Depression and substance abuse occurring in the same person is not uncommon. Imagine that you feel depressed. Take your saddest day, your worst and most hopeless mood and multiply it by 10 and then extend it for weeks and weeks. That will give you an idea of what it feels like to have depression. Now, […]
How You Can Help a Loved One Self-Medicating Her Depression Read More »
Growing up, many people learned that they could think and plan their way out of any problem. It gave them a sense of control and convinced them they could protect themselves from failure or pain. And in some ways, this talent for rational analysis had benefits. But what happens when you can’t stop thinking and
Are You an Overthinker? Why Being Stuck in Your Head Is Bad for Your Mental Health Read More »
Sometimes the women and men seeking sex addiction treatment at The Ranch learn that we use equine therapy as part of our healing regimen, and they wonder what they heck riding horses has to do with their particular problem. They ask, “How will traipsing around the woods on the back of a 1,000 pound animal
Being a parent can be trying on a good day, crazy-making on a bad one. Even the wisest, most emotionally mature, fully actualized Zen master armed with every possible warm nurturing instinct can at some point drop the mantle of infinite calm and morph into the Incredible Hulk when dealing with rambunctious kids or surly
By Christie Bates Often clients will say to me that they’re not so sure about this “trauma resolution” stuff. It’s very body-based, and people usually bring a lot of heady intellectual intelligence into therapy. They may be aware that they are carrying shame as a result of trauma but have little understanding of the fact
Free Your Body of Trauma Response, Conquer Your Shame Read More »
The idea of pornography addiction and teens suffering from it seems unlikely, but it happens more often than you think. With the availability of pornographic material online and peer pressure to check it out, too many teens fall victim to an obsession that once only plagued some adults. If you have caught your teen with
The Lasting Damage Caused by Pornography Addiction in Teens Read More »
Researchers have now linked gambling addiction, compulsive shopping, sexual addiction and various other impulse control disorders to medications prescribed for Parkinson’s disease and restless leg syndrome. The evidence for this relationship was presented in the October edition of the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, and the depth of the connection runs far deeper than anyone imagined.
In many ways, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s “Mississippi Grind” plays more like a documentary detailing the very real rollercoaster of gambling addiction than a drama. Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) is a typical down-on-his luck gambling addict. He lives and dies by the game. He’s alienated his family. He lives alone with his cat and has
‘Mississippi Grind’ Accurately Portrays Gambling Addiction Read More »
The link between substance abuse, mental health troubles and homelessness is well-known and established. But much less talked about or understood is the strong connection between problem gambling and homelessness. In 2014, there were two fact-finding projects aimed at probing the relationship between pathological gambling and homelessness, and the information each uncovered was eye-opening.
Marijuana/cannabis users have higher rates for alcohol use disorder and problem gambling than people who do not use the drug, a team of American and British researchers has found.
Marijuana Linked to Increased Risk for Alcoholism, Problem Gambling Read More »
