Addiction is not a “solo” disease, it affects every member of the family. Because of this, Victory invites families to take an active role in their loved one’s recovery through our weekly Family Care Group. This not only benefits the clients but also helps the entire family learn how to best support their loved one in the future and how to deal with past hurts caused by the person’s addiction. “Family Care Group provides families and loved ones the opportunity to...
Victory Blog
How to Get Help for Opioid Addiction as a Veteran
Opioids are one of the most important pain-relieving medications available today. For Veterans suffering from intense injury and pain after traumatic experiences, medications like this can prove vitally important. The problem with opioids is their high risk of leading to addiction and dependence. Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a growing problem for Veterans. It is also one of the factors that lead to early death in some. The data is clear. Studies published in the Annals of Medicine found that,...
What Our Inpatient Residential Rehab in LA Is Really Like
The thought of leaving everything you know in your life to enter into a treatment center for drugs and alcohol is scary. No matter your age, your life experiences, or your mental health, this is a massive change. For many people, it’s also the best possible opportunity for recovery. Without treatment, your disease will likely continue to spiral out of control, leading to complicated mental health and physical health concerns. Inpatient residential rehab in Louisiana saves lives, and the experience...
How to Manage Pain Without Opioids
Opioids are a powerful drug noted for their ability to control pain. To do this, they interfere with the way the brain’s opioid receptors function. When opioids attach to these receptors, they can virtually block off any of the pain signals being sent from any of the nerves in the body to the brain, effectively eliminating the pain a person feels. That is an incredibly important benefit in situations where a person is dealing with intense pain due to severe...
Laid Off from Your Job? Now Could Be the Time for Professional Addiction Treatment
For many people, 2022 and the start of 2023 has been difficult in the job market. With a tightening recession, many have lost jobs, especially within the tech industry. Yet, while some are focused on finding a new position, others are suffering from the emotional and mental struggle that job loss often brings. Why Does Work Loss Impact Mental Health? As noted by the American Psychological Association, a person’s job contributes significantly to their mental health and overall well-being. Work...
How Self-Medicating Can Lead to Addiction
Are you self-medicating? Self-medication is a term used to refer to a person using substances to treat mental, emotional, or physical pain. Many people do this, but not everyone realizes what’s happening. For that reason, many people who self-medicate end up developing a substance use disorder. If their mental health symptoms stem from a mental health disorder, they have what is called a co-occurring disorder, or dual diagnosis, which requires professional treatment. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and...
Is Lifelong Addiction Recovery Possible?
Your close family member is dependent on drugs or alcohol. It’s taken over their life. Perhaps they started drinking in their teens. Now, 30 years later, they’re experiencing numerous health complications. Can a person with a lifelong addiction stop using substances? Can they maintain long-term recovery? Many who have a lifetime of drug or alcohol use don’t believe they can or even should stop. However, addiction, even long-term addiction, is treatable. While there is no cure for addiction, most people...
What Are Cravings, and Why Do You Have Them?
No matter how hard you try, sometimes it’s impossible to think about anything but the drug you know you need to get through the day. Cravings are intense desires to use a substance, and they won’t go away without hands-on support and a change in behavior. The intensity of cravings can leave a person struggling emotionally and physically. Why Do Cravings Happen? A craving is an urge to continue to use the substance of your choice. Cravings can happen for...
7 Signs of Substance Use Disorder in a Loved One
Realizing a loved one may be struggling with drug addiction is difficult. Often, we try to deny what’s occurring because it’s too overwhelming to process. Yet substance use disorder can happen to anyone, and when it does, it is often the support of close family members that helps people to recover. There are various causes of addiction – stress, genetic predisposition, trauma, and much more. It’s not always easy to pinpoint a particular trigger, and you may not understand what...
How to Stay Present in Addiction Recovery
Addiction recovery is a long process filled with a lot of bright spots. It can be empowering to know you can make a decision about what you will do this weekend without thinking about substances. It can be even better when you accomplish health goals or personal objectives, knowing you did it because you are sober. The road to recovery will likely have a few bumps in it, times when doubt, frustration, and fear seem to take control. In addiction...