From red-haired curls to dimpled cheeks, certain characteristics run in families. But not every inherited trait is as harmless as a dimpled cheek. Some families struggle with a darker legacy: depression. People who live with this mental illness aren’t just blue-they often feel hopeless, helpless, and, in the most serious cases, suicidal. The symptoms are …
Drug rehab success rates statistics are hard to find because success is difficult to measure. It is hard for rehab centers to keep track of how many clients have stayed sober after treatment. The number of clients who complete treatment, on the other hand, is easier to measure. For publicly funded treatment centers, the completion …
What Do Most Successful Rehab Programs Have in Common? Read More »
By Tiffany Dzioba, PsyD, LMFT, Executive Director of Promises Malibu Vista Many people with mental illness or addiction feel trapped in their lives. They repeat the same behaviors, think the same thoughts and experience the same pain every day. Sometimes this goes on for years. Several patterns cause people to lose hope and turn to …
Four Ways to Move Beyond the Things That Hold You Back Read More »
By Kenneth England, MFT, Primary Therapist at Promises Malibu Creative people have long been associated with lavish use and abuse of alcohol and drugs. Many talented people have been molded by the idea that drinking and drugs inspire their craft. Although scientists have long looked for a direct link between creative inspiration and drug use, …
Mindfulness: A Healthy Alternative to Substance Abuse for Creative People Read More »
Enjoying life when things are going smoothly is simple, but when the rough times appear it can be so much harder to be contented. Yet whatever your circumstances and more significantly whoever you are, you can discover how to be happy even when you’re not. #1 Enjoy where you are on the way to where …
By Christa S. Nuber Did you know that each one of us has the potential for addiction? This doesn’t mean all of us will become addicts, but neuroscience reveals that all of us are wired for it, to some degree. All it takes is a certain environment or an unfortunate set of circumstances, and perhaps …
Going to rehab is a vital step to entering recovery and it helps to be prepared with inspiration and information. There are so many books on addiction yet the classics in this field are the ones people always return to for inspiration and understanding. Here are some of the drug addiction books that can help …
Books on Addiction: The 5 Best Books to Read Before Rehab Read More »
By Frank Sanchez, PhD, LMFT, Clinical Director, Promises Young Adults Program I’m not good enough. There’s something wrong with me. I’m defective. While people of all ages and backgrounds suffer from shame, young adults especially can be easily derailed by it because they don’t have enough life experience to know that things do get better …
Breaking the Cycle of Shame and Addiction in Young Adults Read More »
By Frank Sanchez, PhD, LMFT, Clinical Director, Promises Young Adults Program We all experience shame in our lives. It’s a natural human emotion when you mess up, say something you regret, or disappoint someone, or if someone says something you find embarrassing. But for some people, shame can be debilitating, destructive and toxic. Shame can …
The concept of codependency was initially used to define behaviors and relationships in family members of drug abusers and alcoholics. Similar patterns have been seen in family relationships involving chronically or mentally ill individuals. At one time, debates ignited about whether codependency was a dysfunctional relationship or a personality problem. Eventually, some studies contradicted the …