When I first talk to people about couples therapy, I usually ask: "Do you drink alcohol? Does your partner?" and if so, "How much?" I also ask whether they use other mind-altering drugs and intoxicants. ...

Voluntary Madness: My Year Lost and Found in the Loony Bin By Norah Vincent New York: Viking, December 2008 Hardcover, 283 pages $25.95 Immersion journalism, as it’s called, can be kind of fun on a limited basis. In my days ...

Psychologists looking for new ways to describe and explain eating behavior have come up with a novel phrase, "hedonic hunger." Dr. Michael R. Lowe and colleagues at Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa., describe the phenomenon as ...

Beating an addiction to nicotine takes a lot of willpower and determination. You should feel great about yourself for making it so far. Now's the time to focus on sticking with it. Keeping Your Guard Up Your ...

Don't be discouraged if you slip up and smoke one or two cigarettes. It's not a lost cause. One cigarette is better than an entire pack. But that doesn't mean you can safely smoke every ...

What can you do when you really have an urge or craving for a cigarette? One thing to keep in mind is that these urges to smoke will come and go. Try to wait ...

Today's the day you start your smoke-free life! Remind your family and friends that today is your quit date. Ask them to support you during the first few days and weeks. They can help you ...

When you quit smoking, you may feel strange at first. You may feel dull, tense, and not yourself. These are signs that your body is getting used to life without nicotine. It usually only lasts ...

Just thinking about quitting may make you anxious. But your chances will be better if you get ready first. Quitting works best when you're prepared. Before you quit, START by taking these five important steps:...

Many ex-smokers say quitting was the hardest thing they ever did. Do you feel hooked? You're probably addicted to nicotine. Nicotine is in all tobacco products. It makes you feel calm and satisfied. At the ...

Second-hand smoke can cause cancer in nonsmokers. It can also cause breathing problems and heart disease. People who breathe secondhand smoke get colds and flu more easily. And they often die younger than those who ...

One of the most important parts of learning to quit smoking is understanding your motivations for wanting to quit. Wanting to quit for someone else is a sure indicator of likely failure -- successful quitters ...

Teenage depression is a growing problem, one that is increasingly being recognized and treated. But while teenagers often experience major depression at the same rate that adults do, by age 24, half of all adolescents ...

The following is an excerpt from the book Three Minute Therapy and focuses on the topic of overeating and how cognitive-behavioral techniques can be used to help a person overcome this concern. They say that inside ...

Four phases and four treatment steps have been identified in helping people better understand pathological gambling (also known as gambling addiction). The Four Phases in Gambling Addiction The Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery has identified the ...