Great news: teenagers are using drugs and alcohol at lower rates than any other time since the 1990s! Marijuana use is still prevalent and problematic, but at least usage trends are starting to head in the right direction. Help us lower teen drug use rates even more: visit our website or call us today! Read more
It can be easy to get into the habit of pushing aside concerns and replacing problem-solving behaviors with substance use or other non-constructive methods of coping. We all get used to behaving in certain ways in response to stress; in fact, after reacting to a situation the same way a few times, our brains program the reaction as an auto-response. When this auto-response is self-destructive, such as using drugs and/or alcohol, our problems can actually begin to amplify and lead to uncontrollable drug use. At this point, a professional may need to step in to help reprogram the brain, disrupt …
Dream Journal Volume XLIV / November 2016 Note From Dr B. Addiction is a disease of learning, memory, motivation, and choice that results in biological, social, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual alterations. In this edition of the Dream Journal, I want to focus on the spiritual aspect. One of my favorite definitions of spirituality comes from a 2000 edition of “The Physician Executive,” in an article entitled “Spirituality and the Physician Executive: Reconciling the Inner Self and the Business of Health Care.” The author, Kaiser, claims that spirituality “…refers to a broad set of principles that transcend all religions. Spirituality is about …
It’s not easy to quit drinking alcohol. After years of drinking, your brain becomes programmed to crave alcohol, and it’s hard to ignore what your brain is telling you to do. Do you find yourself thinking, “Work is over; I should probably have a drink,” or “I drink every night. It’s weird not to,” or “I’m worried and I want to relax and forget about it…pour me another?” If you drink frequently and have a high tolerance, you may think that you can handle drinking five or more drinks in one sitting. You might have lost your spouse, your kids, …
How to Beat Alcoholism: Plan and Put that Plan into Action Read More …
Process groups are a form of group therapy that comprises an essential component of addiction treatment therapy. They allow people to learn the skills needed to navigate social networks and stress, and reduce the inducements to use mood altering substances again. Learning the skills offered from process groups can be a long progression, but the benefits are worth it. What Happens in a Process Group? In a process group, 5-10 individuals meet face-to-face and share their struggles and concerns in the presence of a trained group therapist. The first few sessions in group therapy involve establishing trust. At the …
Process Groups – What Are They and How Do They Work? Read More …
Most individuals making a choice to begin treatment for addiction come into the facility with a unique set of challenges; therefore it makes sense that care plans should be individualized. Which Type of Treatment Is Most Individualized? The two dominant options for treating drug addiction are residential and outpatient treatment. Both of these can be personalized to fit one’s individual needs and experiences, and the reason for picking residential versus outpatient treatment is highly dependent on a person’s clinical needs. Benefits of Inpatient Treatment Inpatient care is for individuals that really need to be removed from their environment …
The Importance of Individualized Addiction Treatment Read More …
What Is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is the psychological process of paying close attention to and accepting experiences in the present moment with compassion, without judgment, and without acknowledgment of the past or future. It is thought that focusing on the present allows for individuals to increase their perception of self, which allows them to develop strategies for self-management and coping. This way of thinking also reduces the stress associated with regretting the past and being anxious about the future. This concept originates from Buddhist philosophy, as it is one of the seven factors of enlightenment that brings a person to the …
To gain control over addiction, it is important to remove all drugs from your system that affect neurological signaling, which includes caffeine. Although caffeine is commonplace and not considered to be harmful in most cases, it is an addictive substance that can cause its own set of health problems such as upset stomach, sleep disorders, and anxiety. Two Dreams recommends that people undergoing alcohol or drug addiction treatment cut out caffeine in addition to alcohol and drugs for a number of reasons, some of which are listed below. Exception: we do allow our residents to have a shot of caffeine …
Six Reasons to Quit Caffeine During Drug Addiction Recovery Read More …
Gingerbread, ginger ale, ginger beef…the culinary versatility of ginger is unparalleled by any other spice. The span of gastronomic use ranges from aromatic pungent Indian and Asian dishes to sweet treats and candies. Ginger is one of the most widely consumed spices in the world. In addition to ginger’s use in the kitchen, science suggests that there are also many uses in the healthcare realm. The ginger plant is made up of flowers, leaves, and the stem and root system. Ginger used for cooking is often referred to as “ginger root,” however this terminology is not correct. The large knobby …
When e-cigarettes first arrived on the market in 2006, companies proclaimed that they were safer than regular cigarettes and that they could be used to help people quit smoking. The jury is still out on whether or not these claims are actually true. Some say that there are fewer toxic chemicals in e-cigarettes, but there is little to no regulation of the contents allowed in them. In one study, researchers found propylene glycol (a probable carcinogen), glycerin, nicotine, ethanol, acetol, and propylene oxide (another probable carcinogen) when looking at the contents in a number of different liquids. Inclusion of potentially …
Are E-Cigarettes More Harmful Than Regular Cigarettes? Read More …
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