Addiction & Recovery Archives - Page 5 of 8

Addiction: A Story of Love and Loss

We met when I was 16 years old, and nearly 20 years and several serious relationships later, he remains the love of my life. His smile, his sense of humor, and his ever-giving selflessness are what I loved the most about him. Drugs took that all away. Early on, I wasn’t as concerned about his drug use because he worked full time in construction and went to community college at night. It was 2003, and I lived in the dorms at Temple University. We saw each other on weekends and [...]

Janine Monico2021-07-31T13:03:15-04:00June 5th, 2019|Addiction & Recovery, Lived Experience|

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month

2019's Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM) theme is “Awareness + Action” #AwarenessPlusAction To help raise awareness of problem gambling, we're sharing some Frequently Asked Questions from the National Council on Problem Gambling: WHAT IS PROBLEM GAMBLING? Problem gambling–or gambling addiction–includes all gambling behavior patterns that compromise, disrupt or damage personal, family or vocational pursuits. The essential features are increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently, restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop, “chasing” losses, and loss of control manifested by continuation of the gambling behavior [...]

Janine Monico2021-01-02T19:47:33-05:00March 6th, 2019|Addiction & Recovery|

Avoiding the Social Pressure to Drink

Holidays like Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day, that are often associated with alcohol, can pose a challenge to people in recovery, as well as to those who are avoiding alcohol for a variety of reasons (i.e., diabetes, depression, pregnancy, taking medication.) With alcohol and tobacco use being the two most common substance use and addictive disorders, it is important to recognize that events celebrated with alcohol can potentially affect health and well-being. For some people in recovery, environmental triggers - such as being around people who they would [...]

Janine Monico2024-02-28T21:53:38-05:00March 4th, 2019|Addiction & Recovery, Holidays|

Super Bowl Gambling

There are three common types of gamblers - the professional gambler (who relies on skill rather than luck to make money), the social gambler (who gambles for recreation and considers the cost of gambling to be payment for entertainment), and the problem gambler. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, an estimated four percent of adults (8 million) in the United States either meet the criteria for disordered gambling, or would be considered problem gamblers. Warning Signs of a Gambling Problem Feeling the need to be secretive about gambling [...]

Janine Monico2021-01-02T19:48:01-05:00February 2nd, 2019|Addiction & Recovery|