Monitoring Emotional Triggers to Help Prevent Relapse Relapse PreventionBy Promises AustinDecember 3, 2015You know the feeling: Your gut clenches, your thoughts race, and you feel a cold sweat all over your body. You’ve been here before — too many times, in fact. Your typical response is to head straight for your drug of choice. Stopping the knee-jerk reaction to use may seem impossible, but there are things… Details
Stressed, Depressed Veterinarians Fall Prey to Addiction Addiction - ProfessionalsBy Promises AustinNovember 30, 2015For Cathy Johnson-Delaney, the drug of choice was sevoflurane. Twice in June 2013, employees at her Kirkland, Washington, animal clinic witnessed Johnson-Delaney, a veterinarian of more than 30 years, inhaling the sweet-smelling anesthetic through a mask in the operating room. Details
Clinicians of Varying Backgrounds Can Successfully Deliver Prolonged Exposure Therapy TherapiesBy Promises AustinNovember 24, 2015While professional experience has some impact on the course of prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD, all well-trained practitioners can effectively administer this form of treatment, according to recent findings from a team of American researchers. A form of change-oriented psychotherapy called prolonged exposure therapy (PE therapy) has verified usefulness as a treatment for people affected… Details
High Suicide Rate Among Veterinarians Prompts Calls for Intervention Addiction - ProfessionalsBy Promises AustinNovember 23, 2015Results from the first mental health survey of U.S. veterinarians show that the people who care for our beloved pets contemplate taking their own lives at three times the national average. Details
Has Online Dating and Other ‘Sexnology’ Fueled Rise of Sex Addiction? Sex AddictionBy Promises AustinNovember 19, 2015Having sex, or accessing other sources of sexual stimulation, is arguably easier now than it has ever been before. What with online dating, hookup apps, sexting, webcams and more, not to mention the instant availability of free pornography that can be obtained and viewed anonymously, sex is pretty much at our fingertips all the time.… Details
Borderline Personality Disorder Signs, Symptoms and Treatment Borderline PersonalityBy Promises AustinNovember 18, 2015People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) seem to be forever pulling the petals from a daisy. Their black-and-white thinking can take them from “he loves me” to “he loves me not” almost as quickly as the adolescent girl, sitting forlorn in a field of flowers, can pluck the blossom clean. But this is no game… Details
The Importance of Optimism in Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinNovember 17, 2015“Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power.” — William James A contrast of the dark and light is a human paradigm, yet seeing the shadow and not the sun is commonplace for people entrenched in addiction. Are people hardwired for optimism or pessimism? Some studies indicate certain people seem to be born with a bent… Details
Struggling for Control in Codependent Relationships Mental HealthBy Promises AustinNovember 13, 2015If you struggle with codependency, you probably also struggle with control. You might feel that in a perfect world, you would be able to dictate who said what and when. Your partner would always be available whenever you needed him or her. There would be no conflict because you would always get your way. It’s… Details
What If You Never Get Sober? Staying SoberBy Promises AustinNovember 12, 2015You’ve probably tried to quit drinking or using other substances at some point in the past. You may have been able to stop drinking or to give up using drugs for short periods of time, but for some reason you always end up going back to your old ways. You may even try to tell… Details
Why Do People Become Addicted to Exercise? Other AddictionsBy Promises AustinNovember 6, 2015Exercise is enjoyable for many people and part of a healthy lifestyle, and most of us don’t get enough of it. In a society facing chronic obesity, the over-exercisers don’t get much attention; we are more likely to congratulate them for their discipline and dedication than to raise our concerns. However, as with most substances… Details
