Most people associate trauma with harrowing events like war or a natural disaster. However, any distressing event that falls beyond the scope of normal human experience can be considered traumatic. Individuals who have experienced trauma are at a much higher risk of developing addiction and substance use disorders, so it is important to understand the … Continued
Neuroscience researcher, Melvin Conner, tells us that the human nervous system is conditioned by a subtle, but constant, state of stress. His findings indicate that the chronic internal state of the human nervous system can be best categorized as a vague mixture of anxiety and desire, best described by the phrase, “I want,” spoken with … Continued
Over the past three decades, meditation therapy has spread rapidly through the fields of medicine, mental health, and education as a way to reduce toxic stress and impulsivity and increase emotion regulation, executive function, empathy, and overall physical, emotional and cognitive well–being. In treating addiction, empirical evidence is beginning to show overwhelming evidence in support … Continued
The History and Stigma of Addiction: The Flawed Individual By 1974, the American Medical Association had officially recognized alcoholism and drug addiction as forms of chronic and progressive brain disease. This classification by the AMA helped lift much of the stigma around the medical field’s understanding of substance abuse thus lending credibility to the field … Continued
Understanding Attachment Disorder Human beings are biologically hardwired for social bonding. Infants possess a survival instinct to instinctively attach to caregivers. When babies’ physical and emotional needs are met, they develop secure attachments, learning to trust, communicate and take steps toward independence. Infants completely rely on adult caregivers for emotional regulation. When parents or other … Continued
Getting sober is hard. Staying sober is even harder. You may feel that you are caught in an ever-revolving door, going in and out of sobriety with varying degrees of success. You may have accumulated days or years of sobriety at certain points in your life even enduring painful periods of withdrawal without the use … Continued