Depression is a mood disorder, but it never affects a person’s mood alone. Depression is characterized by chronic sadness, low motivation and energy, trouble sleeping and a distinct loss of enjoyment in life. In some instances, depression becomes so severe that a person despairs of life itself and suicide is considered a viable option. But…
Recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction is a personal journey. Along the way, people with more experience at addiction recovery than you have will make suggestions to you on how to stay away from a drink or a drug for a day. Most people will not try to dictate to you what you need to…
By Heather Rolland, LCSW Can you imagine applying to become a parent as if it were a competitive job? Imagine the job description: physical care, emotional care, financial support … and then all the potential contingencies. Navigating the first 18 or so years is hard enough, but for some parents, the next few steps—the letting…
In the U.S., the rate of death from heroin overdoses has been increasing fairly steadily for a number of years. Health professionals and some private citizens can treat a heroin overdose with a medication called naloxone. However, naloxone typically comes in an injectable form, and circumstances don’t always allow for the easy injection of affected…
Video game addiction may not be an officially recognized condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM), but most addiction experts wouldn’t deny its existence. The DSM-5 lists Internet gaming addiction as a condition that warrants more evidence before it can be formally recognized, but it’s widely expected to be fully included…
Addicts fear many things and these fears are what keep them in denial and prevent them from getting help for far too long. One common fear is simply being sober—losing the addiction that has dictated their lives for so long. It may seem counterintuitive, but when an addict goes through recovery and gets sober, he…
Mindfulness is the heart of my recovery. I’ve said it in AA meetings, I’ve said it in NA meetings, I’ve said it to my sponsor and I’ve said it to my friends. I’ve also written about it here, in many different contexts: from mindfulness and exercise to mindful walking, mindful cooking or describing a mindful…
Heroin and prescription opioid medications have common origins in naturally occurring substances found in the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Among other things, this means that both heroin and prescription opioids are capable of producing fatal opioid overdoses. In a report issued in October 2014 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers from the federal…
Think of the word “resilience” and consider what you know. Children are often called resilient, and indeed many are. Despite falls, scrapes, breaks or a lack of “good enough parenting,” many children continue to develop normally—eventually entering adulthood without incident. In fact, they may even thrive. But what about children (and adults) for whom life…
When you love an addict, the disease of addiction has a big impact on your life. It may happen quickly or it may happen slowly, but you ultimately develop a problem of your own. It’s called codependence. When you have this problem, your life revolves around someone else’s decisions. Life has become unpredictable and upsetting.…
