About mental illness and addiction
Understanding the real difference between insecurity and narcissism can clear up a lot of confusion. I see people use these terms like they’re nearly the same thing, but they actually point to very different ways of thinking about yourself and relating to other people. If you’ve ever wondered if someone in your life (or maybe … Read more
We all seem to know someone who can eat pizza, desserts, fast food, and large meals yet remain thin. Meanwhile, another person may feel that even small changes in eating habits affect their weight. It can be frustrating, but body weight is far more complicated than simply having a “fast” or “slow” metabolism. Genetics, appetite, … Read more
Billie Holiday, known as “Lady Day,” became one of the most influential jazz singers in American history. Behind her extraordinary voice was a life marked by childhood hardship, racism, abusive relationships, substance use, and repeated encounters with the criminal justice system. Historical accounts document her struggles with heroin and alcohol, but her life should not … Read more
Charlize Theron is known worldwide as an Academy Award-winning actress, but behind her successful career is a childhood marked by alcoholism, domestic violence, fear, and loss. Theron has spoken publicly about growing up in South Africa with a father who struggled with alcohol and about how those experiences affected her long after childhood. Her story … Read more
Selma Blair has built a successful acting career while privately carrying struggles that began long before Hollywood. In her memoir Mean Baby and subsequent interviews, Blair opened up about alcoholism, childhood trauma, anxiety, physical pain, motherhood, and her eventual decision to live without alcohol. She has said she became sober in 2016. Her story demonstrates … Read more
Halle Berry’s story highlights an often-overlooked impact of addiction: a person does not have to struggle with substance use themselves to be deeply affected by it. Berry has spoken openly about growing up with an alcoholic father and witnessing domestic violence within her family. These painful childhood experiences left emotional wounds that influenced how she … Read more
Addiction rarely develops because of one emotion or one difficult relationship. Substance use disorders are influenced by a combination of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. However, powerful emotions such as envy, jealousy, resentment, rejection, and anger can become triggers for substance use—especially when a person has learned to use alcohol or drugs to escape … Read more
People living with addiction are often told to “just quit,” “try harder,” or “have more willpower.” Although motivation and determination are valuable parts of recovery, overcoming addiction involves much more than simply choosing to stop drinking or using drugs. Substance use disorders can affect brain systems responsible for reward, motivation, learning, stress, and self-control. Over … Read more
Aaron Hernandez was once one of professional football’s most recognizable young players. The former New England Patriots tight end appeared to have a promising athletic career, but his life eventually became associated with serious legal problems, imprisonment, and his death by suicide at age 27. After his death in 2017, examination of his brain revealed … Read more
“Why can’t you just stop?” is a question many people struggling with addiction hear, yet it overlooks the challenges involved in changing compulsive behaviors. To someone on the outside, quitting alcohol, drugs, nicotine, gambling, or another addictive behavior may seem like a matter of making a firm decision and sticking to it. When negative consequences … Read more