New Year’s Resolutions and Self-control
New Year’s is the time when many of us make resolutions to replace questionable habits with better ones. We decide to lose weight, eat healthier, drink less, or change...
The Truth About Why Your Brain Drives Your Behavior and Addiction
Richard, 38 years old, had gone to twelve addiction treatment programs and failed every one of them. He really wanted to quit. He went to AA but was so...
Increase the Chance of Reaching Your New Year’s Goals
New Year’s Goals: This New Year’s Eve, millions of Americans resolved to lose weight, give up smoking, save money, do volunteer work, or find a new job. Chances are,...
SAVING MYSELF
I walked down the church hallway looking for the support group for parents of addicts. Entering the room, I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact. The room was...
YOU CAN’T CANDY-COAT THIS! THE CATASTROPHIC AFFECTS OF SUGAR AND PROCESSED FOODS IN THE...
Why is it that nearly every addiction treatment center in the U.S. has candy dishes strategically positioned throughout the facility? You find these little vessels of sugary delights in...
YOUR BRAIN IS ON FIRE AND HOW TO DOUSE THE FLAMES
In preparing to write this article, a TV commercial from the 70’s kept popping up in my consciousness. I just couldn’t get it out of my head. The commercial...
STONED BABIES AND UNDERACHIEVING ADULTS
Physicians and medical professionals routinely warn women not to use marijuana while they are pregnant or nursing. Why? The best available scientific evidence has established that exposure to marijuana’s psychoactive constituent,...
ENDOCARDITIS: A SERIOUS HEALTH RISK OF ADDICTION
In her youth, Emily was an exceptional young woman. She was an A+ student with big goals and loads of ambition. When she wasn’t studying, you’d often find her participating in...
EMPOWERMENT: HOPE, HEALING AND RECOVERY IN WOMEN’S HEALTH
This essay is about hope, healing, and recovery regarding women impacted by the opioid epidemic. It is not about blame, shame, or placing guilt on anyone or any system such as...
ADDICTED AND PREGNANT
ADDICTED AND PREGNANT: Sarah wasn’t like most girls when she was growing up in a middleclass home located in suburbia USA. She was a bit shy and didn’t have a vast...