The Link Between Bipolar Disorder and Addiction The link between bipolar disorders and substance abuse disorders is a strong one. Those who suffer from bipolar disorder often experience severe mood swings, which can make diagnosing cooccurring disorders difficult. In...
Mental Health
Can Drug Abuse Cause Permanent Brain Damage?
How Drugs Affect the Brain Drugs and alcohol are substances that, when ingested, smoked, injected, or snorted, create all kinds of short- and long-term negative effects on the brain. Drug abuse causes brain injuries because: These substances are toxic chemicals that...
Alcohol Rehab Fort Lauderdale
What Is Alcohol Rehab Like? When you are in the midst of alcohol addiction, it is easy to feel as though there is no way out of the cycle of substance abuse. While you know you want to have a life of sobriety, it can be hard to find your way out of alcohol addiction...
Short and Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on Mental Health
How Does Alcohol Affect My Mental Health? Alcohol is one of the most used drugs in America, possibly because it is legal, it is socially acceptable, and it is available practically everywhere. It is also an addictive substance that can cause severe physical and mental...
Signs and Symptoms of a Dual Diagnosis
What is Dual Diagnosis? Dual diagnosis is a condition diagnosed by mental health and addiction professionals and is the name for a case in which a person with a drug or alcohol dependency or substance use disorder is also living with a co-occurring mental health...
The Connection Between Addiction and Mental Illness
Why Addiction and Mental Illness Often Occur Together It is common for individuals living with a substance use disorder to have co-occurring mental health disorders. Within the United States, there are approximately 9 million people who are living with mental...
Obdurate Behavior in Recovery
Here you are in recovery for an addiction. Your family has practically disowned you, it’s been months since any of your friends called, your kids never answer your phone calls, and you feel like a complete failure. All is not lost. You can be in the worst state of...
What if I Have a Nervous Breakdown and Freak Out?
A nervous breakdown is a catchall phrase used to describe a period of intense mental distress in which one is unable to function normally in their everyday life. Today’s mental health professionals and clinicians, don’t use the term nervous breakdown anymore. Their...
What Helps to Break the Pattern of Depression?
Not all therapists use the same strategies for dealing with your depression. Notice the ownership language used in the first sentence, your depression. Does this sound familiar? Hi, I’m Bill, or Jane, and I’m an alcoholic. This kind of language puts an adhesive label...
A Gentle Approach to Ease Anxiety and Depression
The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICAMB) recently published a five minute video on how two simple and gentle actions can help with depression. The video highlights the work of Dr. Steven Hayes, PhD, founder of Acceptance and...