snapshot of life in the U.S. It’s a big […]

A slice of life about seven parolees, all addicts, filled the pages of The Second Chance Club, a new book about the criminal justice system. These individuals shared the same legal status, penchant for using and parole officer. There was another common thread. Their parents – or, most often, the one and only parent on […]

Addiction Talk’s fourth episode focused on sobriety and sexuality and featured Tawny Lara as a guest. Often described as the “Sober Sexpert,” Tawny Lara is the host of the Recovery Rocks podcast and the founder of Sobriety Tea party. Lara writes about dating and sexuality for people in recovery, and shared some of her thoughts […]

Desirée Bujanda Misle is the mother of a son with addiction and the author of I, Mother of an Addict. Recently, she took time to write for AAC about her experiences with addiction, codependency, and motherhood. Addiction in the Family As the mother of a recovered addict, I went through this process burdened with guilt […]

As the world become more connected through the Internet, online support groups are revolutionizing the addiction treatment space. Especially in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, online support groups have become a vital part of telehealth and addiction treatment. For those in recovery, online support groups may be one of the few ways to maintain connection […]

Alcohol use disorder is a progressive, chronic, and potentially fatal disease that causes serious damage to a person’s physical and emotional health. But even people who are able to drink safely need to be mindful about how the substance affects their body and mind. Despite being widely accepted as a societal norm (it’s estimated that […]

Canva How the coronavirus has affected alcohol use in adults When the severity of the pandemic began to sink in during the spring of 2020, people worldwide found themselves forced to adapt to a new normal. For many, that has involved a little more drinking of alcohol than usual. Whether people were coping with new […]

Social media addiction is a growing concern for many, even if the condition is not yet recognized by medical professionals. As smartphones connect people from around the globe, many are beginning to worry about the drawbacks. People are often glued to their phones, continually refreshing their social media feeds. Is there a point where social […]