It’s easy to drink more than you intended to when celebrating with friends. On Super Bowl Sunday, many people have a beer in one hand and a bag of chips in the other. While watching the game of the year, you may drink more than you intended to. So, how do you avoid binge drinking…
If you’re newly sober or your recovery has lasted several years, sobriety may be a daily challenge that you have to face. Even when times are so-called “normal,” it can be hard to be self-aware, thoughtful, and prepared for times of temptation. Now that the world is in the midst of a pandemic, the challenges…
Halloween celebrations often take the form of a night of fun and freedom. It is a night where many people feel that they do not have to make any excuses to let loose or party. But if you are recovering from an addiction, Halloween presents a lot of temptations. The celebrations might expose you to…
When people are recovering from an addiction, they face many hurdles. Of these hurdles, the temptation to relapse is the hardest to fight off. Temptation can push you to use your drug choice no matter how long you’ve been sober. To help mitigate these temptations, we encourage people to devise a relapse prevention plan. Having…
Recovering from a substance use disorder is a lengthy process. Recovery begins the moment a person admits that they have an addiction problem, and they need help. The help is normally in the form of treatment in an addiction treatment facility. But this is not the only process involved for a complete recovery. After the…
The purpose of National Recovery Month is to create more awareness about addiction recovery and to celebrate those in recovery from mental health issues and substance use disorders. During the month of September, addiction treatment centers in Maryland often schedule events as a way of garnering public support for addiction treatment and recovery. The event…
Addiction recovery is a step-by-step process that happens gradually over time. It can take an individual several months or even years to develop an addiction to drugs or alcohol, and chances are, it could take years for them to fully recover. For some, substance abuse recovery is a lifelong pursuit. The focus of an addiction…
During the month of September, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sponsors National Recovery Month. This is the time of year in which SAMHSA, government agencies, addiction recovery services, private entities, and community organizations come together to celebrate those in recovery and create awareness for individuals and families struggling with addiction. The…
Matt Paris is the Regional Community Outreach Specialist at Fresh Start Recovery Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Paris is uniquely qualified to share the message from Fresh Start because he, too, has been in treatment for a Substance Use Disorder. Today he has more than seven years clean. Born and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, Paris…
Joe Hindman–the Director of Outreach for Fresh Start Recovery Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland–has been sober more than 11 years. Considering he is only 31 years old, Joe’s story is not very different from that of many adolescents, teens and young adults in this country. A growing number of people in that age group habitually use…