Posts Tagged ‘addiction’
Understand Brain Maps | Change a Habit | Change Your Life
Understand brain maps and you can learn how to change a habit, change your life. Now that’s a bold, somewhat bizarre statement. Nonetheless, it holds the key to the power each of us can wield over the health of our brain and therefore the quality of our life. Here is a very basic explanation. How…
Read MoreCo-occurring Disorders Require Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment
Co-occurring disorders require co-occurring disorders treatment. So what are they? Co-occurring disorders means having a substance use and two or more other mental health disorders (aka mental illnesses) at the same time. (Substance Use Disorders are commonly referred to as alcoholism, addiction or drug or alcohol abuse.) A person with anxiety, depression and alcoholism (aka…
Read MoreUsing Brain Science to Treat Substance Use Disorder
Using brain science to treat substance use disorder (SUD) can be a HUGE help. Why? Because substance use disorder (aka alcoholism, addiction, alcohol or other drug abuse) is now understood to be a brain disorder, sometimes referred to as a brain disease. As Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)…
Read MoreCodependents – StrongWilled or Willful? – Darlene Lancer
Codependents – strong-willed or willful? is a question frequent guest author, Darlene Lancer, JD, MFT, explores in her post below. As she writes, “A strong-minded person accepts life on life’s terms, which provides a solid basis for constructive, effective action that is well-considered and not compulsive. Having a strong will is having a strong mind.…
Read MoreHelp for Families Struggling with Substance Use Disorder
Finally! Help for families struggling with substance use disorder is now in legislative form before Congress — H.R. 5572 in the House and S. 3179 in the Senate. This legislation is called the Family Support Services for Addiction Act. And its existence is huge! Why? It means the message is finally getting through that FAMILIES…
Read MoreThe Link Between Sexual Trauma and Addiction
The link between sexual trauma and addiction can be significant. As I wrote in my article, “Treating ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Helps With Addiction Recovery,” Treating ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences, which are extremely stressful or traumatic events occurring before the age of 18, can go a long, long way to helping a person with addiction…
Read MoreBuilding Resilience Through Understanding Substance Use Disorders and Their Impacts on Others
Building Resilience Through Understanding Substance Use Disorders and Their Impacts on Others was the topic of a 3.5 hour presentation I delivered to three different organizations this spring; these organizations were also the program sponsors: San Joaquin County Office of Education and the San Joaquin County Children’s Services Coordinating Commission (Stockton, CA, March 5, 2019)…
Read MoreHow to Find a Therapist – National Mental Health Awareness Month
How to find a therapist is a frequent question readers ask when they call. They know they or a loved one needs help with something “bad” that happened to them in childhood, a mental illness, or a substance use disorder — sometimes all three. But they are at a loss for how to find someone…
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