Candace Plattor is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Addiction and Recovery". You can find complete information on Candace Plattor and her products by visiting Candace Plattor.
CHOICE-CLEANED (sobered) UP, LOCKED UP, COVERED UP
or Broken Up
I don't know when I first heard this, but since I have chosen a process of life recovery and the coaching profession, the truth of this "choice" has become very real. I hope that those of you who have taken the time to read this ... Views: 2115
Levels of anger and stress has increased hugely in recent times, especially in large urban areas and cities, resulting in increased tension and instability in many people's lives. The effects of anger can be seen very clearly in many domestic or work situation you care to imagine.
Anger as an ... Views: 2115
Are you angry, depressed, confused, and constantly trying to figure out what your spouse is up to? If you are spinning your wheels, trying to strategize and find solutions for your spouse and your relationship before you have actually identified the problem, keep reading. Family members can ... Views: 2108
Sexual addiction is a dysfunctional pattern of compulsive sexual behavior that continues even after the addict knows that it is causing major problems in their life. The sex addicts has a compulsion to engage in the problem behavior despite the fact that it has become emotionally dissatisfying ... Views: 2106
In modern day usage, self-help really refers to a process concerning people's own personal development or self growth. The good side of this is that it leads to people trying to become aware of who and what they are, and pursuing avenues that can help them become more rounded and happy people. ... Views: 2100
It seems like prescription medications are getting stronger and more addictive all the time. One of the few things I have not been addicted to I nevertheless understand the mind of an addict and the body and mind can be tempted easily into addiction.
But are there people out there who cannot ... Views: 2090
Back in the 1960’s, the Woodstock era, psychedelic drug use was pretty common for the younger generation, who are today’s baby boomers. New studies now reveal that today’s young people might be just as likely to use psychedelic drugs. These drugs are known to stimulate the brain receptors ... Views: 2089
Alcohol is a word that appears so much in our daily lives and culture that it is difficult for a non-alcoholic to imagine a life of alcohol addiction. Yet, no matter how much one may despise the term and the addiction, psychiatrists describe an alcoholic as one who exhibits any or all of these ... Views: 2087
There is so much "information" on the internet about addiction and recovery and unless you already have some knowledge about addiction and recovery, all resources may appear equal to you. This is not the case.
There are advertisements, articles, and blog posts about addiction recovery ... Views: 2083
Upsetting the status quo, your family of origin's reactionto your new boundaries.Or no good deed goes unpunished
an Article by David Bruce Jr
Now that you have your new found functional boundaries,what is some bad news you now have to deal with?
You will have to decide, with determination, ... Views: 2082
Can Addiction Be Cured?
In today’s world, most addiction treatment professionals view addiction as an incurable disease, which can only be managed and controlled using ongoing aftercare programs. In other words, every addict will always be a recovering addict, and cannot hope to become a ... Views: 2081
IS AN ADDICT EVER CURED?
~ by Joe Herzanek
In today’s world in which more and more information is readily available, there seems to be more and more confusion regarding the topic of an “Addiction Cure.” Is there a cure for addiction? Some people would argue quite convincingly that there ... Views: 2079
Do you have an addiction you simply can’t seem to get rid of? Try these techniques to help you boost success:
Improve your mental and physical health
It takes mental stamina and physical health to prevent relapsing. Trying to fight off an addiction is very draining mentally and physically. ... Views: 2078
In this context dual diagnosis refers to those who have nonnicotine substance abuse or dependence in addition to another axis I or axis II disorder. While statistics vary widely, dual diagnosis occurs commonly in the severe mentally ill, occurring with a prevalence of about one-third in ... Views: 2077
Gambling addiction is a mental problem. It is an impulse control problem and could be of many types as there are various types of gambling games. Patients suffering from it become persistent gamblers even after it starts harming them. They are not able to get rid of it despite having desire to ... Views: 2077
There is a prevailing assumption within the public arena as well as within the population of those suffering with an eating disorder, that Binge Eating Disorder, aka Food Addiction, is less "serious" than the other eating disorders - namely anorexia and bulimia. In addition, as if to make ... Views: 2072
Low self-esteem is a thinking disorder in which individuals view themselves as inadequate, unlovable, or incompetent. There are many manifestations of low self-esteem, the worst of them being addiction.
