What Your College-Age Children Should Know About Alcohol
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What Your College-Age Children Should Know About Alcohol

North Carolina does not allow for any exceptions to its underage drinking policy. That means that the first time your kids will be allowed to drink is when they’re 21. Even after it’s legal, they shouldn’t necessarily start drinking; CDC guidelines “do not recommend that individuals who do not drink alcohol start drinking for any…

Do Mental Illnesses Need To Be Medicated?
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Do Mental Illnesses Need To Be Medicated?

If you or a loved one are struggling to manage your mental health, there are many resources available to get you feeling better. Depending on the diagnosis, you and your care team might consider lifestyle changes, therapy, and/or medication.  However, medication for your mental illness can be complicated. Some medications come with unfortunate side effects…

Can Social Media Harm an Addict’s Recovery Process?
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Can Social Media Harm an Addict’s Recovery Process?

When recovering from a substance use disorder, there are triggers hiding behind every corner–scents, sounds, locations, people, holidays, and perhaps even your own cell phone. Research about whether social media or the Internet are a type of behavioral addiction provides mixed results. Social media use is associated with depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem–but it can…

Empowering Boys: What Your Son Needs To Know About Alcohol
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Empowering Boys: What Your Son Needs To Know About Alcohol

How early is too early to start talking to your children about substance use and abuse? It’s probably earlier than you think; a research review from the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism found that 9 in 10 European adolescents had their first drink before the age of 15. Many parents seem to think it’s OK for…