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 previously caused…
A coworker surprises the team with a box of doughnuts, each covered in sugary icing, sprinkles, and candies and filled with jelly, chocolate or pudding. A birthday party is never complete until a cake is presented with layers of sugary frosting at least two inches thick. The child having a…
Hallmarks of Sex Addiction While people are starting to recognize the prevalence and problems created by excessive sexualized activities and pornography, what is broadly termed “sex addiction” remains cloaked in mystery, even for many therapists. One of the challenges in defining and treating sex addiction is the fact that sex…
Many people who don’t experience addiction themselves struggle to understand why and how others become addicted to substances like drugs and alcohol. Some doubt or downplay the suffering that comes with this disease, and others, those who empathize with struggling addicts, just can’t fully grasp the painful, strenuous battle that…
If you drink alcohol from time to time—even a couple glasses of wine or a few beers every so often—you’ve probably experienced its effects on your sleep patterns. Whether you just couldn’t fall asleep, you found yourself tossing and turning throughout the night, or you had some pretty frightening dreams….
Addiction doesn’t just change the individual suffering with the disease, but their loved ones—especially their chosen life partner. If your spouse is struggling with addiction, you must choose your actions carefully: it’s easy to confuse helpful and unhelpful interventions. First, don’t try to “make things easier” on your spouse—this can…
You can help your love ones through addiction recovery by supporting and listening to them, but you must be careful about your own words. The wrong words can easily hurt an addict, even when you didn’t mean it “that way,” which means it’s important you know what not to say…
Addiction is, in fact, a disease of the brain, but many continue to insist that it is not—and doing so only causes sufferers further harm. This stigma surrounding addiction discourages those who suffer with the disease from opening up about their struggles and getting the help that they need. To…
It is all-too-common for individuals living with a range of mental illness to use mood- and mind-altering substances to alleviate their experiences and help soothe their overall experienced psychological condition. It has long been known to experienced addictions therapists that there is an incredibly high degree of overlap between mental…
We joke with one another about being addicted to our smartphones, eyes glued to whatever social platform we have pulled up at the time, but have you ever actually considered the possibility? Oftentimes, I reach for my phone and open Instagram or Snapchat without thinking twice or even realizing I’m…
Many of us enjoy a cold beer or a tall glass of wine every now and again. It helps to “take the edge off,” to calm us down after a long week. But what we often fail to realize is that alcohol affects each one of us differently—and as tempting…
Every single day, millions of people battle addiction. Some people are addicted to legal and illegal substances, such as alcohol or marijuana, while others are addicted to engaging in certain activities, like gambling or shopping. In any given case, consistent use of the substance or engagement in the behavior proves…
