Recently there has been a steep rise in the amount of gambling advertisements on all types of media. While many claim not to be “gambling” sites (not exactly sure how they’re able to justify this; even if no actual money is being transmitted the randomness of the games is gambling for our brains) and all […]
What Makes Gambling So Addictive? Read More »
The holidays are stressful. People have an immense amount of expectation on themselves and their families; they are rushing to provide an idyllic image of the holidays for self and others; there is an increased financial cost to these goals; and, overall, there is just a lot of pressure. In my experience, human beings don’t
Self-Care During the Holidays Read More »
The 12-Step programs, which originally began with Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935, have a bad wrap as far as I’m concerned. When people think of 12-Step meetings, many stereotypes come to mind: People sitting around in church basements (which there might be some truth to that since most fellowships can only find space at local churches
The Basics of Any 12-Step Program Read More »
For those who have struggled with an Addiction issue of any kind (whether it be alcohol, drugs, nicotine, sugar, work, sex, pornography, codependency, relationships, spending, food, gambling or beyond), you may already have spent some time thinking about the differences and similarities between recovery and sobriety. Or you may not have. A lot of people
Sobriety vs. Recovery Read More »
Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental depletion. It comes when the stressors and demands put on us outweigh our ability to replenish energy. The consequences of burnout can be profound and, in the worst cases, result in people being unable to function in their daily lives. On the less extreme end,
How to Recover from Burnout Read More »
Relationships require effort. Whether that relationship be with ourselves or an external individual, they are something we need to constantly invest energy in, with obviously a great payback. Sometimes, however, people get stuck in this pursuit. Conflict and triggers are difficult moments to navigate and can feel overwhelming even to the most open and eager
The ABC’s of Dealing with Conflict and Triggers Read More »
People continue to associate Addiction with substance use. I hear many people reflect that, since they don’t have problems with drugs or alcohol, then they don’t have Addiction. I am here to burst the bubble on this myth. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but to actually help people in their quest for health. I
The Top 5 Areas Addiction Impacts After Alcohol & Drugs Read More »
I have kept coming across articles talking about family estrangement. One article I read talked about how mental health practitioners were responsible for the increase in estrangement because of promoting this from toxic people (it was a pretty scathing, blaming and shaming article). I was initially going to write a response to this article but
The Many Reasons for Estrangement Read More »
Food: Our collective drug As an Addiction Psychologist, I recognize there are many people who do not identify with having Addiction. Yet, the more I talk to people, the more commonalities I find amongst people who identify having Addiction and those who do not. What exactly do I mean by this? I certainly do not
Food-Our Collective Drug Read More »
Codependency, or Addiction involving relationships, is just as much a part of Addiction as drug use, alcohol use, gambling, or other manifestations. Yet, it often gets a bad wrap, is consistently misunderstood and not placed in the Addiction category. Today, I am here to tell you that Addiction involving relationships is just as much a
Relapsing in Codependency Read More »
