Childhood Trauma — The Invisible Type
Childhood trauma – the invisible type – is something we need to better understand given childhood trauma is one of the five key risk factors for developing an addiction. Please find the following guest post from Art Smukler, MD: Hello Everyone, It’s a pleasure to be back on Lisa Frederiksen‘s wonderful blogsite. Since Childhood Trauma…
Read MoreHow Physical Therapy Can Help Recovering Addicts
The following is a guest post by Brenda Lawrence describing how physical therapy can help recovering addicts. Brenda is physical therapist whose specialties include rehabilitation and weight loss. She created Physical TherapyAide.org in 2010, as a resource website for students interested in a career as a physical therapy aide. Drugs and alcohol can have a destructive…
Read MoreRelapse Prevention – Continuing Care Plans Can Be Important Tools
Relapse prevention – how can a continuing care plan help? Because addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease, and it takes time to heal the brain of this disease. Continuing care plans can help — especially when they involve the family members closest to the addict/alcoholic. Relapse Prevention – Consider a Continuing Care…
Read MoreUsing Science of the Brain to Talk With Teens About Substance Abuse
To talk with teens about substance abuse has gotten a lot easier thanks to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has a site called NIDA for Teens: Facts on Drugs — The Science Behind Addiction. Not surprising, one of my favorites is Brain & Addiction. I suggest teens, parents and those who work with…
Read MoreThe Tradeoff
The following is a guest post from Monkeytraps: A blog about control, which has two authors: Steve Hauptman, LCSW, and Bert. (If you’re new to Monkeytraps, Steve is a therapist who specializes in control issues, and Bert is his control-addicted inner monkey.) If you’re new to Monkeytraps, Steve is a therapist who specializes in control issues, and Bert is his…
Read MoreDual Diagnosis | Co-Occuring Disorders | Comorbidity – What is It?
Dual Diagnosis | Co-Occuring Disorders | Comorbidity – confusing terms to be sure but so important to understand in order to effectively treat and recover when one has an addiction and mental illness. Comorbidity (aka dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders) is an often misunderstood diagnosis. Basically, it is having two brain diseases at the same…
Read MoreContinuing Care | Important to Addiction Recovery
Continuing care must be a part of addiction recovery. Why? It’s the third phase of the disease treatment model, and addiction is a disease. How? By its simplest definition, a disease is something that changes cells in a negative way. Addiction changes cells in the brain, which is what makes addiction a chronic, often relapsing…
Read MoreDon’t Let Worry About Drinking Sabotage Your Holiday Expectations
Holiday expectations and drinking – sometimes the worry about what may happen can kill the joy that’s possible during family celebrations. Read these tips to help you enjoy yourself this holiday season – even if you’re anxious about a loved one’s drinking. Drinking and Holidays Expectations If you live in a family with alcohol abuse…
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