Our editorial standards

Pacific Beach Recovery publishes educational content to help people and families navigate addiction recovery. Because this is life-and-death subject matter for many readers, we hold our content to the following standards.

Evidence-based content

Clinical, medical, and statistical claims on this website come from peer-reviewed research. We also cite government agencies like SAMHSA, NIH, CDC, and NIDA. Other sources include recognized recovery organizations and licensed clinicians. We cite sources wherever practical. We do not publish unverified anecdotes as medical fact.

No medical advice

Content on this site is educational and informational only. It is not a substitute for professional medical, psychiatric, or clinical advice. Readers in crisis should contact 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or go to their nearest emergency room.

Person-first, stigma-aware language

We follow the SAMHSA “Words Matter” guidance on non-stigmatizing language. We say “person in recovery” not “addict.” We use “substance use disorder” instead of “drug abuse.” Our writing also avoids sensationalizing addiction or recovery outcomes.

No medical misinformation

We never publish content that downplays the risks of substance use. We do not promote unproven treatments. Our editors reject any content that disparages evidence-based medications like buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone. We also refuse to present any single recovery pathway as the only valid one.

Disclosure

When a credentialed clinician or subject matter expert writes or reviews our content, we disclose who that person is. When content is AI-assisted, we still have a human editor review every claim before publication.

Corrections and feedback

See our Corrections Policy and Actionable Feedback Policy for how to flag content issues.

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