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Get expert insight from the clinicians and professionals at Mountainside Treatment Center. Watch this space to see what’s trending now!

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6 Steps for Setting Boundaries with Someone in Recovery

When someone pursues recovery, your relationship with them can change for the better. By setting up boundaries early on and communicating your feelings effectively, you and your loved one can develop a mutual respect that tends to your needs just as much as their sobriety. Follow these 6 important steps from Addiction Recovery Coach Rick Lepkowski.

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Dark haired woman with hand on head looking down and sad by sill of window

What Does It Feel Like to Go Through Drug Withdrawal?

Drug and alcohol withdrawal is a painful and disruptive period of time, but there are ways to alleviate these difficult symptoms. By using pain management tools and healthy coping mechanisms, experiencing withdrawal can be more manageable.

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Recovery coach Bill Blaber in a counseling session with a female client in recovery

Detox vs. Rehab? Which is Right for You?

Although many use these terms interchangeably, detox and rehab each have their own purpose. While detox primarily focuses on addressing the physical effects that addiction has had on the body, rehab focuses more on the psychological effects.

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Categories

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Mental Health

The Intersection of Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse
Living with both schizophrenia and a substance use disorder, known as dual diagnosis, creates complex challenges that impact roughly 40-50% of individuals with schizophrenia. Effective treatment requires an integrated care model that simultaneously addresses both the mental health condition and substance use through comprehensive assessment and evidence-based therapies. With the right support system, including medical […]
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More About Drugs

What Is N-Propionitrile Brorphine?
N-propionitrile brorphine is a highly potent novel synthetic opioid that is appearing as a dangerous, hidden adulterant in illicit drug supplies, often mistaken for fentanyl. Because of its extreme potency and potential for prolonged, deep sedation, it presents a significant overdose risk that frequently requires multiple doses of naloxone to reverse. Essential harm reduction strategies […]
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Personal Stories & Accounts

Megan M: Building Connection Beyond Treatment - August 2026 Alumni Newsletter Spotlight
Meet Megan McGrath, Mountainside’s Family Alumni Liaison, who is dedicated to ensuring that the loved ones of those in recovery receive the ongoing support they deserve. Because addiction is a family disease, building strong, lasting connections post-treatment is just as essential for family and friends as it is for the individual in recovery. Megan brings […]
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About Sober Living

How Service in Recovery Helps Keep You Sober
Service in recovery, which includes sober volunteering and peer mentoring, is a powerful tool for maintaining long-term sobriety by building a new, positive identity based on connection and contribution. This service work helps “rewire” the brain by providing a healthy, sustainable source of reward by boosting dopamine and oxytocin, which combats isolation, reduces stress, and […]
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The Family & Addiction

When Helping Becomes Enabling Behavior
This article explores the critical distinction between providing genuine support and engaging in enabling behaviors that stunt a loved one’s growth. It emphasizes that while helping assists with tasks someone cannot perform themselves, enabling shields individuals from the natural consequences of their choices, often leading to codependency. To shift from enabling to empowering, the article […]
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The Family & Addiction

How to Talk to Someone About Substance Abuse Treatment
This guide outlines a compassionate, step-by-step framework for discussing substance abuse treatment, emphasizing the importance of thorough preparation, setting clear boundaries, and utilizing supportive communication techniques. It also offers tailored strategies for different relationships and provides practical advice for managing resistance to ensure the conversation remains productive and focused on long-term recovery. Discovering that someone […]
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Mental Health

Dual Diagnosis: Coping with Substance Abuse and Bipolar Disorder
Living with both bipolar disorder and substance use requires navigating complex challenges like self-medication and shared biological factors. Recovery for dual diagnosis is achievable through integrated treatment plans that simultaneously address mental health and substance abuse issues via professional therapy, specialized medication, and strong support networks. Living with both bipolar disorder and a substance use […]
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Family Wellness

Addiction Signs: Is My Loved One Struggling?
This article serves as a guide for identifying potential signs of addiction in loved ones, emphasizing that recognizing these patterns is an important first step toward offering help. It outlines various behavioral, physical, emotional, and financial indicators to watch for, while advising readers to approach the situation with empathy, support, and professional guidance rather than […]
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Personal Stories & Accounts

Jenna O: An Honest Chance - July 2026 Alumni Spotlight
5/2/2024 – I crashed my car and wound up on crutches with bruised ribs and an even more bruised ego. Nothing was coming to save me. Not time. Not luck. Not another apology. Not another promise. I’ve been asked if that was my rock bottom. Honestly, I don’t know. I called Mountainside the next day. […]
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Personal Stories & Accounts

Sean R: The Bedtime Stories I Almost Missed – June 2026 Alumni Spotlight
When I was asked to write this column, I was a little taken aback. Me? How could I possibly be asked to write something that is supposed to inspire people in recovery? A little over six months ago, I would have told you that I would never be “in recovery” because I didn’t have a […]
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Family Wellness

Is an Intervention Right for My Loved One?
A thoughtfully planned intervention is a structured, compassionate conversation intended to help a loved one recognize the impact of their substance use and accept support. Families should consider an intervention when substance use consistently interferes with daily functioning, such as missing work or experiencing repeated health or legal issues. The article describes models like the […]
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Teens

Gaming Dangers & Addiction in Teens: How to Help
The article addresses teen gaming addiction, distinguishing it from a hobby by focusing on behavioral patterns like loss of control and negative impacts on school, sleep, and relationships, rather than just time spent gaming. This addiction is rooted in how video games activate dopamine pathways in the still-developing adolescent brain, potentially leading to issues with […]
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