Unlike PTSD, Acute Stress Disorder Doesn’t Damage BrainArticles>Trauma and PTSDBy The RanchOctober 22, 2015Unlike the related condition called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder does not appear to damage the brain’s structure, according to new findings from a team of Hungarian and Israeli researchers. Acute stress disorder (ASD) is a diagnosable mental health condition that appears within the first 30 days of exposure to a highly traumatic… Details
Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety and AlcoholismAlcoholism, Helpful ArticlesBy The RanchOctober 20, 2015According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 15 million adults in the U.S. suffer from social anxiety disorder, another 6.8 million suffer from generalized anxiety disorder and people with these conditions are more likely to struggle with alcohol addiction. The relationship between anxiety disorders and alcohol is a complicated one, though, and there… Details
Sex: Not the Only Tech-Driven Behavioral AddictionArticles>Sex AddictionBy The RanchOctober 14, 2015Sometimes sex addicts think they’re the only ones who struggle with an addiction driven by digital technology. Other times, sex addicts think that if they can control their sexual acting out, then they needn’t worry about anything else in terms of their online behaviors. Sadly, neither of these assumptions is true. There are numerous potentially… Details
Mandatory Smoking Abstinence Improves Substance Treatment OutcomesHelpful Articles, TreatmentBy The RanchOctober 14, 2015Cigarette use is quite common among people who have diagnosable problems with alcohol, drug or medication intake. Unfortunately, many people continue to smoke after entering substance treatment and continue to experience the potentially fatal health complications associated with cigarette intake. In a study published in December 2014 in The American Journal on Addictions, researchers from… Details
For Lessons in Recovery, Take a Walk on the Wild SideArticles>Early RecoveryBy The RanchOctober 13, 2015Therapists who treat addiction and co-occurring mental conditions have many weapons in their arsenal: psychotherapy, 12-step strategies, experiential exercises, education, medications and perhaps one more: Mother Nature. In a novel experiment, researchers at Stanford University in California randomly assigned 38 people to take a 90-minute walk in either a natural or urban setting, then assessed… Details
Surgery Risk Factor for PTSD in Older AdultsHelpful Articles, Mental HealthBy The RanchOctober 13, 2015New findings from a team of German researchers identify the use of general anesthesia during surgery as a PTSD risk factor for older adults, especially in individuals who develop a condition called postoperative delirium.
Vitamin D Deficiency Greatly Increases Risk for Alcoholic HepatitisArticles>Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismBy The RanchOctober 12, 2015New findings from a team of French researchers point to a substantial increase in alcoholic hepatitis risks in alcohol-dependent people with severe vitamin D deficiencies. Significant numbers of people who routinely consume excessive amounts of alcohol will develop alcoholic hepatitis, one of three interrelated conditions jointly known as alcoholic liver disease. In a study published… Details
How You Can Help a Family Member in RecoveryRecoveryBy The RanchOctober 12, 2015When you love an addict or alcoholic, you probably have spent a long time hoping and praying that your loved one would get sober. Now he or she finally has made that choice, and for the families of addicts and alcoholics, early recovery is a time of learning new ways of relating. Your family may… Details
Levels of Sexual Excitement, Inhibition Help Predict Sex AddictionArticles>Sex AddictionBy The RanchOctober 11, 2015Relative levels of sexual excitement and sexual inhibition help determine which individuals will develop symptoms of sex addiction, regardless of their sexual preferences or gender, according to recent findings published by a group of German researchers. Sex addiction is one of the most commonly used terms for a form of behavioral addiction also known as… Details
Marijuana Linked to Increased Risk for Alcoholism, Problem GamblingArticles>Addiction Research, Articles>Mental HealthBy The RanchOctober 11, 2015Marijuana/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.
