How are the Needs of Executives Seeking Addiction Treatment Unique?
How are the Needs of Executives Seeking Addiction Treatment Unique? Fighting a person with substance use disorderion can be difficult for anyone, but when the individual is a business executive, the difficulties increase. This can be particularly true if the person is frequently in the spotlight and works or socializes with those who are public […]
A Stroll in Nature Improves Mental Health
A Stroll in Nature Improves Mental Health Before I earned my graduate degrees and changed my career to focus on addiction treatment and recovery, I worked for the Girl Scouts. I absolutely loved my work, especially in my last years with the organization, during which among other things, I oversaw Girl Scout camp. As a […]
The Eight Best Ways to Make It through Rehab (And Never Come Back)
The Eight Best Ways to Make It through Rehab (And Never Come Back) People wonder what can be done to maximize their chances of only going to rehab once. Relapse does not necessarily need to be part of the recovery experience. Here are eight things you can do to make it through rehab successfully and […]
Managing Student Expectations in the Transition from High School to College
Managing Student Expectations in the Transition from High School to College High school seniors have a lot of expectations about what life will be like once they move on from their parents’ homes. When I prepared to leave for college, I hunkered down in my room to make a list of all the things I’d […]
Creating Narcissism: How Your Parenting Could Lead Your Child to Addiction
Creating Narcissism: How Your Parenting Could Lead Your Child to Addiction It’s a complaint that many people make about the younger generation(s) – that they are self-obsessed and entitled to the point of being narcissistic. Certainly it is not true of every young person, but it is a troubling trend. However, recent research has suggested […]
Why AA is Bad Science…and What It Means for Your Addiction Treatment Options
Why AA is Bad Science…and What It Means for Your Addiction Treatment Options In an excellent piece in The Atlantic, writer Gabrielle Glaser gives an exposé on the lack of scientific evidence on the efficacy of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and the preponderance of evidence that shows that not only does the lauded program fail to […]
Repairing Broken Women and Men
Repairing Broken Women and Men Frederick Douglass is reported to have said, “It is easier to build strong children than to fix broken men.” It is something I think about often in my work as a person with substance use disorderion researcher. When I hear the life stories of those who seek treatment for their […]
The Truth about Pain Relief
The Truth about Pain Relief At addiction treatment centers across the nation, more and more individuals are being seen for opioid addiction. Opioids are pain medications including morphine, codeine, oxycodone, methadone, fentanyl or hydrocodone. These pain-killing drugs are addictive and even when prescribed correctly, can be dangerous. It is recommended that opioid therapy should be […]
Alcohol Abuse may be Related to Personal Activity Levels
Alcohol Abuse may be Related to Personal Activity Levels There is some evidence that physical activity may benefit individuals who are attempting to reduce their alcohol consumption. A study published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism found an association between physical activity and a lower risk of alcohol problems. Sedentary people had a higher risk […]
Stress Intensifies Pain Response
Stress Intensifies Pain Response A new study confirms that acute psychosocial stress has a dramatically negative effect on the body’s ability to modulate pain. Researchers found that although pain thresholds and pain tolerance seemed unaffected by stress, there was a significant increase in pain intensification and a decrease in pain inhibition capabilities in stressed individuals. […]