About how addiction affect relationships
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
Artificial intelligence chatbots have quickly become part of everyday life. People use them to answer questions, study, brainstorm ideas, solve problems, practice conversations, and find emotional support. For many people, these tools are useful and easy to control. However, some individuals may begin spending so much time interacting with chatbots that the behavior interferes with … 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
Larry Hagman became a television icon as J.R. Ewing on Dallas and Major Tony Nelson on I Dream of Jeannie. Behind his successful career, however, Hagman experienced years of heavy alcohol use that eventually contributed to serious liver disease. He was diagnosed with cirrhosis in 1992 and later developed a malignant liver tumor. In August … Read more
Patrick Swayze was known around the world for movies such as Dirty Dancing and Ghost, but behind his successful career were personal struggles that included problematic alcohol use and, later, a devastating diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. His experience provides an opportunity to discuss addiction, cancer risk, coping with serious illness, and the importance of family … 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
Infidelity can cause profound emotional pain, leaving individuals questioning the trust, intimacy, and security they once felt in their relationship. Physical infidelity involves sexual or intimate contact with someone outside the agreed-upon boundaries of a committed partnership, while emotional infidelity occurs when a person develops a secretive or deeply intimate emotional connection with someone else. … Read more
Gia Carangi became one of the most recognizable fashion models of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Often described as one of the first supermodels, she appeared in major fashion magazines and worked with leading photographers. Behind her rapid rise to fame, however, Carangi experienced severe substance use problems, particularly heroin addiction. Her health, relationships, … Read more
Love should provide safety, respect, trust, and the freedom to be yourself. Yet some people remain deeply emotionally attached to partners who repeatedly hurt, manipulate, intimidate, or control them. From the outside, friends and family may wonder, “Why don’t they just leave?” The answer can be complicated. An abusive relationship can contain periods of affection, … Read more
When we hear an inspiring addiction recovery story, it can sound as though one dramatic moment changed everything. Someone entered rehab, stopped using substances, rebuilt relationships, and created an entirely different life. But successful recovery stories are rarely that simple. There is no single secret medication, therapy, treatment center, or motivational speech that guarantees lasting … Read more