Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Archives - The Ranch

Alcohol and drugs became my best friends, and by the end of my addiction they were my only friends. They helped me forget my pain and the pain I caused others. They kept me from recognizing or addressing the trauma beneath the surface of my life. They were my primary comfort, until they stopped working.

Ghosts will be in plain view as Halloween rolls around, but most of the time these mythical disembodied spirits are known for being invisible, unpredictable, out of control and frightening. In fictional tales, and on reality television, they wreak havoc to get your attention.

With some studies showing heroin relapse rates around 90%, it’s no wonder that loved ones of people in recovery from heroin addiction frequently worry if they’re using again. Heroin and opioid abuse can be one of the hardest addictions to kick. This is in part due to the way it acts on the brain’s feel-good […]

No one wants a parent who is an addict, a cluster of alcoholic siblings or a child who qualifies for rehab. Addiction, like so many of the ills in our world, is just one more sign of the brokenness we experience as humans on this earth. And the horror of addiction goes beyond the damage […]

According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 6% of the U.S. adult population is addicted to alcohol, but over 86% have consumed alcohol in their lives. These statistics and the fact that alcohol use is so common might make you think that the risks of addiction are limited, but this […]

Love addiction is a behavior pattern in which you become obsessed with falling in love and being in love. The most energizing thing that you can think of is being connected with another human being on a deep and intense level, but your relationships are usually not actually based on love. They much more closely […]

Why don’t you leave? For people in abusive relationships, the answer to that question often boils down to trauma bonding. What is trauma bonding? It is loyalty and commitment to the person and relationship despite the abuse. A central aspect of trauma bonding is the denial of a problem, despite the evidence of one.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious and in some cases life-threatening disorder characterized by re-experiencing traumatic events, changes in mood, severe anxiety, avoidance of triggers and intrusive memories. PTSD therapy may include medications and psychotherapy aimed at staying present and managing your symptoms. But for the spouse or partner of a person suffering from […]

By Jennifer Payne Guarino, LMFT, CSAT, Primary Therapist at The Ranch Popular songs have been telling us for a very long time that love can be like a drug.

Researchers may finally have an answer to what’s been a never-ending chicken-and-egg debate: Are you suffering from insomnia because you’re depressed, or are you depressed because you’re suffering from insomnia?