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As Financial Director and co-owner of Alpine Recovery Lodge, Amy is very involved in the finances and marketing operations. A graduate of Nevada State with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, Amy also took Masters level math, finance and economics classes at UCSD. She is committed to the business…

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The Personal Growth Center specializes in the highest quality psychotherapy and mental healthcare. Our specified focus is in total person wellness. The Mind, Body, Spirit connection to living life to our highest potential. We offer Traditional, Holistic, Positive Psychology, and Spiritual Psychotherapeutic approaches.…

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Join the Meth Kills Campaign. Add your site to Lowsterslinks

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Dean Taraborelli, MA- Founder and Co-director, The Sanctuary at Sedona, an addiction recovery and trauma healing center; co-creator of a four-step holistic program for addiction recovery; Senior teaching staff, Four Winds Society, an international school of energy medicine; Ordained Minister; Certified Shamanic Breath…

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A Personal Word Craving thrives on the underlying insecurity of living in a world that is always changing. We experience this insecurity as a background of slight unease or restlessness. We all want some kind of relief from that unease, so we turn to what we enjoy - food, alcohol, drugs, sex, work, or shopping. In mo…

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Eric L. Davis, Ph.D., LCSW, LCAC, ICAADC, MAC, ICGC-II, BCPCC co-founded Life Recovery Center in 2004 and currently serves as Co-Executive Director. He has worked in the field of mental health and addiction for nearly twenty years and provides therapy from a holistic perspective--noting the importance of integrally ad…

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Erin McClelland has over 17 years of experience in the behavioral health field and has worked as a counselor, program director, researcher, process improvement specialist, policy representative and entrepreneur. She started her career researching alcohol and smoking addiction at the University of Pittsburgh and substa…

archewellness.com

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Biography From grammar school through high school, teachers periodically made comments on my grade reports such as, "John is a capable student but he will not apply himself." They were right. I did just enough to get to the next grade. My dad wouldn't let me quit. Because I was 17 my during entire senior year, I need…

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Kenneth Anderson, MA is the author of the book How to Change Your Drinking: a Harm Reduction Guide to Alcohol--your one stop guide to safer drinking, reduced drinking, or quitting alcohol altogether. Mr. Anderson is also the founder and CEO of The HAMS Harm Reduction Network. HAMS is the first world-wide, lay-led, fre…

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Skinny Thinking grew out of Laura Katleman-Prue’s desire to heal the eating, weight, and body image issues that plagued her for 35 years. She discovered that the root of her problem was the way she thought about food. In fact, changing her diet was irrelevant, if she didn’t change her thinking habits. By teaching hers…

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Peggy Ferguson, Ph.D. , LADC, LMFT, is a Licensed Alcohol/Drug Counselor and Licensed Marital/Family therapist specializing in individual, couples/family psychotherapy and addiction counseling. With over tweny (20) years experience as a clinician, specializing in chemical dependency and family counseling, I currently…

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The idea of marriage counseling is usually brought up and pursued by one partner, initially. The possibility of marriage counseling is often an ongoing debate or discussion for sometime before couples actually find their way to the counselor's office.

Published · 2,742 views

Why, when most people believe in monogamous marriages, and that affairs are "wrong", are so many couples struggling to recover from infidelity? Most people do not intend to have an affair and most couples never would have believed that it would happen to them. Affairs happen in the marriages of all kinds of people. Not bad people. Not people whose marriages are "doomed". The reality is that any marriage could be vulnerable to an affair, given the right conditions. One of the first questions that the partner asks when they learn of the affair is "why?".

Published · 2,544 views · Rated 3.5/5 from 2 votes

People seek marriage counseling because they need help or are in pain. In any given couple, there is usually one who is more interested in counseling than the other. With a list of complaints, each partner usually feels compelled to make his/her case to the counselor about their spouse being "the problem". Although initially both partners seem to have the agenda of having the counselor straighten out the other, the benefits of marital counseling can quickly guide the cooperative efforts of the partners for the benefit of the relationship.

Published · 1,476 views · Rated 1/5 from 1 votes

The majority of patients who successfully complete inpatient and have the desire to stay clean and sober relapse in the first year after acute care treatment. Anyone who has been to inpatient treatment has noticed that the among the other patients around them, that there is a large percentage who have been through inpatient treatment before. This is largely because addiction is still being treated as an acute illness rather than the chronic disease that it is.

Published · 2,986 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

"My spouse went to recovery. Now they tell me that he needs to go on to additional counseling. What is that all about?" "Recovery" and "treatment" are not the same thing. Inpatient treatment, detox, or outpatient treatment, in and of itself, is not "recovery". Recovery is generally a return of good health, and a restoration (or acquisition) of effective functioning in one's life, in all areas including relationships, work, and community. Treatment for addiction is not a pill, a therapy, a place, or even a slice of time.

Published · 3,031 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

"Enabling" can be described as a behavior pattern of the significant people in the life on an addict or alcoholic. "Enabling" involves rescuing the alcoholic/addict from the negative consequences of his or her behavior. When the addict has those negative consequences of his/her addiction removed, the significant other is, in effect, "enabling" the addict to continue drinking/drugging. The significant other enablers the addict to stay in active addiction. This effect is usually not the intention of the worried and caring family member or friend.

Published · 3,415 views · Rated 4.5/5 from 4 votes

Parents often find themselves in a quandary trying to figure out how to help the adolescent whose behavior, disposition, and mood has changed for the worst. The exact nature of the problem may be eluding them. They use a trial and error problem solving method where they end up trying anything and everything to solve the problem. They try assertive discipline, enrolling their child in extracurricular activities to improve self-confidence or self-esteem, tutors, antidepressants, etc. without really knowing what they are dealing with. They are often operating under faulty suppositions.

Published · 1,829 views · Rated 2/5 from 3 votes

One of the most important tasks of early recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction is learning to replace the chemical with health living skills. When you have taken the chemical out of your life, it leaves a big gaping hole, where something of substance was. Alcohol or other drugs have served many purposes over the course of addiction. They have played many roles. They had meaningful functions in your life. When the chemical is removed from your behavioral repertoire, how will you deal with stress, an annoying coworker, insomnia, and task overload?

Published · 11,223 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

Often when a couple comes in for couple’s counseling, one of the partners is stating that s/he has fallen out of love with the other partner. Sometimes they both feel that way, but usually it is just one spouse verbalizing this. When you are feeling this way, it is common to question whether you ever “really” loved your spouse in the first place. Usually when couples present for counseling with one wanting out of the relationship, there other marital issues that are creating problems in the marriage, that the couple may not be talking about or acknowledging.

Published · 2,496 views

What if you were called into your boss's office and told that s/he was thinking about letting you go, that you were not fulfilling your job responsibilities, and that you were holding the company back rather than helping the company grow and prosper? Yes, you might be shocked or stunned. You might also already realize that you have not been working any where near your potential, that you have been somewhat disengaged from the company and just "putting in time" until retirement.

