When someone is in the throes of an overwhelming and powerful health condition like addiction to drugs or alcohol, it's only natural that they want to overcome it as quickly and painlessly as possible. Unfortunately, many unethical organizations exploit this desire, promising quick fixes based on therapies that don't ... Read More
Obsessive Selfies: What a Photo Reel May Reveal About Mental Health
From carefully tweaked glamour shots to extreme selfies—those stomach-churning snapshots of individuals hanging precariously from skyscrapers or posing in front of moving trains—selfies are the lifeblood of social media, and no profile is complete without at least a few of them. And, everyone knows at least a few ... Read More
Four Myths About Quick Fixes to Sober Up
Everyone who's ever been to a college party or had a friend with an affinity for over-imbibing has been in the futile situation of trying to help someone sober up. Whether they're too drunk to drive or are making a scene in a public place, a way to sober up quickly is desperately needed. However, in these ... Read More
How to Know if I’m in Denial About Addiction
Waking up dazed and confused day in and day out isn't a behavioral pattern that's conducive to happiness. Neither is succumbing to incessant cravings and urges to drink or do drugs. The tendency to dismiss mounting negative consequences starts to take on a life of its own, with even more dire results. These signs of ... Read More
How to Know if I’m in Denial About Depression
"I feel so depressed!" It's a claim we've all made at some point in our lives. But what does "feeling depressed" actually mean? We often confuse feeling sad with feeling depressed. Sadness is a temporary, normal reaction to unexpected and unpleasant events. Examples of events that typically make almost anybody sad ... Read More
What’s “Contingency Management” in Addiction Recovery and Does It Work?
Updated May 6, 2023 The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that 40% to 60% of people with substance abuse disorders relapse after they leave rehab. However, no client is untreatable — no matter how many times they relapse. Like a depression patient can adjust their medication, a substance use client can try a ... Read More
Making Amends: How to Approach Step 9 AA… and When Not To
A 12-step program is designed to encourage long-term sobriety, by fostering a spirituality for recovery. Each step signifies a new challenge to reflect and/or act in a way that changes old mindsets and behaviors that once fed addiction. Through mutual support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, members learn and practice ... Read More
Pathological Lying Can Occur with These Mental Disorders
Everyone lies. It's a part of life, for better or for worse. Some people find peace in white lies and don't feel bad about occasionally avoiding the truth to spare a loved one's feelings. Others, however, see lying, even major lies, as something completely inconsequential. Pathological lying goes far beyond the ... Read More