A person sits on the floor beside a bed, hugging their knees, silhouetted against a window with sheer curtains, appearing thoughtful or sad.

What’s Contingency Management for Meth Dependence?

Olivia Gillespie January 30, 2026

You might’ve heard about medications that help keep cravings under control for people who struggle with opioids or alcohol—but why isn’t anything sold over the counter or prescribed for stimulant use disorder (StUD)? Well, while it might seem confusing or, honestly, unfair, the truth is that there is no such medication yet. But the 3 million+ people with StUD deserve to be prioritized when it comes to supplementing recovery treatment with effective medicines. At Waypoint

A man sits up in bed holding his head with one hand, appearing to be in pain or distress. He is covered with a white comforter and wears a white t-shirt.

What’s StUD and How Can it Be Treated?

Olivia Gillespie January 23, 2026

What looks like focus, sounds like productivity, and convinces you that you’re capable of any feat just before your body collapses? Cue stimulants, confusing substances that make you look energetic and lively from the outside while slowly poisoning you from the inside. But what are they, and how do they affect communities? If you’ve ever watched the award-winning series, Breaking Bad, you’ve seen pop culture turn stimulants, mainly meth, into a storyline, but real life

A person holds a broken cigarette in both hands, symbolizing quitting smoking. The background is blurred, focusing on the cigarette and the persons hands.

Why Quitting Nicotine Cold-Turkey Isn’t Necessary in Recovery

Olivia Gillespie January 16, 2026

When you enter a medically-assisted detox program, you might feel like your brain and body are both throwing an epic, debilitating tantrum at the same time. If you’re a smoker or you consume nicotine in some form, those products might be the last thing that gets you through the day. Now imagine someone casually says, “Oh, and by the way, you should quit nicotine, too.” You might just see red. The good news? If nicotine is

A man sits on a gray couch in a cozy living room, looking thoughtful and concerned, with his hand to his mouth and a cup in his other hand.

Do Substances Help Anxiety?

Olivia Gillespie December 26, 2025

It seems like anxiety wears us all down these days, and given that anxiety disorders are the number one mental health condition in the country, you’re probably no stranger to its symptoms: the constant worried thoughts, racing heart, and tension throughout the body. Untreated or unmanaged anxiety—especially when it shows up alongside other illnesses or traumas—can feel like it’s getting the best of you. When anxiety takes over for long periods, it’s easy to imagine

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Why These Celebrities Entered Recovery

Olivia Gillespie December 19, 2025

You might look at Katy Perry, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dax Shepard, or Kristin Davis and think that they have it all. Fame and talent can create a pretty picture from the outside, but each of these celebrities reached a point where substance use disorder (SUD) deeply impacted their mental health, relationships, or work in negative ways. When you look more closely at their stories, three main motivations tend to emerge: the need for emotional stability,

A person in glasses sits on a chair with a yellow blanket, holding a yellow mug and a remote, smiling. Snowy trees are visible through large windows in the background.

Movies to Watch in Recovery This Winter

Olivia Gillespie December 16, 2025

We won’t lie to you: Recovery can feel a little lonely, especially when the holidays roll in, and everyone seems wrapped up in their own routines. If that’s how things feel for you right now, the team at Waypoint Recovery Center totally gets it. Funnily enough, movies can offer small sparks of comfort, and you could even bring their themes, characters, and messy plot twists to your next therapy session to help you talk through

A doctor in a white coat holds and examines a sheet of brain CT or MRI scans, with several images of brain cross-sections visible.

What Neuro Images Tell Us About Substance Use Disorder

Olivia Gillespie December 1, 2025

Substance use disorder (SUD) can show up in your habits, your reactions, and your roughest days, but your brain also carries a big part of your substance-use picture. If you’ve ever read our deep dive on the blacked-out brain and thought: yep, that sounds familiar, then you already know substances impact your brain’s ability to store memory. But neuroimages can show how substance use affects so much more of the brain than just memory. Neuroimages

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What’s The World’s Deadliest Addiction?

Olivia Gillespie November 13, 2025

The dangers of substance use disorder (SUD) can look different from person to person. For some families, it may mean their loved one’s health or relationships deteriorate. For other people, SUD may mean that holding down a job and or enjoying any kind of stability is impossible. The point is that substance use affects different parts of life for different folks. And while there’s no single world’s deadliest addiction yet, some substances show up in

A man sits on a couch with his elbows on his knees and hands clasped, head bowed, looking stressed or deep in thought in front of an open laptop.

What’s Substance-Induced Psychosis?

Olivia Gillespie November 7, 2025

When someone you love starts saying things that don’t make sense or insists they’re seeing things you can’t, it can make your heart drop. You might replay every recent moment, wondering if substance use had something to do with it. You just want to understand what’s happening and what to do next. Psychosis can feel like stepping into a storm with no map, but you’re not powerless. Let’s walk through what psychosis is, how substances

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Things You Can Still Do in Recovery

Olivia Gillespie October 31, 2025

Here’s the truth: life after substance use can actually be way more fun than it ever was before. You can do everything you used to love—and this time, you’ll actually remember it. You can laugh till your stomach hurts, travel without dragging a hangover through the airport, and wake up proud of how you spent your night. Author Veronica Valli, who’s been substance-free for more than 20 years, says she can’t think of anything that

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Olivia Gillespie

Articles by Olivia Gillespie