Addiction researchers have firmly established that some of the damaging brain changes found in people with non-substance-based behavioral addictions are roughly equivalent to the damaging changes found in the brains of people addicted to drugs, medications or alcohol. In a study published in 2014 in the journal Addiction Biology, a team of German researchers compared…
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Sex addiction, at base, is an intimacy disorder. And “intimacy,” according to Linda Hatch, Ph.D., sex addiction expert and therapist, “is the ability to be real with another person.” This might seem like a simple thing, but any addict, not just those who experience sexual compulsion, is a person who struggles with being real, (i.e.,…
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As two states have voted to legalize recreational marijuana, and several others will vote on legalization in upcoming elections, the federal government has been evaluating the information about the potential risks related to marijuana use. On June 5, 2014, members of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) published the results of their evaluation in…
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Humans are hardwired to give and receive touch. As infants, it’s the way we explore the world around us. Even before we can see clearly, our skin — the largest organ in the body — is in contact with our environment. Newborn bodies respond to the temperature in the room, the texture of whatever is…
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The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are coming to an end, but, as family members of service men and women know, soldiers don’t always return home unchanged and unharmed, even when there is not a scratch to be seen. A recent study took a look at how receiving a traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects a…
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As Veterans Day rolls around, we all take a moment to pay our respects to those who’ve fought for our freedom in both historical and current conflicts, but it’s easy to forget that veterans can’t leave the horrors of war on the battlefield. Drugs have been a part of war for centuries, and although in…
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Treating chronic pain in sobriety can be a slippery slope in which you’re threatened by a double-edged sword. Living with constant pain hurts your quality of life, but giving in to taking narcotics may set you up for a relapse.
Wax is the most potent form of cannabis available today. The drug first appeared in California but has rapidly spread across the country over the past decade. Named for its waxy consistency, marijuana wax is extremely concentrated and offers an intense high that can take even experienced users by surprise. While wax (or cannabis concentrate)…
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Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. Despite this fact, many people still smoke and get hooked on nicotine, one of the most addictive abused substances. A growing sector of smokers, mostly young people, is rejecting cigarettes for the hookah, or water pipe. Research on hookah smoking is…
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The therapeutic benefit of being around animals has long been known to anyone who has cared for and loved a pet. Whether that animal is a dog or a cat, or even a horse, the unconditional love and the selflessness they exhibit can be immensely healing. For drug addicts, the presence of animals during therapy…
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