Published · 3,364 views

Keep your parents and your children out of your marriage. Once they are in there, it's hard to get them out. When you are in conflict with your spouse, it is really tempting to use whoever is handy to vent to, regarding your marriage. And often the people available most available to us are our children and parents. They are typically most often in our presence, and if we don't see them throughout the day, they are often the people we speak to on the phone most often.

Published · 1,854 views

There is the "should" that says that you should be able to solve your own problems without help. Here is the rationale: "If your relationship has enough tension and strain that help is needed, the relationship is not going to make it anyway, so why waste time and money with counseling?" The reality is that if you give up on your marriage without first trying to acquire the skills that your need to be happy in it, you lose. Everyone loses.

Published · 2,068 views

If your family is a "remarried family" or a "step-family" then you're in good company. The experience of building a remarried or stepfamily is a common experience, not only for recovering people, but for the general population as well. There are lots of difficulties involved in putting together a stepfamily. One of the major difficulties is in the perception that a step-family is something less than desirable. Stepfamilies can be healthy.

Published · 1,922 views · Rated 1.5/5 from 4 votes

While many conflicted and combative couples stay together through the holidays to not disappoint the kids or the extended family members, other couples who may have not even been thinking about divorce, begin to feel discouraged, disappointed, and disenchanted after the holidays and decide to divorce. Although there are very good reasons for divorce, personal unhappiness may not be caused by the marriage, and divorce may not be the solution. It is unlikely that your marriage is the source of all of your unhappiness.

Published · 2,426 views

Many recovering people who begin the process of becoming clean and sober, harbor the notion that they can continue to hang on to some remnants of an old drinking/using lifestyle. They often initially believe that specific drugs are The Problem. Initially alcoholics/addicts may not consider use of other drugs (including alcohol) as problematic. When the idea of being addicted to all mood altering drugs does come up, the idea is often dismissed as not being applicable.

Published · 13,678 views · Rated 4.5/5 from 4 votes

One of the common experiences of the earliest efforts toward quitting drinking and becoming sober, is grief over the loss of the chemical. For many people with an alcohol or other drug problem, the chemical, (whether it is alcohol or oxycodone) has become the addict's best friend and constant companion. When this best friend is given up, the alcoholic/addict experiences grief. The chemical plays all kinds of roles in the alcoholic's life and these roles are necessary and meaningful.

Published · 4,752 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

Early recovery is a time of self-assessment and problem identification. You have to know what is not working in order to begin to fix it. One of the first tasks, right after learning basic craving management techniques is spending the time and energy to identify the roles that chemicals have played in the life of a newly recovering alcoholic/addict. This is especially important since the chemical has occupied so many crucial roles or functions and that removing it from a person's life leaves big, gaping holes in their behavioral repertoire.

Published · 2,655 views · Rated 1/5 from 1 votes

One of the most frequent questions that I hear from family members is, “Why do I need to be in counseling, when she is the alcoholic/addict? The family members that do come into treatment willingly and eagerly at the beginning are most often motivated to “help” the addict. The idea that spouses and other kin need help for their own issues often feels like an insult initially. Non-addicted loved ones need their own help because they are negatively affected by the disease in several ways. Addiction runs through generations in families.

Published · 3,231 views · Rated 1/5 from 1 votes

When someone makes a decision to get the help that they need to quit drinking and using other drugs, everything begins to change. As an addict’s body begins to detox and as she is consciously trying to interrupt the momentum of addicted use of a chemical (including alcohol), she goes through all kinds of changes. Physical detox can involve a wide range of possible symptoms, including physical, psychological, and emotional. The addict who is involved in trying to separate herself from the chemical often experiences an emotional rollercoaster. Depression is common.

Published · 4,847 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

Most people want to have a loving, committed, happy marriage. And they think they know what will make for that happy marriage. Some of the characteristics often identified as making up a stable and loving relationship include: trust, love, respect, honesty, and faithfulness, among other attributes. Many people have the oversimplified desire to “just be happy” in their marriage, like happiness in a relationship is some simple, ordinary thing that each person is “naturally” entitled to.

Published · 3,947 views

One of the most important tools to develop or restore communication skills is the use of “I” messages. "I" messages are not as likely to elicit defensiveness. They actually increase the probability that your message(s) will be heard. With this simple change in how you communicate with your loved one, you are more likely to actually accomplish your communication goal.

Published · 5,108 views · Rated 2/5 from 2 votes

Building a solid foundation for the development of good communication skills involves learning how to listen effectively. There are several elements of effective listening. These elements include attention, reflection, ability to tolerate tension, and ability to challenge the assumptions that are usually made. When teaching couples how to change how they talk to each other, active listening is stressed. Much of the time, poor listening skills are at the heart of couple communication problems. You can't have effective communication without good listening skills.

Published · 3,967 views · Rated 3.8/5 from 4 votes

Communication is not only the life's blood of a marriage, it is the cornerstone that the foundation of relationship skills rest on. You have to have good communication skills to be able to convey your love, affection, and commitment to your loved ones. You can not effectively problem solve without good communication. Inadequate communication creates or worsens the struggle to maintain the positive emotions in the relationship. All people want to feel loved, appreciated, and a sense of belonging.

Published · 3,057 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

Although most people have some pretty clear-cut notions about what assertiveness is and isn't, assertiveness is often confused with aggression. Assertiveness is not necessarily about having your will prevail over the will of others. That is actually more descriptive of aggression. Especially when there is little regard to the rights or feelings of others. Instead, assertiveness is simply about being able to stand up for your own rights without trampling on the rights of others.

Published · 2,017 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

While most people realize that relapse is a common experience for addicts in recovery, they often do not know how to get back on track after relapsing on alcohol or other mood altering drugs. Although relapse is commonplace, it is predictable, and thus preventable. For many recovering people who relapse, the idea of a return to twelve step meetings may bring on a panic attack, or an overwhelming sense of shame. Although the recovering person knows that going back to meetings is the appropriate thing to do, s/he prevent themselves from doing so, due to false pride.

Published · 6,497 views · Rated 3.7/5 from 3 votes

Most non-addicted people have routines and organizing structures inrntheir lives that help provide stability. An addict's lifestyle is often one of chaotic instability and disorganization. A general lack of structure and routine contributes to this disorganization and chaos. An addicted lifestyle is often missing daily routines of fulfilling personal and family responsibilities, engaging in predictable and consistent eating and sleeping habits, and appropriate self care. These missing elements are self-reinforcing in addiction.

Published · 3,459 views · Rated 3.3/5 from 4 votes

Many non-addicted spouses complain about how their addicted significant other is driving them crazy, making them depressed, or leading them toward suicide or homicide. These comments only illustrate the destructive nature of the family dynamics of addiction. The addicted and non-addicted spouses get locked into mortal combat over the addiction, even when they have not identified the problem as "addiction". Of course the non-addicted spouse is angry. S/he is picking up all the slack caused by the addict's abdication of responsibility.

