Addicted Athletes: Unintended Consequences of Performance-Enhancing Drugs Drug Addiction InfoBy Promises AustinApril 2, 2015Male and female athletes of all ages and types are no strangers to trying to get an edge, to be one up on the competition. The goals are what every athlete wants: to be stronger, faster, and more agile, to have more stamina, increased energy and focus, and to quickly be able to adapt to…
Morning Yoga Routine: A Tool for Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinMarch 31, 2015This is the first in a two-part series. In many addiction recovery programs, regular physical exercise is considered to be a top line behavior. Extensive research in exercise physiology demonstrates that exercise helps alleviate stress, increases a sense of well-being and boosts self-confidence. In recent years, addiction treatment centers, addiction therapists and addiction experts have…
Thyroid Health Affects Alcohol Cravings, Study Finds Alcohol AbuseBy Promises AustinMarch 31, 2015An alcohol-dependent individual’s thyroid health appears to have an impact on his or her tendency to crave alcohol and may also serve as an early warning sign for future alcohol-related issues, research suggests. Thyroid Gland and Thyroid Hormones The thyroid gland sits at the base of the neck between the trachea (i.e., windpipe) and the…
What Is a Recovery Coach and Do I Need One? RecoveryBy Promises AustinMarch 29, 2015As the song goes, “We all need somebody to lean on.” This is especially true when it comes to recovery. You cannot go it alone. Beating addiction is one of the most important things you will ever do for yourself and your family in your lifetime. But once you place yourself on the path of…
Love Addiction: The Folly of Assigning Magical Qualities to Others Sex AddictionBy Promises AustinMarch 29, 2015One thing that happens when you enter recovery—at least one thing that happened to me—is that you finally meet people who’ve been through what you’ve been through. The specific details and contours of their experiences might not be identical, but the internal experiences are often so startlingly similar that when you sit in a meeting,…
New Synthetic Marijuana Among ‘Most Dangerous’ Compounds MarijuanaBy Promises AustinMarch 28, 2015The synthetic cannabinoid CHMINACA has been appearing on the island of Jersey in the English Channel, and authorities have issued stark warnings about its dangers. Many forms of synthetic marijuana, including CHMINACA, have been banned in the U.S. and other countries around the world, but the relative ease of creating new strains means that governments…
Perils of Losing Weight When You’ve Had an Eating Disorder Eating DisordersBy Promises AustinMarch 25, 2015Weight and weight loss can be extremely difficult to navigate for someone who has suffered with an eating disorder in the past. For many people, the recovery process involves avoiding scales altogether, and with them any numbers concerned with weight loss and weight management, such as calorie counting. However, sometimes people with a history of…
Do Children of Addicts Grow Up to Become Addicts? Family ResourcesBy Promises AustinMarch 24, 2015There is no doubt that having a parent who has a problem with drug addiction or alcoholism has an impact on children. A parent who is severely addicted may expose his or her children to a wide range of negative experiences that can range from unpredictable mood swings to financial struggles to violence. Children may…
Narcissism in the Sexually Addicted Population Sex AddictionBy Promises AustinMarch 24, 2015Narcissistic sex addicts like Mason74, who use grandiosity and a facade of self-confidence to present as though they are indestructible, are perhaps the most difficult to treat. Mason74 is charismatic, convicted and charming. He attends an online SSA (Sex Addicts Anonymous) meeting and when it’s his turn on the virtual floor, he starts out by…
Sex Addiction Equals Intimacy Issues Sex AddictionBy Promises AustinMarch 22, 2015A successful businesswoman constantly pursued other women for sex, but pushed them away when emotional bonding began to set in. Meika, a successful producer and TV writer, had always liked to joke that she was a world-renowned womanizer. Her predominantly heterosexual colleagues (though there were several openly gay folks in her industry) seemed to take…
