Mental health and addiction recovery are so important for overall quality of life for many people, yet can seem like a quagmire when it comes to the options available to help you get there. As a practical and realistic person, I think it is helpful to sometimes pull things down to the basics and start […]
The Importance of Making the Bed Read More »
Perfectionism is an example of a symptom usually rooted in trauma and dysfunctional experience that society has rewarded and viewed as helpful. I can tell you as a perfectionist in constant recovery, it has it’s significant downsides just as any symptom would. Where does perfectionism come from? As mentioned above, while perfectionism may have some genetic
Many people who present for Addiction and Mental Health problem have something in common: Challenges with their emotional world (or feelings). In my years of practice as a Registered Psychologist in Alberta, Canada, I have observed some general trends and thought it would be helpful to put forward some common myths vs. realities to support
The Top Myths About Feelings Read More »
Things can and have gotten pretty ugly in the world and the news, of course, is all over their constant reporting of this. It’s impossible to escape from. With the advent of the 24 hour news cycle and the growth of the internet, there is a plethora of sites and resources and information that is
Coping with the Ugly News Read More »
In a previous blog post, I wrote about ‘The Dopamine Chase’ and how our brains can seek out increasing amounts of dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that tells our brain when something was rewarding and that we should do it again (and probably more of it). This can come from feelings, relationships, substances, food, and
Writing may become a long lost art form at some point as we become more comfortable typing our lives away. However, there is therapeutic value in picking up the good old pen and paper, particularly if we are writing about our thoughts and feelings. What is the value of writing? How come many people keep
The Art of the Journal Read More »
People like to think they have total control over themselves, including their brain. This is the reason that physical disability and mental and cognitive health issues can be so devastating; because they show us that we do not have total control over what is happening internally. In fact, as you start to learn more about
The Dopamine Chase Read More »
There is a lot going on in the world right now and this has led to increased levels of stress, tension, as well as compensatory coping mechanisms like substance use, sex, and escape via media or other things. My hope (perhaps it’s idealistic) for the world is that we can see all of these goings-on
In my last post, I ended off by saying we would talk more about healthy fun as often people think that Addiction recovery is a drag and work. The truth is, it is effortful and draining, for sure, but there is also an energy and invigoration that comes from it unlike any other. Where people
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and more cities are recommending self-isolating as a precaution, it struck me that people who are normally busy and living an extraverted life are being forced by circumstance to live as an introvert. Introversion and extraversion are personality typing classifications that stem from the work of psychoanalyst Carl Jung. These
Living as an Introvert Read More »