Published · 3,318 views · Rated 3.7/5 from 3 votes

Most people experience a great deal of stress in that period of time betwee Thanksgiving and New Years, fondly known as “The Holidays”. Many of us, find ourselves becoming irritable, with our patience and tolerance stretched to the limit. Much of the impatience and intolerance involves unrealistic and/or unreasonable expectations of others, especially those we are closest to. Being raised in our own individual families of origin seems to set us up for conflicts about expectations for the holidays.

Published · 6,534 views · Rated 2.4/5 from 7 votes

We know that once Thanksgiving is over, we will be having an increase in our stress. This yearly event, when the demands for our time, energy, money, and other resources increase exponentially, and our stress levels rises accordingly, is lovingly known as "the holidays". And each year, we just seem to accept that this time of year will be stressful and continue our holiday tradition of being stressed out during the "silly season".

Published · 1,507 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

I love the New Year. I feel like I am the threshold of a new year. I am glad that there is a week betwee Christmas and the New Year because it gives me a chance to recover, regroup, and rethink. Of course, I would like to think of a new year as a fresh, blank, Big Chief Tablet to write whatever I like on, but that is not really the case. Our lives are not marked off in 365 day intervals, where everything begins a new on day one. There are many things, situations, circumstances, and processes that transcend years and even decades.

Published · 2,655 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

You may be wondering if it is even possible to survive the loss of someone you love. You may be thinking that you are going crazy, or that you will never quit crying. You may think that you will never be the same and will never feel better. Grief is one of the most devastating experiences that human beings have and it is universal. Sooner or later, we all experience grief. When we experience the loss of someone that we love, we often find ourselves at a loss for what to do with ourselves, with our daily lives, and with the grief.

Published · 2,046 views · Rated 3/5 from 3 votes

Recovery from sexual addiction is slightly different than recovery from alcohol and other (AOD) addiction. With chemical dependency recovery, the goal is to abstain from all mood altering drugs. The primary goal from sexual addiction is not abstinence from sex, but the development of the ability ...

Published · 3,309 views

If you see yourself in this brief description of sexual addiction, it can be the beginning of achieving recovery and getting your life back. The hope is that there is recovery, that it is possible. "The journey of a thousand miles begins by taking the initial step". The good news is that you ...

Published · 2,775 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

Sexual addiction is a dysfunctional pattern of compulsive sexual behavior that continues even after the addict knows that it is causing major problems in their life. The sex addicts has a compulsion to engage in the problem behavior despite the fact that it has become emotionally dissatisfying ...

Published · 2,079 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

You have just discovered or been informed of your partner's infidelity. You are in shock. You are confused, angry, immobilized, depressed, and thinking you will absolutely go crazy. In the midst of all this, you keep hearing about "sexual addiction" in the media and you wonder if it is sexual ...

Published · 3,924 views

There is nothing sexy about sex addiction. Compulsive sexual behavior is not a pastime or hobby. Sexually addicted people use all kinds of excuses and defense mechanisms to deny the truth to themselves. The naked truth about addiction is that once it is addiction, the addict is spiritually and ...

Published · 2,240 views

Treatment for sexual addiction can occur in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Like treatment for alcohol and other drug (AOD) addiction, treatment for sexual addiction is usually made up of individual and group counseling, education about addiction, and self-help participation. When choosing ...

Published · 1,378 views

Are you angry, depressed, confused, and constantly trying to figure out what your spouse is up to? If you are spinning your wheels, trying to strategize and find solutions for your spouse and your relationship before you have actually identified the problem, keep reading. Family members can suffer from the sexual addiction of spouses, and spend countless hours trying to solve the problem before they really know what they are dealing with. If you are suffering negative consequences of someone else's sexual behavior, you might be in a relationship with a sex addict.

Published · 2,084 views

Can the spouse of a sex addict find help individually for the effects of the sexual addiction on their lives? Sure. Much of the time, however, it is the crisis of discovery of the acting out, or some other related crisis that brings the sex addict and spouse into treatment. They usually seek ...

Published · 3,359 views

Infidelity can be a component of sexual addiction or relational event(s). It is generally enshrouded in secrecy and dishonesty, with great amounts of time and effort spent to keep it hidden. Spouses find out about the infidelity or sexual addiction in a wide variety of ways. Several are ...

Published · 2,466 views

Marital infidelity can be revealed in a whole host of different ways. Regardless of how the infidelity is revealed, the revelation of the infidelity creates a crisis within the marital relationship and within the faithful spouse. The shock of discovering the infidelity leads to compulsive ...

Published · 2,797 views

You are ultimately responsible for your own addiction recovery. When you know that you have to have surgery, it is important to keep everyone treating you informed about your recovery and addiction history, including the names of the drugs, the amounts, the lengths of time that you took them, ...

Published · 4,529 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Most spouses of alcoholics or addicts have been down this road before. Something has happened. Some crisis has gotten the attention of the alcoholic/addict and now he is motivated to get clean and sober. This time he is going to AA/NA and going to counseling. Promises made by the addict to stop ...

Published · 2,685 views · Rated 4.3/5 from 3 votes

Ok, so you have decided that your life needs a little help and to accomplish this, you have decided to quit smoking pot. You have flushed or given away your stash. You have gotten rid of the paraphe alia. It has been a couple of days since you smoked pot and you're feeling cranky. You are not sleeping well. You feel anxious and jittery. You're sweaty; you're experiencing shakiness and you're sick at your stomach. You just don't feel good and you keep thinking that just a couple of hits from a joint will take the edge off. Those detox symptoms will go away if you don't use.

Published · 8,334 views · Rated 4/5 from 3 votes

Alcoholics/addicts do not normally live in a circle made up exclusively of alcoholics and addicts. Most people suffering from addictions have a multitude of people in their lives who are affected by the addiction. Even alcoholics and addicts that are estranged from their significant others, ...

Published · 5,534 views

What are you afraid of? Fear and anxiety are part and parcel of daily life with familial addiction. Fear is a paintbrush that colors almost all aspects of family life. Some fears are easily recognizable in an addicted family: "What if he gets arrested?" "When am I going to get the call in the ...

Published · 1,696 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Family members, in their attempts to solve the problem of a loved one's addiction, try every thing they can think of, to turn the addict's life back around. They usually identify the problem incorrectly for a long time before it becomes obvious to them that addiction is the real problem. ...

Published · 4,473 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

Although forgiveness is an important part of working through feelings, and thus, a tool of recovery and the healing process, it is an often neglected topic. People often erroneously equate forgiveness with forgetting. The best definition that I ever heard for forgiveness is simply "giving up the need to punish". This definition doesn't say anything about the actual act of punishing, or forgetting--for that matter. It speaks only of letting go of the compulsion, or fantasy of punishing.

Published · 3,766 views · Rated 3.5/5 from 2 votes

Use the following ten steps to replace old, ineffective arguments with an effective fair fighting session: 1. Fight to resolve an issue or solve a problem. 2. Identify the problem to be solved. 3. Take turns stating your case, using I messages. 4. Practice active listening. 5. Generate ...

