The Beast Within

Trust

Trust Fall

Howard C. Samuels Psy.D. on June 17, 2019

Many of us are afraid to be our authentic selves. Maybe it's time we overcame our fear and lived our lives to their fullest?

Many of us are afraid to be our authentic selves. Maybe it's time we overcame our fear and lived our lives to their fullest?

Addiction

The Self-Medicating Drug Addict

Howard C. Samuels Psy.D. on June 10, 2019

Are mental illness and drug addiction mutually exclusive? What if one were fueling the other?

Are mental illness and drug addiction mutually exclusive? What if one were fueling the other?

In the burgeoning field of medically assisted detox, there is a train of thought that says the only thing an addict needs is a physical head start against withdrawal -- but how do we address what happens in the addict's mind itself?

Proponents for the legalization of marijuana are tenacious in their fight, inserting themselves into the American landscape from petitioners in front of supermarkets to lobbyists on Capitol Hill. But no one is asking what their agenda is. Is it because they have no agenda? Is it really just a mad race to get the country high?

Sometimes our sense of grief and loss over a failed relationship far outweighs the depth of the relationship. Why does rejection in these new relationships hurt so bad and what can we do to face this pain realistically? Pulling up your bootstraps is only part of the equation; sometimes the real work is in looking at ourselves instead.

You're made of heartier stock than you've ever imagined. You just need to tap into that strength—that power—and begin the process of building a new life after unexpected tragedy.

I realized that I have the power to own my life and my experience and make them truly mine, which freed me from victimhood and the bondage of the things I thought I needed in order to survive.

There is a line between caring for a child with an addiction and aiding in their destruction. The truth is, sometimes the best way to show that you care for the addict is to establish and maintain strong boundaries. In many instances, these boundaries represent the addict's best chance for survival. Here are tips for parenting an addict.

If you are reading this and someone you care about is suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction, my heart truly goes out to you. No one wants to be the bad guy, and no one wants to point at the elephant in the room. Here are some steps will help to guide you through the intervention process.

And, just like that, the nation's attention was brought right back around to the crisis that is devastating our communities. It is astonishing to me that people still view heroin abuse and drug addiction as a "Hollywood Problem", and that—despite the overwhelming data—everyone still refuses to believe that overdoses are occurring daily in our own backyards.

Alcoholics are nothing like normal people. As a matter of fact, this desperate attempt to BE like normal people has led many an alcoholic to an early grave.

Our families, more often than not, aren't the monsters we make them out to be, and home is rarely just the place away from which all roads lead. They are, instead, funhouse-mirror representations of who we really are, because it was direct and constant contact with these people that made us who we are.

Life is hard. It doesn't matter if you're living in a huge mansion or standing in line at a soup kitchen, the truth of the matter is, not many of us are given the tools while growing up to cope with the many stressors in our lives. Here are 12 universal truths that anyone can apply that will literally change how you feel about yourself and the world around you.

Less is more. Less stuff is more. Less shame is more, too. You can be free of these attachments and feel lighter, freer, and ready to step forward into self-fulfillment.

Today, in America, there is no question that, if you have a child in High School, your child will be exposed to drugs. And, although many parents have no problem navigating the treacherous waters of The Sex Talk, most of us cringe when it comes to talking to our kids about drugs. Let's just take a look at the signs your child or loved one is flirting with danger . . .

Emotional recovery is a key component in stabilizing the newly clean or newly sober individual.

Can a person be hardwired for alcoholism or addiction? If so, is it more nature or nurture that exacerbates it?

When it comes to the problem of drugs and alcohol, the only time that the media takes notice is when a celebrity either ends up in jail, or dies due to drugs and alcohol. Celebrities mirror what is happening in our society and culture as a whole, they mirror what is happening in every large city and small town in our nation.