Alcohol Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/category/alcohol/ Interventions & Treatment Consulting Wed, 05 Nov 2025 11:00:37 +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 Alcohol Archives - Heather Hayes & Associates https://heatherhayes.com/category/alcohol/ 32 32 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 […]

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]]> What Alcohol Does to Your Body: The Medical Facts You Need to Know https://heatherhayes.com/what-alcohol-does-to-your-body-the-medical-facts-you-need-to-know/ Tue, 11 Jun 2024 12:00:36 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/lean-purple-drank-and-sizzurp-understanding-the-prevalence-and-dangers-of-opioid-based-drinks-copy/ Alcohol plays a significant role in the lives of many people in the United States and around the world. While it can be a source of fun, creative inspiration, or social comfort for some, it also carries a host of harmful risks. Each time you consume alcohol, it takes a toll on your body. Medically, […]

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]]> Do You Have To Want To Go To Treatment? https://heatherhayes.com/do-you-have-to-want-to-go-to-treatment/ Sun, 14 Aug 2022 12:10:52 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=5005 Different Approaches to Effective Recovery “Treatment does not need to be voluntary to be effective. Sanctions or enticements from family, employment settings, and/or the criminal justice system can significantly increase treatment entry, retention rates, and the ultimate success of drug treatment interventions.” – The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) [1]  When it comes to […]

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]]> The Long Psychological Reach of COVID-19 https://heatherhayes.com/the-long-reach-of-covid-19/ Thu, 19 May 2022 07:35:36 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=4903 How the pandemic has affected, and is still affecting, our mental health In March of 2020, the world changed completely, almost overnight. As the novel Coronavirus – also known as COVID-19 – began to spread with unparalleled rapidity across the globe, infecting hundreds of thousands and then millions of people, the majority of nations and […]

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]]> Substance Abuse at Work https://heatherhayes.com/substance-abuse-at-work/ Sat, 30 Apr 2022 13:00:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=4880 Understanding substance use disorder in the workplace In the modern world, many of us will spend an enormous percentage of our lives at our workplaces. Whether you are employed as the worker on the floor of a car manufacturing plant or run your own clothing store in the neighborhood, your work will likely consume a […]

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]]> Overdose Myths https://heatherhayes.com/overdose-myths/ Sun, 03 Oct 2021 04:05:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=4631 Around 841,000 Americans have died from a drug overdose in the last 20 years.[1] Synthetic opioids are the primary driver of overdose fatalities and account for 70.6% of all overdose deaths. As I have previously written, the opioid crisis we face in the United States stems from a  lack of education, unfounded stigma, and misinformation, […]

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]]> Happy Anniversary, AA! – 86 Years Supporting People with Alcohol Use Disorder https://heatherhayes.com/happy-86th-anniversary-aa/ Fri, 16 Jul 2021 16:09:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=4333 Founded in 1935 in Akron, Ohio, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the original and arguably most well-known of all the 12-step programs.  AA was formed to help those with a dependence on alcohol get and stay sober and, in its own words, “Alcoholics Anonymous is an international fellowship of men and women who have had a […]

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]]> Alcohol and Brain Health https://heatherhayes.com/alcohol-and-brain-health/ Sun, 30 May 2021 04:05:00 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=4195 “Even at levels of low-risk drinking there is evidence that alcohol consumption plays a role in damage to the brain” ~ Tony Rao, Psychiatrist & International expert on alcohol misuse Alcohol is one of the most used substances in the United States. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a clinical diagnosis of an alcohol disorder or […]

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]]> Understanding the Role of Sober Companions https://heatherhayes.com/understanding-the-role-of-sober-companions/ Tue, 12 May 2020 23:39:32 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=2329 Addiction is a chronic disease that affects brain function and behavior. It’s similar to other recurring conditions, such as diabetes or asthma, in that it is treatable, though there is no cure. In general, the goal of addiction treatment is to help an individual to stop using, identify any co-occurring mental illnesses, and provide tools […]

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]]> High-Functioning Alcoholics: Signs and Treatment https://heatherhayes.com/high-functioning-alcoholics-signs-and-treatment/ Tue, 25 Feb 2020 17:02:30 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=2189 High-Functioning Alcoholics: Signs and Treatment Can you be an alcoholic and still perform well at work? Still maintain friendships? Look like you’ve got it all together from the outside? Yes, yes and yes. It’s surprising given the stereotype of alcoholics being disheveled, slurring words and struggling to keep their life together, but that’s also what […]

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]]> How To Stay Connected To Recovery Long-Term https://heatherhayes.com/how-to-stay-connected-to-recovery-long-term/ Sat, 18 Jan 2020 20:24:08 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=2149 Before someone struggling with addiction gets sober, they tend to believe that all they need to do is stop engaging in their addictive behavior if they wish to fix their problems, and it’s as easy as that. They either stop drinking or stop taking drugs and once they do that, everything will change, and their […]

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]]> A Guide To Surviving The Holiday Season https://heatherhayes.com/a-guide-to-surviving-the-holiday-season/ Sun, 22 Dec 2019 00:00:35 +0000 https://heatherhayes.com/?p=2101 Whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza, the holiday season is most typically known for a time to be with family, and to eat and drink in excess. For many people this will be considered a well-deserved time to let their hair down and relax. But for others, it can feel like a time to […]

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