Published · 3,184 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

When you want to solve some important relationship or logistics issue, you help assist help ensure your effectiveness by appropriately setting the stage for communication. Remember these guidelines while trying to solve a problem in your relationship. 1. Think about what you want to say ...

Published · 1,025 views · Rated 2/5 from 1 votes

"Detox" is the beginning of the process of recovery. Most people need some kind of help getting through detox. Some people need medical help or additional structure and support. The kinds of difficulties that an alcoholic or addict will have with detox depend on a number of variables, including, personal characteristics, the specific types of drug(s), combination of drugs, length of use, amount of use, and last use. Detox is the process where your body rids itself of the mood altering chemicals that you have been ingesting. When you use drugs over time, they build up in your system.

Published · 1,521 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

I keep hearing the same old myths over and over again. And I can't help but think that others hearing these myths either believe them and give up or use them for excuses to avoid taking action on getting clean and sober. One of the myths that I hear daily is that you can't get sober for someone else, that you have to want it for yourself, or your recovery efforts won't work. This statement is both true and false. The idea that you can't get sober for someone else is completely wrong. People do it every day.

Published · 1,957 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Most spouses of alcoholics or addicts have been down this road before. Something has happened. Some crisis has gotten the attention of the alcoholic/addict and now he is motivated to get clean and sober. This time he is going to AA/NA and going to counseling. Promises made by the addict to stop the addictive behavior have gone unfulfilled in the past. Yet most of the time, when an addict is making those promises, he intends to keep them. This time is different. They mean it when they say it. That does not mean that what was stated as fact, is indeed, fact.

Published · 1,407 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

The fourth of July is significant for alcoholics and addicts in several ways. The Declaration of Independence was a statement of separation from a tyrannical ruler. With separating from the past they embarked on a new way of life. Many people come into treatment just after the Fourth of July, after having had a "close call", a DUI, a wife who left, or after totally embarrassing or humiliating themselves in drunken or drugged stupor.

Published · 2,962 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

One of the most important tasks necessary for maintaining abstinence and growing in recovery is learning how to appropriately work through feelings. Many people use alcohol and other drugs in place of dealing with or managing emotions. Alcoholism/drug addiction often involves skill deficits. When the chemical is eliminated, the roles that the chemical played in the addict's life must be replaced by healthy living skills. Sometimes recovering alcoholics/addicts must re-lea to do routine daily tasks without aid of the chemical.

Published · 8,231 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

The family dynamics of recovery is rarely smooth sailing. Relapse, which is a process, has a tremendously negative effect on significant others. Family members who have labored and struggled to remain with the addict through all the active years of addiction, to assist them in finding their way into recovery, find their hopes and dreams dashed in the midst of relapse. Anyone in a relationship with an alcoholic/addict is affected by addiction. Loved ones would understandably be upset and angry with the alcohol/other drug (AOD) addict when they relapse.

Published · 4,786 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

When an adult child with addiction problems lives with his parents, those parents are faced with hard choices. The addict believes that he is only harming himself, yet the truth is that the addiction is hurting everyone and is typically tearing the family apart. Parents and significant others of alcoholics/addicts in deciding upon a course of action must make decisions based on what they can live with. There is a huge difference between bottom lines and threats.

Published · 1,890 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

Associations between particular feelings, people, places, and events becomes intertwined with the alcoholic or addicts drinking and drugging behavior. When alcoholics and addicts find their way to recovery, the old associations between the drinking and drugging and the old feeling, people, places, and events persist, often triggering cravings to drink or use. When these cues trigger drinking or using memories and perhaps euphoric recall, unless you take action to prevent cravings and possible relapse, you remain extremely vulnerable to losing your recovery.

Published · 10,628 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

We experience sensory, emotional/psychological, cognitive, environmental, and physical cues on a daily basis in early recovery. These cues or triggers, if left unchecked can turn into powerful cravings for the chemical. Cravings can lead to relapse. In order to avoid relapse it is crucial that you identify your cues, take action, and not let them turn into cravings. One powerful set of cues that can set off cravings are emotions or feelings.

Published · 14,068 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

There is a generally misguided notion that you have to "hit bottom" to be able to get sober and stay sober. "Hitting bottom" is usually seen as the loss of the things that you value in your life. It is an individually defined event and the concept has probably hindered the recovery efforts of a lot of people or at least served as a rationalization for continued drinking. For some people hitting bottom is embarrassing themselves in public-once. For another, it may be spending so much money on their drug of choice that they can't pay the bills.

Published · 2,786 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

People who don't know much about alcohol and other drug addiction, often buy into common myths and stereotypes about addiction and addicts. It is important to replace mistaken assumptions and judgments about addiction, so that you can approach those afflicted with the illness, with compassion and understanding. Many people mistakenly believe that if you call addiction a "disease" that somehow it exempts the alcoholic or addict from responsibility of their behavior. Below are some myths in italics. The truth is in regular print. 1. Addicts are losers and skid-row bums.

Published · 4,173 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Early addiction recovery is a fragile thing. One of the most frequent contributing factors in relapse is something we call "cross-addiction". Essentially what cross-addiction means, is that if you are alcoholic or addicted to other mood altering drugs, you a potentially addicted to all mood altering drugs. To truly understand cross-addiction, you must appreciate the character of addiction and the nature of mood/mind altering drugs. Addiction is a disease. It is frequently described as a primary, chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease.

Published · 2,871 views · Rated 3/5 from 1 votes

Cross addiction is one of the leading causes of relapse in early recovery. Cross-addiction involves being addicted to all mood altering drugs. The following are illustrations of cross addiction. 1. Some people become cross-addicted in their efforts to camouflage their addiction. Alcoholics may change to a different drug of choice to hide the smell, or the impairment of fine motor skills. 2. Cross addiction can occur in the process of withdrawal mediation. This is where you use a different drug to avoid or reduce the symptoms of withdrawal. 3.

Published · 4,876 views · Rated 2.5/5 from 2 votes

Although definitions of "Addiction" seem to be continuing to evolve, addiction is still "a primary, chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease". The last decade of research has led to a refined definition of addiction as a "brain disease which is manifested by compulsive behavior". Cross addiction means that an addict can be addicted to any mood altering drug which s/he ingests. Cross addiction can be an example of relapse and/or a trigger to returning to one's previous drug of choice.

Published · 3,894 views · Rated 1/5 from 1 votes

Many people, while active in addiction, engage in deceptive, dishonest behavior, and diversionary tactics. These are part and parcel of addiction and the need to keep the extent of their problem hidden. It is difficult to juggle all the demands of being addicted with all the "normal" demands of living, plus hiding the addiction from others. Other people in an addict's life are affected by the addiction. Conflict is inevitable. Performance in various areas of an addict's life begins to slip as the disease progresses.

