John Makohen argues that the first use of heroin is often not the beginning of addiction. Years of trauma, stress, loneliness, mental health symptoms, prior substance use, pain, and learned relief may already have shaped the brain's coping patterns - which means prevention must begin much earlier than the drug itself.

Trauma isn’t always loud. In this no-sugarcoating guide for clinicians and recovery communities, Belinda Morey explains how trauma and chronic stress fuel co-occurring disorders—and what trauma-informed care actually requires in real practice.

Trauma is not merely an event that fades with time; it etches itself into the very fabric of our being, demanding acknowledgment and resolution. Though my experience happened in 2017, it took me four years to give the pain the acceptance and acknowledgment it needed. I got a text from someone wishing me "Happy Mother's Day," and it broke me four years later. It was at that point that I realized that our body keeps the score of every experience we go through.