A recovery house is a residential housing facility for individuals in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction; it is a place for people in recovery to live in groups in a drug-free, supportive setting. While many residents of recovery houses may be attending outpatient rehabs during the day or may have recently graduated from an […]
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. At New Paradigm Recovery in Northern Virginia, we believe in the importance of mental health awareness, education, and treatment so that more people can achieve good mental health, so that stigmas can be erased, and so that efficient policies can be instated to promote good mental health. Our intensive […]
In twelve step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, experienced members often suggest that newcomers write a “gratitude list” daily to help with their recovery. Sponsors or others in mentorship roles might suggest writing a list of five to ten things for which you are grateful every night; other suggestions might be to come […]
Post-Acute-Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) is, according to UCLA, “a set of impairments that can persist for weeks or months after the abstaining from a substance of abuse… The condition is marked by symptoms similar to those found in mood disorders and anxiety disorders.” These commonly occurring symptoms affect approximately 90% of recovering opioid users and 75% […]
Often when we talk about addiction statistics, we talk about deaths, overdoses, and hospitalizations, sad statistics which tell an important part of the story. At New Paradigm Recovery, however, we know that the story doesn’t always end in tragedy. On the contrary, there are millions who live happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives in recovery.1 2It’s […]
At New Paradigm Recovery, we know how important it is to dispel the myths about addiction. Misinformation, stigma, and shame often prevents diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately recovery. Many people believe that addiction is a problem that exists elsewhere– in rural Appalachian communities or in gritty inner-city housing projects. The fact of the matter is that […]
This article is the first in a series about family systems and the reciprocal relationship between family therapy and mental health treatment. If nothing else, the pandemic has brought each of us a greater understanding of how we relate to one another: we miss our co-workers, we miss simple interactions with our neighbors, we start […]
What is spirituality? Why do people often bristle at the idea of a spiritual association with 12- Step programs of recovery? Is there room for atheists and agnostics in the world of recovery? A recent study in the Journal of Religion and Health investigated the effects of spirituality on recovery from alcohol addiction. Statistics from […]
We are all familiar with the headlines and have lost our sensitivity when hearing about the “opioid epidemic”. Yet for many of us it seems to remain at arm’s length, not quite part of our immediate world. Yet is that really so? According to the Fairfax County Health Department, opioid overdoses are the “number […]
This blog series is written by New Paradigm Recovery Operations Director Joshua Cagney, who is currently writing his dissertation on the relationship between mental health treatment the effects of COVID-19 on disorder acuity and how mental health treatment center system structure can best address these needs in the long run. In early April of 2020 […]