The Ever Present Danger of Relapse in Drug Addictions

Why Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Death Is So Scary It is clear that the root causes of drug addiction, like those of many multifactorial diseases, are frustratingly elusive — exceedingly nebulous mixture — of genetics, exposure, culture, conditioning, personality and environment . . . Addiction obviously runs in families, but plenty of addicts come from…

Picking Addiction Help | Family Intervention

Addiction is a Family Illness | How Families Can Help Addiction is a family illness. Families suffer when someone they love descends into the purgatory of addiction. But I take issue with historical confrontational interventions and outdated confrontative “rehab oriented” mandates that families should cut off contact with addicts and allow them to reach…

Effective Addiction Treatment | Alternatives

It is clear that countless people addicted to drugs or alcohol have managed to get clean and stay clean with the help of organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous or the thousands of residential inpatient and outpatient clinics devoted to treating addiction. However, if you have somehow failed to achieve lasting sobriety after “rehabilitate,” perhaps after spending…

Your Gut Feelings | The Future of Psychiatry May Be Inside Your Stomach

Research scientist James Greenblatt’s provocative idea — that numerous psychiatric woes can be solved by targeting the digestive system — is increasingly reinforced by cutting-edge science. For decades, researchers have known about the connection between the brain and the gut. Anxiety often causes nausea and diarrhea, and depression can produce changes in appetite. The connection…

Elderly Depression and The Great Digital Divide

What’s the most persistent digital divide in America? It isn’t by race, income or educational attainment, studies show, but by age. Just 56 percent of Americans over 65 are online, according to a May study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, compared with 83 percent of people aged 50 to 64, 92 percent of…

Psychotherapy With the Brain in Mind | Relational Neurobiology

The Construct “MindSight” and Relational Neurobiology What is Mindsight? “Mindsight” is a term coined by Dr. Dan Siegel to describe our human capacity to perceive the mind of the self and others. It is a powerful lens through which we can understand our inner lives with more clarity, integrate the brain, and enhance our…

Researchers Say Online Game Firms Need do More to Prevent Addiction

Online game companies need to do more to prevent players becoming too addicted in order to avoid government intervention, a study has warned: Researcher scientists at Cardiff, Derby and Nottingham Trent universities said some gamers play up to 90 hours a session, developing a “pathological addiction.” The investigators say while conventional video games have…

Psychotherapy With The Brain in Mind! | Dr. Hart | Seattle Mental Health

Increased basal ganglia activity is often a finding we have seen with anxiety disorders. When there is increased activity on the left side it is often associated with anxiety and irritability (expressed anxiety) and when there is increased activity on the right side there is often anxiety, social withdrawal and conflict avoidance. Increased activity in…

The Importance of Choosing Your Thoughts

While time spent alone can be a very positive opportunity for reflection, personal growth, and creativity, in can also be dangerous if we happen to be negatively turned against ourselves. This is reflected in the difference between introspection and rumination. Introspection is a process of self- reflection, examination, and exploration, all of which are positive…