Addiction
Video gaming promotes frontal lobe cortex development in children—but what happens when it becomes an addiction?
Since the 1970s, video games have captivated imaginative minds across the world. While they were once viewed as a new fad for younger generations to enjoy, the scientific community has begun to accept the numerous cognitive benefits that playing video games can...
Substance use disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder often coincide: Understand the relationship and get the right treatment
According to the National Survey on Drug Abuse and Health, 9.2 million adults in the United States struggled with substance use disorder and another mental illness (such as an anxiety or mood disorder) in 2018. These statistics show that substance use disorder and...
Overcoming addiction: Understanding the important difference between who we are and what we do
While talking to a young woman in recovery (with over 100 days), the topic of change arose. She said that she was unhappy with who she was. I probed further, asking what worried her about her life. She went on to tell me about all of the things she’d done in the past...
3 keys to strengthening recovery from drugs and alcohol for relapse prevention
I have been sober for over four years. I am in amazement as I type that, but I also reflect on the terribly long and hard road it took me to get to where I am today. I used to be known as a “chronic relapser.” In other words, I was constantly on and off the wagon. It...
You can aid addiction recovery and benefit your overall mental health by practicing these 5 habits
Incorporating healthy habits into your life can aid addiction recovery and benefit your overall health and wellbeing. In recovery, it is important to both treat addiction and attend to the entirety of your mental health, as those who fail to pay attention to their...
Spirituality is important in addiction recovery—it helps individuals find meaning, purpose, and fulfillment during difficult times
Spirituality often varies in definition and in practice—however, it’s ultimately about connecting to something greater than ourselves to live a happier life. Doing so can help us cope during difficult times, which means spirituality can prove important to addiction...
Steroid use may lead to cocaine addiction in teens (Video)
Steroid use could increase the risk of cocaine use and addiction among teens. This, from researchers at the University of Puerto Rico who studied female rats.The team first exposed half of the rats to nandrolone, a performance-enhancing steroid commonly used by teens....
What are relapse dreams? Why do they occur and what can I do about them?
If you are in recovery from addiction, you know what I’m talking about when I say, “relapse dreams.” This is when you wake up anxious, covered in sweat, because you just had a hyperrealistic dream that you were taking, or about to take, your drug of choice that...
Some people can’t help drinking too much alcohol, root cause discovered! (Video)
Some people aren’t capable of identifying when they’ve had enough to drink. Consequently, they drink way too much. A UC Santa Barbara study found a brain mechanism that senses the negative effects of alcohol, like headaches and dizziness. It alerts us to these effects...
Is Social Media Addiction Real? The Definition Might Not Matter
Addiction is a strong word, and the scientific community has not yet determined whether individuals can be “addicted” to sites like Facebook and Instagram in the medical sense. However, whether or not an individual meets the criteria for an addiction disorder may not...
