Sex Addiction and Substance Abuse Newsweek reported that there are 9 million sex addicts in the United States and at least 40 million Americans log onto 4.2 million pornographic websites daily. The growing speed of sex addiction may be attributed to the easy access to all things explicit found on the internet. The internet is
Chronic Pain, Anxiety, Depression and Prescription Drug Addiction
I’m not an addict, I have legitimate pain! According to the American Pain Foundation, there are 50 million Americans that suffer from chronic pain each year. Chronic pain is a response elicited by the brain and spinal cord after the body has been injured or there is a potential to be injured. Prescription drugs offer
Grief and Loss is Tricky and Unpredictable
The best definition of grief that I have found to date is that “grief is the normal and natural emotional reaction to loss or change of any kind.” I like this definition because generally speaking when one talks about grief, it is related to the death of someone or loss of something (i.e. loss of
How to Make Your Family Work
Lately several families have inquired how to help their families work. By work they are asking how to have a well-adjusted, healthy family. Many people in today’s modern world want to know how to deal with blended families, divorced families, one parent families, or families of different faiths, to name just a few examples. These
Facing Grief and Loss in Recovery
I remember I was sitting in my car in the parking lot of a One Stop gas station when Mom called to tell me my grandfather, who I affectionately called Papa, had passed away. As if the initial shock wasn’t enough, she said he had passed away three days prior to her telling me. I
Anxious Addicts: The Relationship Between Anxiety and Addiction
Almost everyone at some point in their lives struggles with a form of anxiety. Feelings produced from anxiety can be misleading and are perpetuated by reinforcing thoughts. Most people do not recognize that they are anxious until they feel the physical symptoms of anxiety. Substance abuse is a quick remedy for uncomfortable feelings produced by
Top Ten Indicators that You Show Signs of Codependency
Codependency is an excessive emotional, physical, and psychological reliance on a relationship that is dysfunctional. It is an emotional condition that can destroy a person’s happiness, career, health, and personal relationships. Research has found that codependency is generational. It is a way of relating that is learned from the family of origin. Understanding codependency, the
Dying to Be Thin: Unhealthy Influences on Body Image Lead to Eating Disorders
According to the National Eating Disorder Association, 10 million females and 1 million males suffer from an eating disorder. Individuals receive direct and indirect messages about body image throughout their lives from family, friends and the media. This has an unhealthy influence on an individual’s belief systems regarding food and eating. Some individuals develop eating
Dual Diagnosis: It’s Not Just About the Drinking
Sometimes we drink to forget our problems, or to make us feel relaxed, to make us feel happy. Have you ever wondered why those feelings of nervousness or sadness are there? Sometimes we can’t shake those feelings off and we self-medicate with alcohol. Well, this could mean that there is something else going on inside
Codependent Behavior: Are you Loving to Death?
You see your loved one struggling with alcohol and drugs and it is so difficult. You just want to be the best significant other, spouse, parent, sibling or friend. You help them with rent money or paying bills or you have even bailed him or her out of jail. That’s what family and friends
