Author Nicole (Nikki) Currivan recounts her difficult path to overcoming a substance use disorder, ultimately achieving lasting remission. Nikki encountered many challenges with substance abuse as her Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) repeatedly moved her from one treatment center to another.

In early recovery, maintaining self-awareness is vital. One helpful tool is HALT. HALT is a well-known reminder for those in early recovery to practice self-care. Self-care helps prevent dysregulation. Don’t allow yourself to be consistently hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. Getting enough sleep, eating healthily, exercising, and spending time with other recovering peers—while managing anger to reduce its harmful effects—are all critical for ongoing recovery.

Co-occurring disorders, also known as dual diagnoses, refer to the presence of both a substance use disorder (SUD) and a mental health condition in the same person. This combination is much more common than most people realize. More than half of those with a substance use disorder will also experience a mental illness at some point in their lives, and vice versa.

The connection between mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness in America is undeniably complex. People dealing with mental health problems may turn to substances as a form of self-medication, increasing their risk of addiction. As substance use rises, it can lead to financial hardship, job loss, and broken relationships — all of which raise the chances of ending up unhoused. Conversely, the harsh and often traumatic conditions of homelessness can worsen existing men

Substance use disorder (SUD) recovery is a complex, lifelong process requiring coordinated support across health care, social services, and community systems. Unlike other chronic conditions, SUD is episodic and has uniquely high stakes due to the lethality of the current drug supply. The lethality of today’s drug supply means that a gap in care or a recurrence of symptoms can quickly become fatal. 

Author Dr. Saba Riaz will explore how trauma and emotional stress from early life experiences can disrupt the neurochemical balance in the brain. According to Dr. Riaz, “Addiction strongly affects neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin that regulate mood, reward, and impulse control. Chronic stress and trauma cause changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis that create a biochemical environment that increases the probability of addiction.”

The Role of Inner Child Healing in Overcoming Adult-Child Syndrome explores the importance of reconnecting with the inner child to address Adult-Child Syndrome (ACS).Stephanie Watterson is our author. Stephanie grew up in a home affected by mental illness, with a mother who struggled with mental health issues and an emotionally unavailable workaholic father.

Kirsten Rabuck collaborates with me as a co-author for this issue. She is a substance abuse counselor and an adult child of an alcoholic father, just like me. Together, we draw on our experiences as adult children to help others facing similar challenges.

In Part I of The Power Of Recovery, Chad shared how his addiction began and what changed his life.  In Part II, Chad will share details about his present life and ongoing recovery. His wife, Christy, will share her life story and the factors that brought them together. 

The Power of Recovery is rooted in the life story of our co-author, Chad Perdue, as he faced his substance use disorder.

Effective treatment of addiction is paramount to saving lives. We must collectively strive to end the opioid crisis in America.

Did my Depression isolate me, or did my unrealized Autism isolate me and lead to worsening Depression?