It certainly is the most wonderful time of the year. The holiday season brings great times of fun and celebration filled with time with family and friends. There are so many opportunities to celebrate, but that also brings with it plenty of opportunities to drink, and if you are in [...]
Alcohol dependence and abuse has traditionally been considered a mental disorder. Changes to the digestive system and healthy gut bacteria, however, are present in certain psychiatric disorders. This shows a potential link between the gut-brain interaction and the development of alcohol dependence. While many studies focus solely on the mental [...]
Shame and guilt are present in nearly every case of substance abuse and alcoholism and they are powerful and painful emotions that can hinder recovery. We feel shame as a natural emotion that not only affects our behavior, but creates a physiological response to the automatic nervous system. We blush, [...]
With the holidays upon us already this year we can get excited for all the joy they bring. For most of us it's memories of time around the table with our family, a big turkey dinner, and maybe a nap in front of the football game. It brings warm and [...]
We have all heard the term "nightcap." The fact that a drink before bed has its own popular term shows us that a drink or two at night can help induce sleep. However, what happens to the body after the effects of alcohol help you fall asleep? While consuming alcohol [...]
Practicing mindfulness and meditation can be a very positive ways to identify hidden emotions that are harming you and hindering your recovery. Mindfulness focuses on exposing harmful ways of thinking and meditation can help reduce the physical response these harmful emotions cause to our mind and body. A very important [...]
We can all remember the fun and excitement of Halloween when we were kids. Picking out your favorite costume and knocking on your neighbor's doors on a mission for a pillowcase or plastic pumpkin full of candy. There is so much Halloween fun to remember as kid that you might [...]
Withdrawal from drugs and alcohol causes emotional and physical discomfort. Getting rid of drug use is a great step towards a healthier lifestyle, but the process is always difficult. With prolonged use, the body is accustomed and dependent on the effects of drugs and alcohol and has a difficult time [...]
Alcohol is a drug. Alcoholism is a disease that affects roughly 140 million people worldwide. The alcoholic believes he or she cannot survive daily life without having a drink. The primary focus in life is alcohol, and because of it, family members and loved ones suffer greatly. Let us focus [...]
Alcohol abuse remains one of the leading causes of death and disease throughout the world. While the number of people drinking is slowly on the decline, massive amounts are still spent in aiding those who have fallen foul of the drug. So what can be done? The money is clearly [...]
