More and more people are discovering the benefits of yoga for those individuals who are seeking recovery from addiction. Roy King, PhD, MD from Stanford University has studied the biological impact of yoga on drug abuse. What he found is that by inhibiting the dopamine impulse, which addicts get from using, yoga helps to inhibit…
President Trump has declared May 2017 as National Mental Health Awareness Month. The proclamation recognizes the millions of American families affected by mental illness and calls to redouble our efforts to ensure that people who suffer can get the care and the treatment they need. The proclamation reports that nearly 10 million Americans suffer from…
Survivors of sexual violence process trauma in a variety of ways, ranging from rage and grief to apathy and disassociation; it is important to understand that there is not one pattern of response to a sexual assault. Subsequently, individuals who experience sexual assault are at much higher risk of developing substance abuse issues. Research shows…
April is Alcohol Awareness month. Established in 1987 by the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence (NCADD) to help reduce the stigma associated with alcoholism by sharing information and education on alcohol abuse and recovery every April. Alcoholism, can be evidenced by a loss of control such as not being able to stop drinking…
It is now well documented, and publicized, that the United States is in the midst of a terrible and fatal opioid drug epidemic. On March 29, 2017, it was announced that New Jersey governor Chris Christie will lead a new national opioid commission whose task will be to figure out ways to fight the opioid…
As we all know, grief is a common reaction to the loss of a loved one. How people grieve and for how long differs and is often defined by their culture. Grieving is a natural reaction that is meant to assist in accepting the loss of a loved one. However, research has been done that…
Ben Affleck should be commended for his Facebook post on March 14, 2017, that announced that he had completed 30 days of treatment for alcohol addiction. Affleck who had been to rehab in 2001 stated, “I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be…
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) This has been a particularly difficult winter in Northern California. Long-time residents of the San Francisco Bay Area report that they have not seen rainfall of this magnitude in 30 years. Aside from flooding and traffic delays, there have been days on end of cloudiness and rain. Even in the years with…
On November 17th, 2016, the Surgeon General of the United States, Vivak H. Murthy, published a landmark report entitled, “Facing Addiction in America” a comprehensive review of substance use, misuse, and disorders. Previous reports of the Surgeon General have highlighted the public health crisis challenges of Tobacco, AIDS, and Mental Health issues, and the hope is that…
As human beings, we all get angry. It is an unavoidable consequence of being human. Anger is an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage. But did you know that intense anger can be detrimental to your health? Like other emotions, anger is accompanied by physiological and biological…