HYPNOTHERAPY
While often mistaken as a “new age” type of therapy, hypnotherapy, also known as hypnosis, has actually been around since the 1700s and was officially recognized as an effective treatment technique by the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association in 1950. Hypnotherapy essentially refers to the process of inducing a patient into an […]
UNDERSTANDING BIOFEEDBACK
Biofeedback, also known as applied psychophysiological feedback, is a form of behavioral medicine that teaches patients how to control and regulate their physiological symptoms. The term stems from the use of electronic monitoring devices to provide feedback on one’s biological functioning. Biofeedback has been a tool used by both medical and mental health practitioners for decades now. The […]
LET’S TALK ABOUT BRENDA
BRENDA is the acronym used to describe a psychosocial approach to addiction treatment that was specifically designed to be used by a wide variety of healthcare providers, including primary care physicians, in conjunction with a pharmacotherapy regimen. The six components of BRENDA are: B: Biopsychosocial evaluation R: Report the findings from the evaluation to the […]
ALCOHOL-RELATED PSYCHOSIS
Alcohol-related psychosis, also known as alcohol hallucinosis, is a mental condition characterized by delusions and/or hallucinations that occur during or immediately after intoxication or are experienced as symptoms of withdrawal. The hallucinations typically end upon the cessation of intoxication or withdrawal. While alcohol-related psychosis is considered a rare condition, believed to affect only about 3% of […]
THE THREE STAGES OF RECOVERY
Recovering from a substance addiction is a lifelong process that can be broken down into three main stages: Early Recovery: While the precise time period may vary, early recovery is generally considered to refer to the first full year of recovery, where an individual faces a higher risk of relapse, especially in the first 90 days. During […]
12-STEP PROGRAMS
While most people are familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and its companion groups for those affected by another’s alcohol abuse, Al-Anon and Alateen, there are actually a number of different 12-step programs available for those struggling with a variety of different substance addictions or behavioral addictions. 12-STEP PROGRAMS FOR BEHAVIORAL ADDICTIONS: Co-Dependence Anonymous – to […]
DRUG REPLACEMENT THERAPY
Drug replacement therapy, also known as replacement therapy, refers to the practice of prescribing one drug to treat an addiction to another substance. The most well-known replacement therapy is the use of methadone to treat opioid or heroin addiction. In fact, decades of research by various organizations like the World Health Organization, the National Institute […]
FUNCTIONAL ALCOHOLICS
Some people can abuse alcohol while still being successful in their personal and professional lives. These people are typically referred to as high-functioning alcoholics or HFAs, but in truth, no one can ignore the effects of alcohol abuse forever. An HFA can (at least for a while) have a good job, a close family, and plenty […]
ALCOHOLIC DEMENTIA
Alcoholic dementia is a major neurocognitive disorder that can result from excessive drinking over many years. Though it may not be as well-known as other cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, alcoholic dementia is actually the third most common cause of cognitive degeneration among the elderly. Symptoms of alcoholic dementia include: Short-term memory loss or difficulty […]
A CLOSER LOOK AT STATISTICS CONCERNING ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO ADDICTION RATES IN AMERICA
While we are all aware of how dangerous drug addiction and alcoholism truly are, you might not begin to understand how truly severe these problems can be until you take a look at the facts of the matter. For example, did you know that, in 2011 alone, 20.6 million people over 12 years of age […]