Published · 7,295 views · Rated 2.5/5 from 2 votes

Relapse is a process that occurs over time, in the context of significant decisions. Many people who relapse say that drinking or using was the furthest thing from their mind just before they consumed the chemical. In reality, most of the time, relapse was in process some time before the chemical was ingested. The relapse process involves a return to old thinking, old feelings, and old behavior. When someone is addicted, consumption of their mood altering drug of choice is almost automatic. It is a deeply ingrained and somewhat unconscious action. It has become "first nature".

Published · 4,591 views · Rated 2.5/5 from 2 votes

When you have a drinking or using dream, you may wake up not really knowing if it actually happened. Many people in early recovery find it disturbing and frightening when they experience a "using" dream. Drinking and using dreams are those dreams where the central theme or experience is about drinking or using.

Published · 4,862 views · Rated 2/5 from 2 votes

Your significant other finally went to rehab. With all the events leading up to his agreeing to go to treatment, it may feel like a let-down. You may have breathed a big sigh of relief as you drove away from the airport or the treatment center after dropping him or her off. You may feel hope. You may still be waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Published · 4,537 views · Rated 2/5 from 2 votes

Sometimes family members have a hard time with the idea that addiction is a disease. When this is the case, it often has to do with the issue of responsibility. Sometimes family members believe that "disease" is equated with a "get out of jail free card" or not being held responsible. This is not the case. An addict has responsibility for choosing recovery over choosing to stay in the illness.

Published · 2,274 views · Rated 2/5 from 2 votes

When facing the loss of most of one’s structure in situations like vacation or business trips, relapsive thinking can return, even in established, stable recovery. The relapse thoughts can include some of the below, but this is not an all inclusive lists. When planning a vacation or business trip that takes you out of your established routine and structure, listen to your own “self-talk”. Pay close attention to those ideas that may place you in slippery places, around slippery people, or in slippery activities.

Published · 4,029 views · Rated 2.5/5 from 2 votes

The main task of early recovery is spent in trying to interrupt the momentum of the addiction to achieve sustained abstinence. Most of one's mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual energy is spent on that goal. In ongoing, stable, sustained recovery, the recovering person is no longer struggling to maintain abstinence and is now able to use more of their energy not only cleaning up the debris from their addiction, but being able to consciously move toward being the person that they have wanted to be.

Published · 2,582 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

The key to successfully recovering the love that has eroded is within you. The fun that you once shared together can happen again. The robust sense of "us" that colored the choices you made on a daily basis can be restored. The ability to accomplish these things is within each partner. The key to restoring marital happiness is not dependent upon what your partner is doing. It is not about how much money you have (or how much debt). It is not about how the household chores are divided (equally or not). It is not even about how much time you spend together.

Published · 1,361 views

Family members are often stymied about how their alcoholic/addicted family member can continue to drink or use in the face of overwhelming evidence that the chemical is destroying their lives. “Why don’t they just quit?” is a question that could rightfully top the list of “FAQs by Family Members About Addiction”.

Published · 2,150 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

“Angry”, “mad”, “irritable”, “frustrated”, “annoyed”, “irate”, “seething”, “agitated”, and “cranky” are all labels for anger. This list, although it could be a lot longer, reflects varying degrees in intensity of anger. Anger, although a normal emotion, can be problematic for recovering alcoholics and addicts who not feel fully competent in dealing with their anger. Many recovering alcoholics and addicts have an unrealistic expectation that when they get clean and sober, that they will not have to experience uncomfortable feelings, especially anger.

Published · 8,250 views

Routine. Boring. Settled in. Comfortable. You love your spouse. You believe that she and the family are the most important people in your life. You have settled into a comfortable routine, accepting that you are loved and appreciated by your family. Your comfortable routine consists of an ongoing cycle of work, dinner, tv, bed. When you talk to this most important person in your life, your wife, you talk about replacing the roof, what the kids did that day, what you need from the store, or maybe something that happened at work that day. The conversation lasts maybe ten minutes.

Published · 1,779 views

Couples often come to counseling in a last ditch effort to avoid divorce and save the marriage. They have many goals and objectives in mind, often involving helping the therapist fix the other spouse. The real underlying goal is often the desire to restore the positive feelings toward the spouse and to feel loved by the spouse. Invested in their own solutions, these same partners often go about trying to accomplish this goal by pointing out what their spouse is doing "wrong", how they "always" engage in undesirable behavior and "never" do the things that are requested.

Published · 6,735 views

People do not easily come to the conclusion that they have an alcohol or other drug problem. The telltale signs have been there quite some time. Addiction carries with it its own camouflage devices. It can look like a lot of other illnesses from the perspective of an outsider looking in. From the perspective of an alcoholic/addict the telltale signs can be chalked up to a million other problems or causes.

Published · 2,375 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

Try a little cognitive therapy to reduce your holiday stress. Cognitive therapy examines the thoughts and beliefs that lead to feelings, and thus to behavior. Everyone has some cognitive distortions which are irrational ideas, thoughts, or beliefs, that get in the way of optimal functioning. People acquire these cognitive distortions in many ways, including family of origin, cultural norms or biases, and personal experiences. Cognitive distortions are often a major symptom of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders.

Published · 5,875 views · Rated 5/5 from 3 votes

Everyone wants "the best". When you are looking for a marriage counselor it is important to find someone who is specifically trained in marriage counseling and has the credential of "licensed" or "certified" marriage counselor". This indicates that they demonstrated some level of competence necessary to have had to passed some test(s) or other criteria of competence.

Published · 1,521 views

Sometimes couples wish they felt more emotionally close to their spouses. You may feel taken for granted and might even recognize that you take your spouse for granted. One or both of you might be daydreaming about dedicating some time and energy to restoring that eroding emotional connection. You are probably both aware that marriage, like anything else we value, requires nurturing and sustained effort to maintain it. One spouse might even mention that he or she wants to set aside some time to spend together—just the two of you.

Published · 1,174 views · Rated 1/5 from 1 votes

Sometimes couples wish they felt more emotionally close to their spouses. You may feel taken for granted and might even recognize that you take your spouse for granted. One or both of you might be daydreaming about dedicating some time and energy to restoring that eroding emotional connection. You are probably both aware that marriage, like anything else we value, requires nurturing and sustained effort to maintain it. One spouse might even mention that he or she wants to set aside some time to spend together—just the two of you.

Published · 1,534 views · Rated 3/5 from 2 votes

Many couples get into a dysfunctional pattern of conflict escalation and withdrawal as they attempt to discuss the problems and issues in their life. Each unsuccessful attempt to solve the identified problem sets the tone for the next time that they attempt to resolve the issue. Unresolved issues tend to be self-perpetuating and can persist over decades. A common pattern is where a couple identifies some relationship issue or problem to discuss and starts talking. They begin to get upset, bring out the dirty fight tactics, and the argument is "on".

Published · 6,851 views · Rated 1/5 from 2 votes

I often hear couples complain that they cannot talk about anything. Does that really happen? Think about what would happen in your relationship if you really, literally could not talk to your spouse--about anything. How would you exchange information about work, daily routines, groceries and other products needed, bills to be paid, etc., if you literally could not communicate. Living in a house with another person takes a certain amount of cooperation and teamwork.