There’s no doubt that low self-esteem is one of the chief causes of addiction. The ... Views: 2072
The seven deadly sins were the seven cardinal sins enumerated by Saint Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century – pride or vanity, envy, gluttony, greed or avarice, lust, sloth, and wrath or anger. These seven certainly are the cause of much human misery and may even be among those faults that condemn ... Views: 2072
Are you in a relationship with an addict? Have your attempts at helping that person failed? Do you feel powerless? Codependency is a term used when one person develops unhealthy patterns due to the involvement with another person who has the disease of addiction. Some of the negative patterns ... Views: 2070
As the years begin to pass me by, it is hard not to reflect on my life. Lost friendships, lost loves… just so much lost. Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy with how my life has turned out, yet I can’t help and look back at the destruction of my life.
From early childhood, watching my ... Views: 2068
When shame becomes toxic, it can ruin our lives. Everyone experiences shame at one time another. It’s an emotion with physical symptoms like any other that comes and goes, but when it's severe, it can be extremely painful. Strong feelings of shame stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, ... Views: 2067
Exercise can be a helpful tool when recovering from an addiction, as it provides a way for you to keep busy and be healthy. According to Dr. Nora Volkow of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, exercise can help relieve stress and reduce depression, both factors that can help reduce the rate of ... Views: 2062
Part I
From the moment of our birth until the moment of our demise, we are constantly writing our life’s experiences onto the slates of our minds; and when we have finished writing on a slate, it is stored in an imaginary trunk where they remain until such time as they are needed as a reference ... Views: 2062
I chose to grow into heaven on earth by healing my ghastly past. My road in life was not smooth; many events were rocky and traumatic. Chaos and violence impacted my life severely from an early age. Retracing the events of my life, I found that I had perpetuated fear, shame, and turmoil from ... Views: 2061
Although there has been some controversy as to whether anyone can be "addicted to food" (AKA food addict) or manifest the symptoms of addiction with respect to the other eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorders - the following is a list of the criteria appearing in ... Views: 2057
People with drug and alcohol related problems would need to attend substance abuse awareness classes. Courses either have been mandated by the court system after the individual has ended up with a citation, or they are perfect for the education and recovery of those struggling with addictions. ... Views: 2056
Fear as a friend not an enemy
What we are really saying when we have fears or doubts is not that we are scared of getting hurt. Not that we are unable to do it but the real reason is we feel
‘we cannot handle it’
Some fear is pure instinct and keeps us out of danger but the majority, the ... Views: 2052
I have been looking at a book by Claudia Black, “My Dad Loves Me, My Dad Has
A Disease” (A Child’s View: Living With Addiction, full of pictures and writing by children), and remembering the children of addiction, and the mentally ill. I have seen five-year-olds acting like little adults, ... Views: 2051
As a counselor both in class and online alcohol awareness classes I always discuss how many alcoholic beverages and what blood alcohol concentration (BAC) each of my students had when they were arrested. It is important for people to realize how alcohol affects their mind and their body and to ... Views: 2050
Addictions are a worldwide phenomenon adversely affecting the lives of millions across all geographical boundaries and cultures. At a personal level, people’s lives are destroyed by their addictions and their loved ones also suffer the trauma from the negative ripple effect.
Causes of addictive ... Views: 2048
This is a phrase used in the bible of the original 12 step organization (known as the Big Book).
As I have traveled the road of life, I often found myself looking for an easier, softer way to get what I wanted.
