Staying on the sober path is an emotional journey, so it’s not too surprising that many people turn to food to help them cope. This is known as emotional eating, comfort eating, or feeding your feelings. While using food as a source of comfort is OK once in a while, it can become dangerous if…
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In a recent article, in Psychiatry Research, a team of researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard documented the benefits of meditation on the grey matter of the brain, which enhanced memory, a positive sense of self, empathy and stress. Sara Lazar, the author’s principal author reported, “although the practice of meditation is associated with…
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The word “surrender” is often associated with defeat, loss, relinquishing your power and other hard to accept concepts. In many contemporary spiritual programs, the process of surrender is a key element to living a more spiritually fulfilling life. I became curious about this word and wondered if there was a hermeneutic that could shed a…
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We know there are two developmental periods of the person’s life that is at greater risk for addiction. The older individual, age 55+, is at heightened risk for addiction and negative consequences with active addiction. Substance abuse among older adults are often gone under- or misdiagnosed. The healthcare professional is untrained on how to assess,…
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Working on fixing your sleep habits is an essential part of your recovery. And, like exercise, the health benefits are bountiful. Sleeping restores your mind and body, allowing the healing to begin. A good night’s slumber helps your heart, weight, memory, decision-making, mood, and more. Unfortunately, most of us don’t get enough: Nearly half of…
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Are you addicted to an addict – it’s a question you may need to ask yourself if you are a family member of or are in a relationship with someone dealing with substance abuse or another harmful behavior. In fact, codependency is pretty common in this scenario and can lead to a collapse of healthy…
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Despite studies showing that women with substance use disorders have a faster course towards severity than men with addictions, most treatment programs in the U.S. have been developed using research based solely on men. There are inherent challenges for women seeking treatment for their addiction like: attending to childcare, managing a career and home, medical…
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Not one part of your body is immune to stress. It can impact your physical as well as your mental health, including your emotions, behaviors, and decision-making. In fact, unmanaged stress can be a slippery slope back to addiction. The best solution is to start paying attention to the warning signs – and then start…
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Though it’s not recognized by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is the handbook or “mental health bible” of psychiatric disorders used by mental health clinicians, many addiction experts say that work addiction or workaholism is very real. One estimate suggests that it impacts 10 percent of U.S. adults…
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A new Swedish study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that marriage may reduce your risk of alcohol use disorder, especially if you have a family history of substance abuse. Married men and women have a 60 percent and 71 percent lower risk, respectively, then their single peers, according to the findings. Not…
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