Published · 3,685 views · Rated 1/5 from 1 votes

There is so much "information" on the internet about addiction and recovery and unless you already have some knowledge about addiction and recovery, all resources may appear equal to you. This is not the case. There are advertisements, articles, and blog posts about addiction recovery products and services that are pretty much equal to the latest snake oil products for losing weight without diet and exercise. If it seems too good to be true, it is. There are no magic pills, herbal supplements, or miraculous techniques that cure addiction.

Published · 2,058 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

I just watched Oprah interview Geneen Roth about her new book, Women, Food, and God (written for men as well as women). Oprah experienced many breakthroughs reading the book and is recommending it to anyone who has ever struggled with weight. It seems that however Oprah goes, so goes the country! Now that the spotlight is healing eating issues and Geneen Roth’s philosophy, I would like to take this opportunity to share with you and to compare and contrast Skinny Thinking with the principles in Women, Food, and God.

Published · 4,042 views · Rated 5/5 from 3 votes

Ignoring your mind is simple, but not easy. Why—because as human beings we are programmed to pay attention to and believe our thoughts. A stressful thought pops into our head and faster than the speed of light, the mind lays out reams of proof about why this painful distillation of life is true. Here is the bottom line: If you believe your stressful thoughts, you suffer. If you believe your romantic thoughts about food, you follow them to the refrigerator, and put on weight.r

Published · 2,128 views

Whether you plan to abstain from alcohol for a day, a week, a month, or a lifetime, the use cognitive behavioral strategies has been proven to greatly increase your chances of success. Dr. Jeffrey Brandsma's (1980) classic study showed that people who learned cognitive behavioral strategies were significantly more successful in dealing with their alcohol problems than a control group. How do these cognitive behavioral strategies work?

Published · 4,553 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Are you worried that you may be involved in a codependent relationship? You are not alone. Most people associate codependency with a partner who has an alcohol and substance abuse addiction, but there are other situations that can foster a codependent relationship. Following are 12 signs that you may be involved in a codependent relationship. The good news is that if you're a codependent partner, you have the ability to recover, transform your life, and reclaim your soul's destiny. What is a Codependent Relationship?

Published · 5,756 views · Rated 5/5 from 4 votes

Psychological trauma can change the course of a person’s life and in some cases leave devastating life-long scars. Trauma can come from any situation that poses a threat to personal safety or sense of wellbeing. The events can be real or perceived; trauma is any event that the psyche can’t cope with or process as it happens. A traumatic event may be etched in our conscious memory, or it may be stored directly in the unconscious mind. In either case, the limbic brain creates coping mechanisms which keeps us in states of hyper vigilance and chronic fight or flight mode.

Published · 5,118 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

"It is estimated that 70% of adults in the United States will experience one or more traumatic events in their lives, and 20% will go on to develop PTSD"1 For individuals who suffer from PTSD and other psychological disorders, conventional treatment methods may not be enough to bring about balanced psychological and physical health. Based upon their effectiveness, several complementary and alte ative holistic PTSD treatments, including shamanic soul retrieval, have increasingly gained popularity in helping those who suffer from PTSD, anxiety, depressio

Published · 6,015 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

When we imagine our children becoming addicted to drugs we often envision dimly lit alleys filled with questionable characters persuading our impressionable children to smoke, snort, or even shoot illicit street drugs. However, the most realistic threat to our children’s sobriety is not in the street, but much closer. In fact, it is in your medicine cabinet.

Published · 5,174 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Since the 1930’s 12 step recovery programs have become the preferred method to treat alcoholism, drug abuse, co-dependence, or other addictive behaviors. 12 step recovery programs are deeply rooted within the belief that addicts are powerless over their addiction and the key to sobriety is avoiding the first drink or drug. These programs are based on abstinence because alcoholism and addiction are incurable diseases and there is no other alte ative. Some would say that 12 step recovery programs are based in fear.

Published · 5,956 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

What role do your beliefs play in your ability to completely recover? Do your beliefs disempower you? A belief is a perception, conviction, or opinion that you hold about yourself, a situation, event, or others. Beliefs are not necessarily true or fact-based, however, they are something we hold internally within your soul and spirit as a truth. Beliefs can be extremely complex, but when it comes to defining our behavior, our beliefs can drive us to make assumptions, react quickly, and make precise decisions at both a conscious and subconscious level.

Published · 4,523 views

Are you sabotaging your own recovery? How many times have you been in rehabilitation only to relapse back into the madness that you swore you would leave behind? You want to recover. You want to lead a recovered life, but in the end, the result is always the same. You sabotage yourself, your life, and return to addictive patterns of behavior. Holistic addiction treatment offers addicts the pathway to full recovery by treating the root cause of self-sabotaging behavior.

Published · 5,064 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Experiencing a traumatic life event can often leave us feeling both mentally and spiritually debilitated. We are often unable to clearly see the road to recovery. Instead, we may find ourselves looking inside the hole of a deep abyss of bottomless pain. Somewhere along the way, we chose to “fill” the abyss with everything and anything to make the pain less; to make the sadness and the suffering go away…if only for a moment.

Published · 6,037 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

My loved one has only been sober for 1 month. Why aren’t they answering their phone? Did he/she relapse again? Oh no…not again. You call. They don’t answer. You drive by their favorite restaurant; their favorite bar. They aren’t there. You call their friends. No answer.

Published · 4,626 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Califo ia's Drug Endangered Child Protection Act includes sections on creating a pilot program, coordinating multiagency response teams, preparing an annual report containing data on the number of children found in and removed from meth labs, and distributing funds.

Published · 1,815 views · Rated 3.5/5 from 4 votes

Child Protective and Preventive Services are offered to families by the Department of Social Services which is mandated by law to protect children from abuse or neglect within their families, in foster care, or by persons responsible for the child's welfare as defined by statute.

Published · 2,180 views · Rated 4.5/5 from 4 votes

1. Meth addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior. Drugs of abuse alter the brain’s structure and function, resulting in changes that persist long after drug use has ceased. This may explain why drug abusers are at risk for relapse even after long periods of abstinence and despite the potentially devastating consequences.

Published · 1,808 views · Rated 4.6/5 from 5 votes

A child living at a meth lab is exposed to many dangers and to the ongoing effects of chemical contamination. The chemicals used to cook meth produce toxic fumes, vapors, and spills. A child living at a meth lab may inhale or swallow toxic substances or inhale the secondhand smoke of adults who are using meth, absorb methamphetamine and other toxic substances through the skin following contact with contaminated surfaces, clothing, or food; or become ill after directly ingesting chemicals or an intermediate product.

