Sometimes people who struggle to cope with certain feelings and emotions turn to substance use. Some situations are so scarring that our emotions become too intense to handle. Substance use allows people to numb these feelings and emotions. We often refer to this kind of substance use as self-medicating. The reasons people turn to self-medicationRead More
In the late 1950s, psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Wolpe created the thought-stopping technique to treat intrusive and irrational thoughts in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and phobias. Over time, it was adopted as a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approach for all disorders with distressing thoughts. Later, psychologists found his theory counterintuitive to people with OCD. It directly harms theseRead More
The way that a parental figure interacts with a child can determine their lifelong attachment style. When that child becomes an adult, they may find themselves struggling with trust, commitment, jealousy, and inconsistent reactions. These are symptoms of an insecure attachment style. What do the four attachment styles look like, though? Secure Attachment When peopleRead More
Can chronic pain due to legitimate health conditions play a role in meth addiction? Many people often focus on recovering from addiction. However, to live a life free of active addiction, we must first understand where it developed. Unfortunately, health conditions that cause chronic pain can very seriously impact the development and severity of aRead More
Addiction is rarely ever caused by simply using substances. Many complex issues factor into one turning to substances. These factors typically include past traumas and co-occurring mental disorders. To successfully treat substance use disorder (SUD), you must also seek treatment for these underlying factors. By getting to the root cause of your struggle with addiction,Read More
On the 26th of September, people celebrate U.S. National Family Day. To celebrate, families spend time together, share a meal, bond, and express their appreciation for one another. It brings everyone together in a meaningful way. For people with a fractured family of origin, however, family-oriented holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Siblings Day, andRead More
Your identity is very personal; you may have more than one identity in your lifetime, and that is okay. Some people wear the term “addict” like a badge and are very proud of what they have accomplished. Some people are tired of dealing with stigma and want that part of their life to be private.Read More
When people think of trauma, they often picture war veterans or battered spouses; media depiction of trauma contributes to this impression. However, trauma comes from a wider range of sources than previously understood. For this reason, we can conceptualize trauma better by creating two categories: big-T trauma and little-t trauma. Big-T Trauma According to theRead More
What exactly is conscious connected breathwork, and how does it factor into recovery? There are a lot of studies regarding the benefits of breathwork and slow breathing on our physical and mental well-being. According to research from Frontiers in Neuroscience, slow breathing techniques and breathwork, in general, are related to “[E]motional control and psychological well-being.”Read More
Addiction is rarely ever caused by simply using substances. Many complex issues factor into one turning to substances to cope with the struggles of life. It is hard to say that one event or situation in your past led you down the path of addiction. You may think it was your first drink or anRead More