Extreme Sexual Preferences Do Not Always Equal Sex AddictionSex AddictionBy Promises AustinDecember 16, 2015An escalation from “regular” sex to more extreme sexual activities is a well-recognized symptom of sex addiction. People with this addiction need to keep pushing the boundaries of sexual behavior in order to achieve the same level of excitement and satisfaction that they used to achieve without those activities. However, this does not mean that… Details
Think This, Not That: How to Use CBT to Manage StressTherapiesBy Promises AustinDecember 15, 2015Our minds can greatly help or hinder our ability to cope with stress. And it turns out that managing stress well relies heavily on the way we think when we’re under pressure. The wrong thoughts — what psychologists call “thought distortions,” or errors in how we mentally process reality — can increase stress levels and… Details
4 Reasons to Change Your SponsorRecoveryBy Promises AustinDecember 11, 2015One of the first things you have to do when you are newly sober is to choose a sponsor. A sponsor is often your closest friend or mentor in Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. He or she is the person you are most likely to turn to in order to ask questions or share your… Details
How to Strengthen Your Resiliency MusclesPersonal ResourcesBy Promises AustinDecember 9, 2015What is it that makes one person who has experienced abuse and trauma sink into despair while others rise above seemingly unfathomable depths to triumph? Samantha Pellicciotti is just such a resilient thriver. Her story could’ve turned out entirely differently. Born to parents whose addictions led them to neglect her needs, endangering her life and… Details
Monitoring Emotional Triggers to Help Prevent RelapseRelapse 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 AddictionAddiction - 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 TherapyTherapiesBy 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 InterventionAddiction - 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 TreatmentBorderline 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
