Addiction Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/category/addiction/ Interventions & Treatment Consulting Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:03:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://heatherhayes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-HH_logo-32x32.png Addiction Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/category/addiction/ 32 32 The Emotional Toll of Loving Someone with an Addiction https://heatherhayes.com/the-emotional-toll-of-loving-someone-with-an-addiction/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:03:09 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7500 As mental health care practitioners, and also more broadly as a society, we often discuss how it feels to experience addiction: the symptoms of substance use disorder, its effects, the challenges facing individuals who are in treatment and recovery, and the prevalence of these difficulties amongst the wider population. However, individuals with substance use disorder […]

The post The Emotional Toll of Loving Someone with an Addiction appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]> Nitrous Oxide Abuse in America: Rising Deaths, Neurological Damage, and the Danger of Large Tanks https://heatherhayes.com/nitrous-oxide-abuse-in-america-rising-deaths-neurological-damage-and-the-danger-of-large-tanks/ Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:29:11 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7465 Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, has long been used safely in medical and dental settings. In recent years, however, recreational nitrous oxide use in the United States has increased, particularly outside of clinical supervision. What was once associated primarily with small canisters known as whippits has evolved into a more concerning trend: the […]

The post Nitrous Oxide Abuse in America: Rising Deaths, Neurological Damage, and the Danger of Large Tanks appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]> When Help Becomes a Hustle: Healthcare Fraud in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment https://heatherhayes.com/when-help-becomes-a-hustle-healthcare-fraud-in-mental-health-and-substance-use-disorder-treatment/ Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:11:13 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7260 Families often encounter behavioral health in a moment of fear. A child is unraveling. A partner is disappearing into relapse. A parent is terrified that the next call will be the hospital, jail, or morgue. That urgency creates a market in which bad actors can exploit need, confusion, and time pressure. Healthcare fraud in mental […]

The post When Help Becomes a Hustle: Healthcare Fraud in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]> Connection as Medicine: Reclaiming Relationships after Trauma and Substance Use Disorder https://heatherhayes.com/connection-as-medicine-reclaiming-relationships-after-trauma-and-substance-use-disorder/ Wed, 26 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7180 “Every person I’ve ever met in the throes of addiction has been searching for the same thing: connection.” – Johann Hari Addiction, at its core, is not about moral failure, weakness, or lack of willpower. It is about separation or disconnection from self, from others, and often from any sense of safety in the world. […]

The post Connection as Medicine: Reclaiming Relationships after Trauma and Substance Use Disorder appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]> Finding Recovery Without God: How Secular 12-Step Programs and Practical Steps Can Transform Lives https://heatherhayes.com/finding-recovery-without-god-how-secular-12-step-programs-and-practical-steps-can-transform-lives/ Wed, 05 Nov 2025 11:00:36 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7161 Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is one of the most recognized recovery programs in the world. For nearly 90 years, it has helped millions break free from the grip of addiction. Its model—built on connection, community, and a structured process—has stood the test of time. But for some, AA’s religious language and “higher power” emphasis can feel […]

The post Finding Recovery Without God: How Secular 12-Step Programs and Practical Steps Can Transform Lives appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]> Women, Substance Use, and Mental Health: A Historical and Relational Perspective https://heatherhayes.com/women-substance-use-and-mental-health-a-historical-and-relational-perspective/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7112 The experience of women who are in substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health (MH) treatment has long been shaped by cultural norms, historical stigma, and systemic barriers. From the marketing of “women’s tonics” in the 19th Century to modern critiques of treatment models designed primarily for men, women’s struggles and triumphs in recovery reflect […]

The post Women, Substance Use, and Mental Health: A Historical and Relational Perspective appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]> Navigating Dysfunction: Robert Subby’s Family Rules from “Lost in the Shuffle” https://heatherhayes.com/navigating-dysfunction-robert-subbys-family-rules-from-lost-in-the-shuffle/ Wed, 06 Aug 2025 07:00:59 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7045 In his influential book, Lost in the Shuffle (1987), Robert Subby explores the hidden rules that govern families affected by addiction, mental illness, and unresolved trauma. Beyond the five core rules he famously outlined (control, perfection, blame, denial, and unreliability), Subby also described a deeper layer of implicit sayings or commandments that shape behavior and […]

The post Navigating Dysfunction: Robert Subby’s Family Rules from “Lost in the Shuffle” appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]> Reins of Integrity: A Different Kind of Strong https://heatherhayes.com/reins-of-integrity-a-different-kind-of-strong/ Thu, 10 Jul 2025 07:00:25 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=7025 The fact that I am here today, addressing you as a leader, is something I will never quite internalize. I come from a family full of what most people would consider leaders. My grandfather was a United States Senator. My uncle, a well-known author and Latin American correspondent for the Huntley-Brinkley Report, once landed in […]

The post Reins of Integrity: A Different Kind of Strong appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]> Family Roles, Rules, and Values in Systems Impacted by Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders https://heatherhayes.com/family-roles-rules-and-values-in-systems-impacted-by-mental-health-and-substance-use-disorders/ Wed, 23 Apr 2025 18:30:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=6919 Families affected by mental health challenges and substance use disorders (SUDs) often develop distinct patterns of interaction, communication, and roles to adapt to ongoing stress and dysfunction. Understanding these family dynamics is essential for creating pathways to healing and recovery. Family Roles in Dysfunctional Systems When mental illness or addiction permeates a family system, members […]

The post Family Roles, Rules, and Values in Systems Impacted by Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]> The Fentanyl Crisis in America: How did we get here? Part II https://heatherhayes.com/the-fentanyl-crisis-in-america-how-did-we-get-here-part-ii/ Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:01:06 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/from-abduction-trauma-to-healing-rethinking-adolescent-transport-through-a-trauma-responsive-lens-copy/ As the opioid crisis continues to wreak havoc across America, understanding the root of the problem which plagues our nation remains key to being able to provide solutions. Drugs like fentanyl, codeine, oxycodone, and other synthetic opioids continue to cause thousands of deaths across the country every year. This problem is not limited to the […]

The post The Fentanyl Crisis in America: How did we get here? Part II appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]> The Fentanyl Crisis in America: How did we get here? Part I https://heatherhayes.com/the-fentanyl-crisis-in-america-how-did-we-get-here-part-l/ Wed, 12 Feb 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/from-abduction-trauma-to-healing-rethinking-adolescent-transport-through-a-trauma-responsive-lens-copy/ Our nation is currently in the midst of a crisis, the ever-increasing number of individuals across America who are using drugs classed as synthetic opioids.  In 2023, it was estimated that more than 1,500 Americans died per week from some kind of overdose; between the years 2000 and 2024, the majority of drug overdose deaths […]

The post The Fentanyl Crisis in America: How did we get here? Part I appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]> What is The Fourth Wave of the Overdose Crisis in the United States? https://heatherhayes.com/what-is-the-fourth-wave-of-the-overdose-crisis-in-the-united-states/ Fri, 15 Nov 2024 12:36:36 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/what-is-looksmaxxing-the-tiktok-trend-with-harmful-potential-for-teenage-boys-copy/ I have frequently explored drug overdose from the perspective of treatment professionals. For example, I have written on the stigma surrounding overdose (especially among teenagers), myths around overdose, and how to recognize the signs of an overdose. Unfortunately, over the course of my career as a counselor and interventionist, the rates of overdose in the […]

The post What is The Fourth Wave of the Overdose Crisis in the United States? appeared first on Heather Hayes & Associates.

]]>