Nonalcoholic and alcohol-free beverages can seem like a good option for recovering alcoholics to turn to, but the dangers of relapse are much greater than the benefits. Your favorite NA beer or “mocktail” might seem like it helps curb your craving, but it is really hurting your recovery. Research has [...]
Add one more thing to the list that frequent heavy drinking can do to damage you. Not only can it destroy your liver, relationships, and bank account; new research has found that it can alter you DNA. Researchers from Rutgers University recently published a study that found that people who [...]
“You got to eat if you’re going to drink.” I still remember my doctor’s cautionary words from more than a decade ago before I left for college. But an eating disorder that you may never have heard of is becoming a dangerous trend, especially on college campuses. Skipping meals [...]
Alcoholism and drug addiction is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. The mental aspect of addiction leads to delusional thinking that is characterized by denial and delusional thinking. Denial can be so powerful in addiction that the addict cannot comprehend the gravity of their situation. But what happens [...]
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 [...]
