Addiction

Why do people drive drunk? People know that drunk driving is dangerous. We educate people in school and through public service announcements. Most sober people will tell you that they would not put themselves behind the wheel of a car when impaired. Yet the newspapers report deaths from alcohol-related accidents. It is hard to go a week without reading about a high-profile athlete or politician who has been arrested for drunk driving.

How does this happen? Read More

       Goodbye, Michael. I didn't know you and yet I did. My earliest memories of you were as the little brother in the Jackson Five. I remember your cherubic smile, the rhythmic beat of Motown, and your sweet high pitched voice singing..."I'll be there." You surpassed your brothers and became a solo phenomenon.

This chapter is both far from new while also one that's new everyday. Every morning I have the privilege of beginning another day in recovery.

My name is Adia and I am recovering from bulimia, bulimarexia, overeating, overexercising - in essence, a dysfunctional relationship with food and my weight. Here are the cliff notes and a few questions I've been asked before: Read More

Ever wonder why man at times can be so inhumane to his fellow brothers and sisters? Throughout history, we have seen random acts of violence: war, domestic violence, rape, street crimes, turning over cars after a sporting event along with looting and burning, cruelty to animals, shootings, stabbing, robberies of many sorts. Read More

There are 11 million underage drinkers and over 7 million binge drinkers nationally. Unfortunately, there is no clear way to determine which college students will phase out of binge drinking and which will continue. However, there are a number of risk factors that increase the chance of an individual being alcoholic. Read More

Rescuer Subtypes: The Overly Empathic White Knight

After reviewing the commonalities and differences among rescuers, we created four subtypes - the overly empathic white knight, the tarnished white knight, the terrorizing/terrified white knight, and the balanced rescuer. These subtypes are not discrete entities but represent our observation of clusters of characteristics that can overlap. In this blog, we will focus on the overly empathic white knight.

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When President Obama was soliciting ideas to improve the economy, the most popular suggestion among youth was the legalization of marijuana. This was based on the assumption that maijuana is harmless. But, is it? Read More

Recently, I have received numerous emails and blog comments from the loved ones of high-functioning alcoholics (HFAs) who are unsure how to deal with the HFA in their life. Loved ones of HFAs are often confused about how to approach these individuals because there is often a lack of tangible losses to point to, but instead emotional consequences. Read More

Focusing Less on Feeling Good--and More on Feeling Good About Ourselves

Once we recognize what allows us to feel good only temporarily, we can start searching for more satisfying alternatives. This could take the simple form of changing our diet from mainly junk (or "comfort") foods, to one that's more heart-healthy. Or giving up a daily routine of smoking a joint, or imbibing some beer or wine, to instead devoting ourselves to developing a personal interest, talent or skill--or perhaps even re-thinking our career path. Or we might forego a video game habit and redirect our energy toward cultivating a friendship that won't simply fill an inner void but truly invigorate or inspire us. . . . Read More