Published · 3,647 views · Rated 4.3/5 from 3 votes

Challenging the Expectation of Failure History is helpful to us in many ways. We can learn from what hasn’t worked as we continue to pursue solutions, for example. Our ‘failures’ can point us in new directions if we use them as ‘research’ rather than reasons to stagnate or give up. Like Edison said before finding his famous solution: I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. That’s a good lesson for addiction treatment and recovery. That we need to keep looking has been clear for a very long time. The Concept of Failure in Recovery

Published · 3,959 views

The Deep Attachment of Psychological Dependence with Prescription Drug Use

Published · 3,147 views

Many people who have suffered from addiction or have a loved one who does, will likely, one time or another, question whether drug and alcohol addiction are hereditary. It’s an understandable conce for anyone interested in ending addiction. People want to know if their behavior, or that of their loved ones, suggests that other family members may be at risk of developing an addiction as well. Scientists have done a lot of research on addiction and genetics. Read on to learn about the results they have found. Family History of Drug and Alcohol Addictionr

Published · 1,661 views

You hear a different story from every recovering addict who has been through drug rehabilitation, because there is no one-size-fits-all solution to addition. Every person's path is different. However, there is a structured system for rehab that can provide anyone with valuable guidance. These tried-and-true techniques have helped many people become drug and alcohol free.

Published · 2,097 views

A truly holistic approach to addiction recovery addresses the complete person in a concurrent way. This means that the body, mind, soul and spirit of an individual are simultaneously involved in the healing process. The Sanctuary at Sedona is such a program. To the best of our knowledge, we are unique in the field, providing comprehensive services to address each level of an individual’s need. The result is that we equip our clients with the experiences and tools they need to maintain a sustainable and full recovery from addiction.

Published · 4,239 views

We used to believe that we are controlled by our genes and that DNA programs us like software does a computer. We thought that DNA communicated with us—as if we were downloading our fates—and that we had nothing to say about it. This was an incredibly disempowering view of how human life works. It put us at the mercy of what happened even before we were born.

Published · 3,715 views

HeartMath at The Sanctuary HeartMath is a therapeutic modality founded in well-documented research from the field of neurocardiology. Informed by the heart’s critical role in our overall health, HeartMath sessions are conducted with simple, user-friendly technology through which our clients can access, monitor and take control of their internal states. They learn to recognize chaotic internal states and to shift quickly into greater internal coherence, or more optimal overall functioning, with full access to higher brain functions, and an increased sense of well-being (2).

Published · 3,871 views

How do you maintain a healthy life for sustainable recovery?

Published · 3,603 views

Addiction Recovery Programs Take on Many Forms

Published · 4,625 views

Heal the Underlying Trauma for Full Recovery

Published · 2,802 views

We Have Living Proof that You Can Re-write, Re-experience and Re-create Your Life

Published · 3,238 views

Do you or someone you know suffer from C-PTSD? Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or C-PTSD, commonly co-occurs with addiction. C-PTSD is a complicated trauma reaction caused by enduring extreme stress over a prolonged period of time. Its frequent companion, addiction, typically evolves as repeated attempts are made to find respite in substance use from painful symptoms of a trauma disorder. Chronic Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Exposure

Published · 4,493 views

Why Childhood Trauma Can Lead to Codependency

Published · 3,295 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

3 Tips to Balance Addiction Recovery and Human Electrical Body to Achieve Physical Healing. Even if you don’t consciously realize it, there are electrical forces within your body that impact the functions that are keeping you alive. Nerve impulses are small electrical energy signals, and these signals create magnetic energy waves. Human electrical energy is created within nerve cells, and these chemical processes send waves of electrical energy from one cell to the next, throughout the entire body. How Electrical Impulses Impact Physical Healing

Published · 3,100 views

5 Tips for Intestinal Health to Help Improve Brain Function

Published · 3,664 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

The first time I encountered a teen who used the term “farming parties” I thought she was referring to a collection of teenagers, in the middle of nowhere, setting a pile of old wood ablaze and gossiping while consuming a lukewarm keg of cheap beer. I was shocked to learn that what she was ...The first time I encountered a teen who used the term “farming parties” I thought she was referring to a collection of teenagers, in the middle of nowhere, setting a pile of old wood ablaze and gossiping while consuming a lukewarm keg of cheap beer.

Published · 3,903 views · Rated 4.3/5 from 4 votes

ADDICTION 101 As anyone who has known an addict quickly realizes, no one just wakes up one day with an addiction. Addiction is a biochemical disease that is created over a period of time as one consistently uses substances resulting in increased deterioration of the body. However, once a ...ADDICTION 101

Published · 4,559 views · Rated 4.5/5 from 6 votes

Addiction, Nutrition And . . . You?? Getting In Touch With Your Inner Addict Addicts are known for their clichés like “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired” or “one is too many and 100 is not enough.” But how often do health professionals get to the bottom of the “feeling crappy syndrome” and the seemingly insatiable physical cravings that addicts and chronic substance abusers experience? And can the “normal” people in our population learn anything from their as yet unresolved pain?

Published · 4,602 views · Rated 5/5 from 2 votes

If you are not aware that the topic of non-consensual sex has yet again found its way onto the front page of Pittsburgh’s local news, then perhaps you should stop re-watching the Stanley cup finals on your DVR and check out a newspaper or two. The topic is again, as always, drenched in controversy and contorted by the gender biases of male verses female sexual stereotypes. The current conversations, from barrooms to boardrooms, continue to demonstrate the lack of understanding so many people have regarding non-consensual sex, sexual assault and rape.

Published · 4,577 views · Rated 4/5 from 2 votes

Addicts are known for their clichés like “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired” or “one is too many and 100 is not enough.” But how often do health professionals get to the bottom of the “feeling crappy syndrome” and the seemingly insatiable physical cravings that addicts and chronic substance abusers experience? And can the “normal” people in our population learn anything from their as yet unresolved pain?

Published · 3,150 views · Rated 4.8/5 from 4 votes

Like so many people, I bet you have a vacation, reunion or wedding to slim up for. And just like every other year, you will map out a diet and exercise plan complete with visualizations of the many jealous onlookers noticing your toned physique as you jog down the beach in a Baywatch montage, or dance at a party as fat, lonely wall flowers gaze in envy. You will engage this plan with a verve and dedication never before seen by man. This is your year!! This is the summer!! You will reach your goal – starting tomorrow of course.

Published · 4,363 views · Rated 4.8/5 from 5 votes

The pills- he had to find the pills. Running from his house to his leased car, he yanked open the front door and reached for the fuse box. The stash he kept there was gone. Frantically pusing his hands under the front seat, he poured through the car before ripping off the dashboard. Unable ...

Published · 2,694 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

For many individuals contemplating treatment for substance abuse, ninety or more days of residential treatment can be a daunting thought; even difficult for some to consider beyond the once-mainstay “30 day” inpatient treatment program. While many programs still use this “30 day” model, this ...

Published · 3,069 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

According to Goswami (1995) "whenever we ask if there is some other kind of reality beyond the material reality, we are putting material realism on the spot. Similarly, a genuine discontinuity points to a transcendent order of reality and thus a breakdown of material realism" (p. 138). What ...

Published · 4,569 views

After having attended 12-step meetings for over eleven years, I still didn't understand what they meant when they shared about spiritual experiences. Since then, I did a research study with AA members to find out, and have consequently come to understand that there are many forms of spiritual ...

