The Need for Dual Diagnosis Care in Prisons
Whenever a person suffers from both a mental illness and an addiction, it is impossible to separate those two issues or to treat one but not the other and expect recovery. The two problems are inextricably linked because substance abuse can exacerbate mental health symptoms and people with psychological disorders often self-medicate with drugs or […]
Kristen Bell Opens Up About Depression and Anxiety
Kristen Bell is an actress who has achieved a great deal of success and critical acclaim for her roles in television and film, including leading roles in projects as diverse as Veronica Mars, Forgetting Sarah Marshal, Gossip Girl, and Frozen. She first moved to Los Angeles in 2002, after some success as a stage actor […]
Accepting Difficult Emotions
One of the most challenging things about working with difficult emotions, like anger, shame, or sadness, is learning how to accept them in the first place. This will involve allowing ourselves to acknowledge them, feel them, and admit that they are important and deserving of attention. It’s hard to do all this simply because sitting […]
What to Expect in Therapy Sessions
There are many different components that make up a treatment program for addiction recovery but one of the most important is individual counseling and therapy. A lot of your time in addiction rehab will be spent in therapy where you will work through issues from your past and present by talking with a professional about […]
Is Low Self Esteem At The Root Of Addiction?
Study after study on the nature of addiction has shown that there is a strong connection between low self esteem and addiction. This is just one of many character traits that are associated with developing alcoholism and addiction. Low self esteem is linked with high risk behaviors like drug use and heavy drinking because the […]
How Anxiety Plays A Role In An Eating Disorder
What is anxiety? Anxiety can describe several disorders that include symptoms of nervousness, a general sense of apprehension, intense fear, and excessive worry. Not all anxiety is bad, however. Anxiety is a natural part of being human and it serves an important purpose and is a perfectly normal response to most of life’s stresses. Anxiety […]
Repressing Emotions And Anorexia
Most of us can honestly say that we spend a lot of time and energy repressing emotions, or otherwise finding ways to avoid facing them. This is especially true when it comes to experiencing unpleasant emotions, such as sadness, loneliness, grief, anger, or anxiety. Avoiding those feelings by simply refusing to acknowledge their existence may […]
Answering Delusions
Addiction and destructive behaviors are often rooted in thinking. Anxieties, feelings of shame, or a sense of out of control-ness are often the root causes for which addictive behavior is a powerful symptom. Addiction can also be sustained by overly positive understandings or justifications for your behavior, that keep you from recognizing your problem or […]
Marijuana Can Affect Teen Mental Health
Although there are many conflicting beliefs about marijuana and how harmful or addictive it can be to users, a new study suggests that cannabis can actually have very negative effects on a young person’s mental health. Marijuana has become more prevalent in our culture as many states have legalized the drug for medicinal purposes and […]
Letting Go Of Control Issues And Anorexia
Eating disorder experts have been investigating possible connections between perfectionism, control, and anorexia for years and have finally confirmed their suspicions that the disorder is linked with those traits. A recent international study conducted on over 300 women in both the U.S. and Europe found that there was a correlation between the severity of their […]