Brain Research | Brain Development
So What is Codependency?
Codependency – so what is it? This was a very difficult concept for me to grasp. And for the longest time (like almost 4 decades as of 2003), I didn’t even try because I didn’t think it had anything to do with me. But for those of you who’ve read my latest book, 10th Anniversary…
Read MoreInternational Brain Awareness Week March 12 – 18
International Brain Awareness Week – find out what’s new in brain research. Every March, Brain Awareness Week (BAW), sponsored by The Dana Foundation, unites the efforts of partner organizations worldwide in a celebration of the brain for people of all ages. It is a global campaign to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain…
Read MoreAddiction – It’s Time to Tell the Whole Truth About Puberty
Addiction is a developmental disease that often begins in adolescence. It is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease, which is why the brain changes associated with puberty and ages 12-25 are so important to understand. So what is the brain / puberty / addiction connection? How does it relate to substance abuse, addiction, treatment, intervention,…
Read MoreWondering What to Do About a Loved One’s Substance Abuse?
Loved one’s substance abuse – does it have you worried? are you wondering what you can or should try to do? I get a lot of phone calls from people — especially family members — husbands, wives, siblings, parents — desperate for answers about what to do for a loved one with a substance abuse…
Read MoreBrain Damage in Sports – New Research, Devastating Risks
Brain damage in sports – what does this have to do with substance abuse and addiction? Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease – anything that changes the brain is worth understanding for the brain controls everything we think, feel, say and do. In this particular post, I am talking about brain damage in…
Read MorePTSD and the Sleep Connection
PTSD and sleep – why is this connection important to understand? Given mental illness (of which PTSD is one) is one of the five key risk factors for developing an addiction and that sleep (the peaceful, restful kind) is one of the key things a person can do to heal their brain from an addiction,…
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 MoreStress and the Developing Brain
Stress and the developing brain – the impact of the chronic stress a child experiences when living with undiagnosed, unhealthily discussed substance abuse [something I refer to as secondhand drinking / drugging] can have a significant impact on the developing brain. To this point, Bruce S. McEwen’s September 21, 2011 article, “Effects of Stress on…
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