Control vs. Surrender in the Face of Life ChangePersonal ResourcesBy PromisesMay 13, 2015“Change is inevitable, change is constant.” — Benjamin Disraeli Humans never stop changing — which means we never stop coping with change. From the moment we’re born, we must learn to adapt to our environment in order to live and thrive, often without even being conscious of this instinct. By the time we’re old enough… Details
Brain Shrinkage Seen in Women With Late-Stage Bipolar DisorderBipolarBy PromisesMay 12, 2015Recent findings from a team of American researchers point toward a telltale shrinkage in brain size in women who have late-stage bipolar I disorder. Current evidence indicates that the effects of various bipolar illnesses can grow substantially worse over time, and researchers note clear differences between early-stage cases of these illnesses and late-stage cases. In… Details
What to Do While Your Spouse Is in RehabFamily ResourcesBy PromisesMay 12, 2015While your spouse is in rehab for addiction, you may feel helpless and lost, unsure of what to do to help him or yourself. Instead of stewing in sorrow, self-pity or guilt, take action and take steps to heal and to be prepared for his return after rehab. Addiction doesn’t just affect the addict. It… Details
Five Reasons Not to Fall in Love in RehabAddiction TreatmentBy PromisesMay 9, 2015Going to rehab for addiction is an important step in learning to live a sober life, one that is satisfying and full without drugs or alcohol. In rehab you will learn how to let go of your addiction, how to dig deep inside and find your motivations for abusing substances and how to move past… Details
How to Identify the Enablers in Your LifePersonal ResourcesBy PromisesMay 7, 2015You’ve been through rehab and done the hard work of getting sober. You’re back to the real world and striving to make real changes in how you live your life so that you can be healthy and happy while maintaining your sobriety. You have loving family and friends on your side to support you, but… Details
Marijuana Can Cause Hay Fever, Other Allergic ReactionsMarijuanaBy PromisesMay 5, 2015New review findings from a team of American scientists indicate that people who use marijuana and other forms of cannabis have commonly overlooked risks for developing mild, moderate or severe allergic reactions to the addictive, plant-based drug. Marijuana use comes with a range of potential harms that contradict the drug’s widely accepted reputation as a… Details
Enjoying Life Without DrinkingAlcohol AbuseBy PromisesMay 4, 2015Getting sober doesn’t mean living a life that is always dreary and somber. Some of the best days of your life are still ahead, but it may not seem like a lot of fun at first. You may feel nostalgic when you think of some of the parties you’ve attended and the wild excitement of… Details
Video Game Addiction: A Recovery StoryRecoveryBy PromisesMay 1, 2015Andrew Doan, MD, PhD, is a trained eye surgeon, father of three, a professor — and a recovering video game addict. Astonishingly he made it through medical school at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine while playing a real-time strategy game like StarCraft for 7 to 14 hours a day. He’d started gaming at the… Details
How to Help an Addict Develop Frustration ToleranceRelapse PreventionBy PromisesApril 28, 2015No matter what they’re addicted to, all addicts lack the ability to tolerate frustration. They become easily dysregulated and are unable to self-soothe, which leads them to depend on substances, people, or processes (self-injury, cyber porn, video games, compulsive sex) to stabilize themselves. Because of this dependence, addicts don’t develop internal support and healthy coping… Details
Understanding the High Functioning Alcoholic ExecutiveAlcohol AbuseBy PromisesApril 26, 2015It’s not easy to make sense of the high-functioning alcoholic (HFA), but there are more of them than we think. People earning more than $75,000 per year drink more alcohol than any other economic group. About 81 percent of these high earners consume alcohol on, at least, a semi-regular basis. While the majority of them… Details
