American Addiction Centers Blog
Effective Techniques for Managing Social Anxiety
April 14, 2025
Living with an anxiety disorder can be incredibly disruptive and negatively impact your quality of life. Social anxiety is a type of anxiety disorder where an individual will feel anxiety or an intense fear about situations that could involve feeling scrutinized, judged, evaluated, or where they might meet new people. This fear can be so […]
Life is full of challenges, whether you have a substance use disorder or not. But for people in recovery, learning how to get through tough times without relying on alcohol or drugs is essential. If you stay sober long enough, you’re guaranteed to face to a crisis at some point, whether it be the death […]
Today is Election Day in the United States. Tensions are high. Morale may seem low. Buildings are boarded up. Needless to say, voters from both parties feel like everything is on the line. Perhaps, it is. This is one of the most polarized election years in modern history. Some struggle to handle their emotions and […]
Sometimes, you don’t have to craft content mainly through words. You can draw it. Then, to clarify concepts and elaborate upon them, add captions. That’s exactly what an illustrator did to describe life for someone struggling with addiction during the pandemic. The end result presents this person’s own experience, which likely reflects that of others. […]
The current presidential election year is nothing short of an emotionally-charged experience for many Americans, as it has been with the majority of 2020. Lurking just underneath the surface of this experience is one of many threats to America’s well-being: the ongoing opioid crisis. Addiction continues to be a problem in the United States, even […]
Long before the United States started falling prey to the opioid epidemic that continues to ravage the country, Portugal experienced its own battle with society-wide addiction. By the late 1980s, one in every 10 Portuguese was struggling with heroin addiction, overdose-related deaths were on the rise, and the rate of HIV infection in the country […]
Teenagers are in that “in between” world. The reality of getting taken care of by parents and the world of adulting that comes with a plethora of responsibilities. Regardless of which generation a teenager has gotten to experience, there are commonalities across the board. Teens all face hormonal changes, feeling awkward, peer pressure, and that […]
A recent opinion piece on TheHill.com laid out a plan for now and the future. It offered simple steps for enlisting federal support to get those struggling with substance abuse the help they need. How simple is this solution? The title says it all: “3 ways to combat addiction during and after COVID-19.” Life during […]
Half of Americans say they have suffered from ‘quiet stress’ this year, reveals survey. Over a quarter of adults say social distancing and loneliness has been their biggest stressor this year. 19% say they are more likely to turn to alcohol to alleviate stress as compared to pre-pandemic times. A third admit to suppressing their […]
If you have a family history of substance abuse, you might worry that your destiny is set in stone. Genetics can indeed play a role in addiction, but that’s only a piece of the puzzle. According to the American Psychological Association, about half of your susceptibility to addiction can be attributed to genetic factors. But […]
When we last left off in the saga of Purdue Pharma, makers of the notorious opioid OxyContin, the multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical company had recently declared bankruptcy amidst ongoing legal struggles. Purdue was embroiled in thousands of lawsuits brought by states, counties, cities, Native American tribes, and other plaintiffs alleging that they played a key role in […]
Anytime a person loses a loved one, it hurts. Death is an inevitable part of life, and yet we all tend to be caught off guard when it happens to someone we care about. A car accident. Old age. Cancer. It all hurts just the same. Nevertheless, losing someone to an overdose presents a unique […]
October is Talk About Prescriptions Month, and its observance couldn’t come at a better time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a June survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed dramatic increases in depression, anxiety, and drug use among Americans. Although studies have indicated an increase in alcohol use, experts warn that […]
