During Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day, it’s critical to learn how to get help for mental illness in a loved one. At times, helping someone who is battling a mental illness can be challenging. You may not know what to say or do or even how to act. Even individuals who…
[Note to Reader: This is “Part One” of a 2-part blog-post—“Part Two” will appear later this week.] According to a recent study by Drs. J. Lyden and I. Binswanger, America’s opioid epidemic has become a nationwide public health crisis. And it is not limited only to the abuse of prescribed pain medication. “Initially driven by…
I used to be a college professor and could really relate to being a “high-functioning alcoholic.” I want to share my story, some facts, and offer hope to professionals who might be asking themselves if they’re in the same boat. Let’s start with what it means to be a high-functioning alcoholic. It’s about drinking too…
If you or a loved one struggles with prescription drug misuse, you may be wondering, what is amphetamine? Amphetamine, a powerful central nervous system stimulant drug, raises levels of pleasure chemicals in the user’s brain. The flood of chemicals causes extreme pleasure, calmness and suppresses appetite. The drug relaxes some people and energizes others. Repeated…
Methamphetamine has been portrayed in movies and popular television shows, like “Breaking Bad”. It may leave you wondering, what is methamphetamine? Methamphetamine, a powerful stimulant drug, raises levels of pleasure chemicals in the user’s brain. The flood of chemicals causes extreme pleasure, calmness and suppresses appetite. The drug relaxes some people and energizes others. Repeated…
“If the rest of the world would only behave… Whatever our protestations, are not most of us concerned with ourselves, our resentments, or our self-pity? Selfishness – self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.” – Alcoholics Anonymous, A.A. World Services, Inc. When any of us first begin recovery from a substance abuse…
The fact is, the current COVID-19 pandemic has amped up the degree of stress throughout society to unprecedented levels. Nowhere can this heightened pressure and strain be found more challenging than in the realm of healthcare providers. Indeed, the added coronavirus-fueled demands placed on doctors and nurses (as well as other hospital and medical center…
If you or a loved one struggles with opiate misuse, you may be wondering, what is carfentanil? Carfentanil, a powerful opiate drug, raises levels of pleasure chemicals in the user’s brain. The flood of chemicals causes extreme pleasure, calmness and suppresses appetite. The drug relaxes some people and energizes others. Repeated drug use causes the…
Over the years, drug addiction has become a part of your life, but you’re ready to end that substance abuse. Thankfully, cognitive-behavioral therapy in Tampa, FL, and other care options can help you here. But what is cognitive-behavioral therapy, and how does it manage the dangers of addiction? Learning more about this process will ensure…
PART TWO: About Treatment Designed Specifically to Help You Anyone who has experienced their life being “taken over” and dictated by the obsession and compulsion to drink or use drugs knows just how much loss can be involved: the loss of one’s serenity and sanity, self-esteem, self-worth and health, one’s relationship with a spouse, family,…