The Wellness Diary
Insights, advice, new research, tips and tricks, and new resources to help you with your mental health journey.
Understanding Addiction and Its Impact on the Brain
Addiction is a complex phenomenon that significantly disrupts the brain's carefully balanced system of reward, motivation, and regulation. It primarily interferes with the normal functioning of key neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine is often associated with feelings of pleasure and reward, while serotonin plays a critical role in mood regulation. The imbalance produced by addiction in these neurotransmitter systems has profound effects on an individual's behavior, decision-making processes, memory, and other cognitive functions.
Do Women Face Greater Stigma For Addiction?
While men make up the highest percentage of people with SUDs, women tend to find it more challenging to quit drugs due to hormonal fluctuations. Despite the added struggles they still tend to be judged more harshly.
Fall, Then Stand: What To Do When You Relapse
At some point, whether you’ve been sober days, weeks, months, or even years, there’s still always the chance of relapse, and it can happen to anyone in recovery at any time.