The Trauma of Children of Addicts and Alcoholics
Living with an addict (including alcoholics1) can feel like life in a war zone. The addict’s personality changes caused by addiction create chaos. The family dynamics are organized around the…
Substance Abuse
Do You Drink or Abstain? There Is No Right Answer
A research question was posed that elicited a far different series of responses than was anticipated: “I have a question for those for whom alcohol is a part of your…
Book Review: The Affliction of Addiction
Addiction is arguably one of the largest problems we face today, and one that does not discriminate based on class, gender, or socio-economic status. In his new book, The Affliction…
Book Review: Holistic Healing for Addiction
As someone who has finally emerged from years of self-hatred and depression fueled by personal trauma, the cover and title of the book, Holistic Healing for Drug & Alcohol Addiction:…
Book Review: Changing to Thrive
Change is hard. If it wasn’t, the diet pill industry alone would go out of business overnight. People who are desperate to make a change look for that quick fix…
Maintaining Sobriety When Home for the Holidays
The family expects it of you. You’ve ruined Christmas dinner for the past three years. Despite your protests each year that “this year it will be different,” it wasn’t. You…
Book Review: 8 Keys to Mental Health Through Exercise
According to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, “less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day, and only one in three adults…
Are You an Almost-Alcoholic?
If you occasionally have too much to drink, you’re probably not at great risk for becoming an alcoholic. But you might wonder if you’re at risk of becoming an “almost-alcoholic”…
Book Review: The Big Fix: Hope After Heroin
It’s hard to watch the documentary Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street and imagine any of its five young subjects surviving past the age of thirty. Indeed,…
Book Review: Why Can’t I Stop?
What if you had a pint of ice cream for dinner last night and spent three hours on social media? You probably wouldn’t hear any judgment at work the next…
Alcohol Use Disorder: Fixing ‘Them’ Language
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized as a pattern of problematic drinking that causes significant health issues and distress in an individual’s life. Despite the many physical, mental, and social…
Mental Health Month: Normal Teen Angst or Adolescent Mental Illness?
May is Mental Health Month. Mental illness is not an adults-only issue. Almost half of all chronic mental illness begins by age 14; three-quarters by age 24. Yet the stigma…
Finding the Right Alcohol Treatment
It is possible to make changes before you become dependent on alcohol. Many people change their relationship with alcohol before it is too late. A variety of health and treatment…
Levels of Treatment for Substance Abuse
There are four main levels of treatment for substance abuse: Level I — outpatient treatment Level II — intensive outpatient treatment Level III — medically monitored intensive inpatient treatment Level…
Teen Drinking: Limits vs. Punishment
According to the National Institute of Health, drinking — the drug of choice among youth — plays a major role in death from injuries, and injuries are the leading cause…