EQUINE-ASSISTED THERAPY
Equine-assisted therapy, also known as equine therapy, horse therapy, or equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP), is one of the most popular types of animal-assisted therapy. Resting on the belief that horses are intuitive creatures, equine therapy relies on the use of horses to assist with and help inform the treatment process. Horses are believed to react and […]
MUSIC THERAPY
Music therapy is a type of expressive therapy that involves the clinical and evidence-based use of music, either listening to, playing, creating, and/or discussing, for discrete therapeutic purposes. While it may seem like an alternative, “new age,” therapy technique, music therapy has actually been around for thousands of years and gained further popularity during the World […]
WHAT IS ADVENTURE THERAPY?
Adventure therapy, also known as wilderness therapy or activity-based psychotherapy, has become an increasingly popular treatment option for those struggling with substance abuse. As its name would suggest, adventure therapy is an experimental form of treatment that is designed to help patients overcome emotional issues, develop their inner strength, and learn new skills through their participation […]
WHAT IS ART THERAPY?
Art therapy, also known as art psychotherapy, refers to the practice of having patients create art as a way to promote and advance the mental, physical, and emotional growth, healing, and recovery of those struggling with a substance addiction. Art therapy is typically combined with other forms of therapy as part of a holistic and […]
ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT), also known as pet therapy or, since dogs are such a popular choice of therapy animal, canine-assisted therapy, is not actually an independent form of treatment. Rather, service animals are typically used alongside more conventional forms of psychotherapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy or contingency management, as a way to make those therapies more effective. […]
WHY YOU SHOULDN’T LET FEAR KEEP YOU FROM LEAVING AN ADDICT
In some ways, addiction is harder on friends and loved ones than for the person with the substance use disorder. Addiction can take the person you loved and twist them in someone unrecognizable. Your husband that attended every single T-ball game and school play is suddenly missing everything or forgetting that he was supposed to […]
EFFECTS OF ADDICTION ON RELATIONSHIPS
Addiction is notoriously hard on relationships. Couples in which one partner uses/abuses drugs or alcohol tend to be very unhappy, as drug use can take over one’s life to the detriment of everything else. It can create both an emotional distance and a physical one if the user is frequently out doing or acquiring drugs […]
WHAT IS ALATEEN?
When Alcoholics Anonymous was officially established in1935, the meetings were initially held at the home of co-creator Bill Wilson. As husbands attended the meetings with Bill, Bill’s wife Lois would gather with the other wives to discuss the stress their husbands’ alcoholism was causing them. By 1951, the wives’ meetings grew into the organization Al-anon. After several […]
WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY & SUBSTANCE ADDICTION
Though it may seem counterintuitive that someone would trade the health risks of obesity for the health risks of substance abuse, research conducted over the past few years seems to suggest that this may be the case, with studies finding that those who have undergone weight loss surgery are at a higher risk of abusing substances. […]
THE REALITY OF HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES STEALING PRESCRIPTION PADS TO GET DRUGS
Imagine, for a moment, that you are a doctor having to put up with another busy day at work (or perhaps you already are a doctor, in which case you can sympathize). After going through thousands of patient files throughout the week, you discover that one of your prescription pads has been stolen by (of […]