Is Orthorexia the New Alcoholism?

Orthorexia nervosa is otherwise known as an unhealthy preoccupation with “clean, pure or righteous” eating and exercise. It is not yet a recognized eating disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Edition), but clinicians are becoming more and more aware of its devastating effects. Orthorexia usually begins with a positive desire

Substance Abuse & Eating Disorder in Teens

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare – finding out their child or teen is illegally drinking and/or using drugs. The statistics are alarming.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports a recent rise in marijuana use despite a preceding 10-year period of decline. In 2010, 1.2 percent of 8th-graders, 3.3 percent of 10th-graders, and 6.1 percent

Teenagers – Unique Creatures

Over the course of hundreds of years, anthropologists have identified a unique creature roaming planet Earth. There, observers noted over centuries of observation that these creatures can at times behave irrationally and impulsively, suggesting a limited capacity for reason and judgment. ‑ the name assigned to these unique creatures? ‑ the Human Teenager. Teenagers are

Helping Baby and Mommy Off Opioids

pregnant woman touching her pregnant belly by the beach

Pregnant and Addicted to Opioids? You might want to read this. Introducing The Positive Direction Model: Opioid Use and Pregnancy, 1st Edition Davina Moss-King, PhD wrote The Positive Direction Model for pregnant women diagnosed with opioid use disorder.  The book focuses on women and their newborns, highlighting the opioid epidemic’s impact on the infant’s health

Addiction is a Family Disease

closeup of male and female holding hands on a couch

In my family, addiction is as commonplace as dishes in the sink or Sunday dinners. It’s in the way I was raised, the way my parents were raised. I don’t have anyone in my family who lives in active addiction right now, but I can see its effect across generations. Cyclical destruction occurs, and once

Bath Salts Banned Nationwide

Nationwide Ban on Bath Salts

Finally, legislation has been passed banning bath salts nationwide. U.S. Senator Chris Coons states in an ABC news article, “Dangerous drugs like bath salts are terrorizing our communities and destroying lives.  Stricter measures must be taken to stem the growing prevalence of bath salts and other new designer drugs.” The massive attention about bath salt