Addiction and Mental Health Treatment under the Affordable Care Act
Addiction and Mental Health Treatment under the Affordable Care Act Part of addiction recovery is dealing appropriately and concurrently with any co-occurring mental illnesses that may be present. Yet, estimates suggest that more than 23 million Americans are addicted to drugs or alcohol, but only 10 percent of them are seeking treatment. Why is that? […]
Can You Thrive After Childhood Trauma?
Can You Thrive After Childhood Trauma? Recovery from traumatic events is never easy. However, humans are amazingly adaptable. Unfortunately, survival does not mean thriving. A person can survive traumatic events and be scarred for the rest of their life. Trauma affects children particularly profoundly. Children do not just get over trauma; they live with the […]
Proving the Benefits of Meditation
Proving the Benefits of Meditation Mindful meditation is a type of meditation (which is an exercise of deep, prolonged concentration) during which any feelings, emotions or thoughts are experienced as and when they arise during the exercise, opposed to after the meditation finishes. This practice teaches us about our unresolved issues that prick us when […]
“Magic Mushrooms” Might Be More Magic than We First Thought
“Magic Mushrooms” Might Be More Magic than We First Thought In 1960, two promising young psychologists at Harvard, Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert, began to explore the effects of psychotropic substances on the human mind. They believed that psilocybin, the active chemical in “magic” mushrooms, had the power to change people’s brains for the better. They […]
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Helps Suicidal Individuals and Addicts Recover
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Helps Suicidal Individuals and Addicts Recover Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a research-based, cognitive-behavioral treatment. It was originally developed by Marsha Linehan at the University of Washington, to help clients with the suicidal and self-harm behaviors often seen in Borderline Personality Disorder. DBT has since been modified as a treatment for other complex […]
On the Cutting Edge of Addiction Treatment: The Global Addiction Conference
On the Cutting Edge of Addiction Treatment: The Global Addiction Conference I have spent the past week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the Global Addiction Conference. There were presentations over several days on all sorts of topics, from country reports on incarceration of addicts and drug use statistics to research studies on co-occurring mental […]
Acupuncture May Be an Alternative to Opioid Drugs for Pain Relief
Acupuncture May Be an Alternative to Opioid Drugs for Pain Relief Many people are addicted to opioid drugs and need alternative pain relief therapies. The use of opioids for chronic pain has increased dramatically and has been accompanied by a major increase in opioid addiction and overdose deaths. An estimated 2.1 million people in the […]
Society’s Perception of Addiction: Addicts Have a Moral Failing
Society’s Perception of Addiction: Addicts Have a Moral Failing A new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study suggests that people are significantly more likely to have negative attitudes toward those dealing with drug addiction than those with mental illness. In addition, people generally do not support insurance, housing, and employment policies that benefit […]
Why Treatment Works: Developing a Positive Attitude, Motivation and Commitment
Why Treatment Works: Developing a Positive Attitude, Motivation and Commitment The first step in recovery is recognizing that a problem exists, but that in and of itself isn’t enough to make your recovery successful. Many people also need some form of motivation to begin and maintain the process of recovery. Motivation – having a reason […]
Suicide and Mental Health
Suicide and Mental Health Suicide is a major public health concern. Estimates indicate that around 38,000 people die by suicide each year in the United States. Knowing what the risk factors are can help reduce the suicide rate. A combination of individual, relational, community and societal factors influence and contribute to the problem of suicide. […]