Michael Cline shares his journey from heroin addiction to long-term abstinence — and the realization that sobriety alone did not heal his trauma.

Anxiety is not just a feeling — it is a pattern of activity in the brain. Dr. Michael Newman explains how anxiety involves hyperactivity in the amygdala, dysregulated cortisol levels, and weakened communication between emotional and rational brain centers. He explores how exercise can biologically rewire these pathways, promoting neuroplasticity, reducing stress hormones, and strengthening emotional regulation.

Excerpt John Makohen challenges the cultural blind spots around alcohol use and explains why better education — not shame — is key.

Heather Proctor explains why trauma-informed care starts with asking “What happened to you?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?” She highlights the principles of safety, trust, collaboration, empowerment, and avoiding re-traumatization.

Family may be the missing piece in recovery—lowering relapse rates and building resilience in substance use disorder treatment.

Behind overdose statistics are children left behind. Sandy Rivers reveals the hidden cost of the opioid crisis: opioid orphans.

Peer recovery coaches provide authenticity, credibility, and hope that medicine alone cannot. Dr. Lauren Grawert argues that threatened cuts to SOR and SAPT funding could dismantle an essential link between clinical care and real-life recovery.

Content Warning: This article discusses opioids, overdoses, and substance-related harms. Nitazenes are a highly potent class of synthetic opioids often mixed—unknown to users— into other drugs. They pose extreme overdose risk, can be difficult to detect on standard tests, and may require multiple naloxone doses. With commentary from Subject Matter Expert Arun Gupta, MD

John Makohen—author and counselor with lived experience—details why people who are unhoused face steep barriers to SUD treatment (IDs, phones, insurance, transportation,rigid abstinence-first rules) and calls for Housing First, person-centered MOUD, and compassion over compliance.

Content Warning: This article discusses drug use, heroin addiction, and trauma. John Makohen, a seasoned substance use counselor and author of *A Heroin User’s Guide to Harm Reduction*, shares his lived experience of life on the streets, the risks of drug use, and the lessons that shaped his journey toward recovery.

Brandi McCurdy, a critical care nurse practitioner and mother, shares her raw story of fighting a broken system, setting boundaries, and learning to love her daughter through addiction while prioritizing her own healing

Content Warning: This article discusses suicide. Dr. Ashley Smith, a licensedpsychologist and advocate, shares insights into why suicidal thoughts occur, how to support loved ones, and why hope is always possible.