In school, I dogged assignments and read other peoples notes. I have tried get rich ... Views: 2047
First of all lets understand what is positive thinking. Positive thinking only means approaching life with a positive outlook. That being said it does not mean you have to ignore potentially harmful situation that can impact your life adversely. The individuals with positive thinking do not ... Views: 2047
My passion in looking at men and trauma comes primarily from my personal experience as a young boy, first growing up in a violent alcoholic home and then having to deal with the impact of that trauma long into my thirties — and long into my sobriety. I still have vivid memories sitting on the ... Views: 2046
The rough, russet carpet of the front room of our tiny apartment was threadbare. My brother John, age 7, and I, age 9, scooted and ran around this space, unaware that we lived below the poverty line. Our father had recently deceased and my mother was desperately trying to support the two of us ... Views: 2044
We all know our brain has a lot to do with our behaviors. If this is so, why can't we just decide to change, and then do it? We do control our brains, right? Well, right and wrong.
It is much easier to change a pattern if we understand a few things about how the brain works that are not ... Views: 2043
I published this article first with the Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-mcswain/christianity-is-dying-spirituality-is-thriving_b_1950804.html
The title of this post alone will put some branches of the Christian church immediately on the defense. The fact is, however, I ... Views: 2042
Do you have a loved one that is addicted to alcohol?
If your answer was ‘yes’, you have now made a positive step in helping them overcome their alcohol addiction.
In this article, we’ll tell you how to help an alcoholic and also provide you with some guidelines on what treatment is best ... Views: 2041
The biggest obstacle to a person really transforming their life is: not wanting to have a loss of spontaneity. People have a tendency to like to do what they feel to do and when they feel to do it (even if that means compulsive things like binge eating, drinking, succumbing to peer pressure, ... Views: 2037
How can he be so selfish? He can clearly see how much pains he's causing - why doesn't he care? I can't take the stress any longer. He's destroying all of our dreams. Our lives have become Hell. Isn't he tired of living this way?
These are the typical thoughts that run through your mind when ... Views: 2035
Addictions are like everything in life, just HABITS…..bad habits more often than good ones, but conditioned habitual BEhaviours none the less.
We are, from birth, taught and thus conditioned to CHOOSE from amongst the morals, values, perceptions and BEhaviours that are considered acceptable ... Views: 2034
I am a believer who struggled with co-dependency and alcohol. The first time I was exposed to the Twelve Steps, it was in Alcoholics Anonymous and they gave me sobriety from alcohol. I was on the 4th step working this program, when my sponsor sent me to Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA), and ... Views: 2034
Are you asking yourself ‘when is alcohol treatment needed?’ The fact that you are asking this question indicates that there could be a problem at hand.
In this article, we’ll tell you how you to determine when alcohol treatment is needed.
Knowing the Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol ... Views: 2033
In order to cease an addiction such as smoking, drinking or using drugs, a person needs to go through foreseeable stages of change. Following on from Prochaska and DiClemente’s founding research in 1982, these stages of change have been extensively scientifically validated. It is unusual for a ... Views: 2031
Here are the top 5 health news stories for the week.
* How to Fat-Proof Your Life *
We asked top experts for their strategies to help you ward off weight creep -- and even shed pounds -- at tricky stages in life.
Go here for the complete news story: ... Views: 2031
John was addicted to Norco (a pain pill that contains hydrocodone the same opiate pain killer found in Vicodin), taking up to 30 daily. He started drinking heavily to cope with the feelings he would get when he could not get enough Norco. Things finally collapsed when the police stopped him ... Views: 2027
Using a practical definition, addiction is characterized by the repeated, compulsive seeking or use of a substance, behavior, or activity to reach euphoric states in the brain, despite negative consequences (harmful consequences to the individual's health, mental state or social life). ... Views: 2027
Your teen has relapsed. Despite whatever fear, disappointment, and frustration you may feel, you need to remain as calm as possible. Your loved one still needs your support.
So, what can you do as a concerned parent to help them get back on the road to recovery?
1. Envision Relapse as a ... Views: 2026
Neil Findlay says he is just, “An ordinary person out there doing some stuff.” But he is so much more than that. Both Neil and his wife have dedicated some of their working years and now their “retirement” to helping children around the world. They are both an inspiration for what we can all ... Views: 2026
Anxiety is a common complaint among people of all ages. The sources of their anxieties varies with each person. Some are anxious about everything, while others are anxious about a specific, narrow life issue such as job and money. Anxiety is generally not negative as long as (1) it’s mild and; ... Views: 2024