About 91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You can’t turn on the news without hearing about the next wave of overdose deaths from opioids such as heroin, the synthetic opioid, fentanyl, prescription painkillers such as oxycontin, and now the elephant tranquilizer, carfentanil. Deaths from drug use are now the leading cause of accidental death in America, surpassing deaths by car accidents and guns. Overdose deaths have quadrupled since 2009. With the surging death toll, the annual costs of the opioid epidemic has also taken it’s toll on [...]

The rate of suicide among firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement officers, military, trauma workers and other first responders is steady on the rise. First responders experience the worst stress and trauma daily, which often affects their mental health over time. Although our first responders are highly trained to handle chaos on the scene, the constant exposure to horrific images from bodily injuries, violence, personal threats, accidents, fires, destruction and death can takes it’s toll. Often, first responders have a hard time admitting they need help given their duty to help others. The sense of responsibility can be overwhelming when first responders [...]

Chicago rapper, Chance the Rapper, born Chancelor Bennett, recently sat down for an interview with Katie Couric for Yahoo Global News. Bennett has been riding the wave of music industry success and critical acclaim. Recently, the rapper became the first artist to win a Grammy Award without having released a physical copy. He won 3 Grammy Awards for his streaming-only album, Coloring Book - Best Rap Performance, Best New Artist and Best Rap Album. In the interview, Bennett introduces Couric to a Chicago staple, Harold’s Chicken Shack, which is a local favorite.  In the very candid and heartwarming interview, Couric [...]

Codependency is a relational process that affects individuals differently. The person who self describes as the fixer, the helper, the assistant, the caretaker, the people pleaser, and the right-hand man or woman often feels great about these roles. However, codependency is a double-edged sword that can be very toxic in interpersonal relationships within work, friendships, family and romantic relationships. On the surface, you may think you are being interdependent by taking care of things or just going the extra mile to get your loved one on the right track; however, what seems like tender, love and care, can often be [...]

A large part of maintaining  recovery is staying socially active by attending meetings, getting support from sponsors, friends and family, and others in recovery, and sticking to a healthy diet, budget, and exercise routine. Whether you’re in addiction recovery or not, these are all human needs that help us thrive in society, not just survive. For most of us, we’re always on our phone checking the latest news or social media feed, yet there are a plethora of apps to keep us focused and productive. We found a few helpful apps that are and aren’t solely recovery-related that will help you stay [...]