Published · 5,077 views

Chemical dependency has been beaten like a dead horse. There are causal theories from genetic predisposition to various theories of learning, which has contributed greatly to a social construction of reality--a clearing that needs to be re-visioned. Discussed here will be psychological and depth ...

Published · 7,493 views

Puer Aeternus is Latin for eternal boy. Senex is Latin for old man. However, this is just one archetype--a split archetype. Hillman (1970) explains "that the senex is a complicatio of the puer, infolded into puer structure, so that puer events are complicated by a senex background." (p. 146). ...

Published · 5,655 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

Having previously written on prison stereotypes and archetypes, I separated them into two groups: the old prison stereotype and the new prison population who personify archetypes. In motion pictures, Humphery Bogart, James Cagney and many others have since portrayed gangsters, sociopaths and ...

Published · 7,387 views

Approximately a month before I was released from the netherworld of the prison yard, I weighed more than I ever had in my life. Not knowing anything about fat, carbohydrates, or heart rate and exercise, I started fast-walking around the prison yard per diem, every day. While I managed not to ...

Published · 3,619 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

The roots of the word prison comes from prisune from before 1112, which means confinement. Prisune was influence by pris, which means taken or seized. From Latin prehenso--to lay hold of, clutch at. Prysner--one kept in prison: probably 1350-75. Is prison a deterrent to crime? Judging by the ...

Published · 6,434 views

To decide during childhood, whether as an ideal from a dream or fantasy, or from being impressed or influenced by others in the community, to delve into the netherworld of drugs and alcohol--actually choosing to live a life of chaos is one of those mysteries of human behavior. Most addicts do ...

Published · 7,272 views

Part I Addictive behavior in parents often begets addictive behavior in their offspring. According to Nakken (1988), if a child grows up in a family in which one parent is an addict, the child is likely to develop an addiction. If both parents are addicts, the child's chances of addiction ...

Published · 4,094 views

The roots of the word prison comes from prisune from before 1112, which means confinement. Prisune was influence by pris, which means taken. As a result of a growing and changing prison population in this country, I will reiterate statistics of the presence of an archetype. Personal observation ...

Published · 8,066 views

We rise upon the earth as wavelets rise upon the ocean. We grow out of her soil as leaves grow from a tree. The wavelets catch the sunbeams separately, the leaves stir when the branches do not move. They realize their own events apart, just as in our own consciousness, when anything becomes ...

Published · 5,002 views

I do not believe that I am now dreaming, but I cannot prove that I am Not." Philosopher Bertrand Russell 1872-1970 Freud: Are dreams relevant? The scientific community does not seem to think so. If it can not be proven by the scientific method, it does not exist. It must not exist then. Freud ...

Published · 6,636 views

In The Future of an Illusion, Freud (1961) shares that: "I am reminded of one of my children who was distinguished at an early age by a peculiarly marked matter-of-factness. When the children were being told a fairy story and were listening to it with rapt attention, he would come up and ask: ...

Published · 9,322 views

In the course of a week approximately 15 million Americans will attend some kind of self-help group. Why is this happening? Because people have discovered that talking and listening to their fellow sufferers has a soothing effect on the psyche, sometimes more so than doing the same thing in the ...

Published · 3,412 views

What is alchemy? Many of us are drawn to the mysteries of the past to enlighten the quality of the present. Mythology, astrology, the tarot, runes, and I-Ching have drawn the interest of many in recent years, and is being enjoyed and utilized in fresh and innovative ways. Ancient wisdom imbued ...

Published · 5,486 views

Critical thinking (sometimes referred to as directed thinking) is purposeful, reasoned and goal directed--it is thought and knowledge and the relationship between them. To break it down more: the critical component is the evaluation that is most often agreed upon, and thinking is obtaining the ...

Published · 9,885 views

Was Sigmund Freud a twisted, deranged, sexual pervert with no evidence to support his theories? Or was he a competent physician, an effective theorist, and a creative professional exploring and developing new concepts? The answer to these questions is yes. He was a competent physician and ...

Published · 10,362 views

Sigmund Freud When I think of Freud in relation to addictive behavior, the id, ego, and superego come to mind. The id is hedonistic--sleazy, fun-loving and pleasure seeking. The id says, "John, use that money to buy bag of dope and then share it with her. You'll surely get laid for your ...

Published · 9,310 views

The difference between a psychopath and a sociopath is blurred, at least according to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM-IV lists both definitions together under the heading of Antisocial Personalities because they share common traits. ...

Published · 6,933 views

What is alchemy? Many of us are drawn to the mysteries of the past to enlighten the quality of the present. Mythology, astrology, the tarot, runes, and I-Ching have drawn the interest of many in recent years, and is being enjoyed and utilized in fresh and innovative ways. Ancient wisdom imbued ...

Published · 1,192 views

At the Personal Development Institute we recognize that no one individual is the same and the need for change effects us all in different ways, whether it's a new job or new relationships you will find resources, links, articles and information to help you make those important decisions in a professional way.

thepdi.com · Published

If you or someone you know needs help with an alcohol, tobacco, or other drug problem, this section will point you to resources for help. Search for a treatment program near you, take an online screening test for alcohol problems, or identify local and online support options.

thepdi.com · Published

67 of The Greatest Self Help, Success, Spiritual & Personal Transformation eBooks ever written. Now Available for Only $1.99 each. From timeless Sages to present day Gurus these books distill Centuries of Wisdom into some pretty hard hitting and important messages.

thepdi.com · Published

We provide NBCC, NAADAC, CAADAC, OASAS and AIHCP approved self-paced home-study and online continuing education courses for those in the helping professions enabling them to obtain and/or retain their professional credentials.

ccmsinc.net · Published · 30 views · Rated 2.6/5 from 12 votes

A comprehensiv guide to the use of Naltrexone in treatment of alcoholism.

resourceaddiction.com · Published · 4 views · Rated 5/5 from 1 votes

Official site of Eric L. Davis, PhD, LCSW, LCAC, licensed mental health and addiction therapist.

ericldavis.com · Published · 13 views · Rated 3.3/5 from 14 votes

ARCA JHB is a drug & alcohol rehabilitation center in Sandton, Johannesburg. ARCA JHB specializes in drug detox programs

arcajhb.com · Published · 1 views · Rated 4/5 from 1 votes

MyRehab Helper thrives on the conviction that togethe ess is key in the recovery process. Partnered with MyRehab Addiction Recovery Centre, we offer an extensive array of objective and independent resources designed to guide you towards a sober, healthy life.

myrehabhelper.co.za · Published

Arche Wellness Center houses Arche Wellness, Pennsylvania's only Orthomolecular Addiction Recovery Program (ORP) for dependence on drugs, alcohol and food. Through an intense, chronic care approach, Arche Wellness helps their patients do more then get clean, they get well.

archewellness.com · Published · 30 views · Rated 2.8/5 from 18 votes