About mental illness and addiction
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is usually linked to heart attacks and strokes. But there’s another area where it quietly has a big influence: our brains, especially how they recover after illness or injury. The more I learn about hypertension, the clearer it becomes that how we manage our blood pressure can make a huge … Read more
Changes in the brain caused by addiction aren’t always obvious at first, but they can really shape how a person thinks and acts. These changes can show up as switches in mood, motivation, and even memory. Addiction goes way beyond cravings or struggles with willpower. It’s linked to real, measurable differences in the brain’s wiring … Read more
Trying to quit a habit or addiction is rarely easy, and the phrase “going cold turkey” pops up all the time when people talk about stopping something all at once. Movies, friends, and even some internet forums make it sound like quitting cold turkey is either the boldest or the scariest route—a kind of all-or-nothing … Read more
Parenting approaches can have a big impact when you’re supporting a child or teen through recovery, whether it’s from trauma, addiction, anxiety, or other tough patches. The two styles that get talked about a lot are gentle parenting and permissive parenting. The tricky part is, these two sound pretty similar on the surface but work … Read more
If you’ve ever felt like therapy isn’t really working in the way you hoped, you’re definitely not alone. It can be tough to keep showing up to appointments and working through difficult emotions, only to feel stuck or discouraged. I’ve experienced these frustrations myself and learned that when therapy doesn’t lead to the changes you … Read more
Doctors have been at the center of the conversation about addiction treatment for decades. The wide variety of approaches shows not just the complexity of substance disorders, but also the challenges that come with figuring out what works best for each patient. While some treatments have established success rates, others carry risks that aren’t always … Read more
Emotion regulation is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotional experiences in healthy and adaptive ways. It is a critical psychological skill that influences how individuals respond to stress, disappointment, fear, anger, sadness, and other challenging emotions. In the context of addiction, difficulties with emotion regulation often contribute to the initiation, continuation, and recurrence … Read more
Elton John’s life story illustrates that addiction and mental health challenges can affect anyone, regardless of fame, talent, or financial success. As one of the most influential musicians in modern history, he achieved extraordinary professional accomplishments while privately struggling with substance use disorder, depression, low self-esteem, and the emotional pressures associated with fame and personal … Read more
Addiction is more than repeated substance use or compulsive behavior—it is driven by powerful patterns in the brain that become stronger over time. One of the most helpful ways to understand these patterns is through the habit loop, a cycle consisting of a cue (trigger), routine (behavior), and reward. A stressful event, emotional discomfort, or … Read more
Alcohol misuse remains one of the leading preventable causes of illness, injury, and death in the United States, affecting millions of individuals, families, and communities each year. Excessive alcohol use—including binge drinking, heavy drinking, and alcohol use disorder (AUD)—contributes to chronic diseases, mental health disorders, motor vehicle crashes, violence, lost productivity, and significant healthcare costs. … Read more