Addiction, addiction-treatment / 28.03.2025
How to Make Informed Health Decisions for Better Well-Being
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Have you ever left a doctor’s office feeling confused or unsure about what to do next? You’re not alone. Health decisions can be stressful, especially when the information seems complicated or when you feel rushed to make a choice. But your well-being depends on more than just going to the doctor. It depends on understanding your options, asking the right questions, and choosing what truly fits your needs. Good health isn’t just about treatment; it’s also about prevention, habits, and making thoughtful choices every step of the way.
In this blog, we will share how you can make smart, informed decisions for your health that support long-term well-being.
Source[/caption]
Have you ever left a doctor’s office feeling confused or unsure about what to do next? You’re not alone. Health decisions can be stressful, especially when the information seems complicated or when you feel rushed to make a choice. But your well-being depends on more than just going to the doctor. It depends on understanding your options, asking the right questions, and choosing what truly fits your needs. Good health isn’t just about treatment; it’s also about prevention, habits, and making thoughtful choices every step of the way.
In this blog, we will share how you can make smart, informed decisions for your health that support long-term well-being.
Navigating life during this phase means adopting new habits, promoting a strong support system, and prioritizing mental and emotional well-being. This article will explore all the essential steps toward healing and recovery for those who have overcome the addiction challenge and are striving to build a fulfilling life.
Life in recovery can feel overwhelmingly difficult at times. We live in a stressful era and often don’t notice stress building up until it’s too late. The temptation to isolate can be hard to resist, and this allows many people to pursue their addiction in private. Support groups can be a key part of any successful relapse prevention effort.
Humans are social creatures, and addiction often takes away some of that humanity. It can fill the addicted person with shame and self-loathing. It can isolate people from their loved ones and keep them from doing things they enjoy.
In recovery, activities with other recovering people can be the glue that holds your new life together. Support groups—especially 12-step meetings—are a powerful way to manage stress and maintain emotional balance. The sense of fellowship, support, and camaraderie at meetings can lend stability to your life, even when everything else feels uncertain.
Even studies show that “people power” - the kind you discover when you’re at a 12-step meeting or recovery-related event - actually contributes to better outcomes for people in sobriety. Long-term research has shown that people who attend 12-step meetings regularly - up to three times a week or more - stay sober for much longer than those who don’t, often up to 16 years or more without a relapse.
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Elena Stains
Medical Student
Department of Medical Education
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Scranton, PA
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: In 2019 to 2020, 2.5% of Americans reported using cannabis for medical needs, compared to 1.2% in 2013-2014, representing a 12.9% annual increase1. Forty states and the District of Columbia have legislation for some form of medical cannabis (MC) in 2024. Because MC is not federally legalized, each state creates its own legislation on the conditions that qualify a person for MC, without any standardized process to determine what qualifying conditions (QC) are proven to be aided by MC. Thus, the QCs chosen by states vary widely. Common QCs include cancer, dementia, and PTSD.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) published a report in 2017 on the evidence for the therapeutic effects of cannabis and cannabinoids for over twenty conditions2. This report reviews the evidence of effectiveness of medical cannabis for the most common QCs chosen by states. The researchers at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine aimed to compare the evidence found by the NAS report with the QCs of 38 states (including the District of Columbia) in both 2017 and 2024. QCs were categorized based on NAS-established level of evidence: limited, moderate, or substantial/conclusive evidence of effectiveness, limited evidence of ineffectiveness, or no/insufficient evidence to support or refute effectiveness (Table 1).
For many who turn to alcohol or drugs, the deeper problem lies in feeling ignored or misunderstood.
In