The Case for Recognizing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a Purple Heart Injury Receiving a Purple Heart in recognition of a veteran’s bravery and sacrifice is a cherished honor among military families. Traditionally given out by the Pentagon in the name of the sitting president, Purple Hearts formally recognize the physical injuries and sacrifices an […]
Unhealthy Items at the Health Store: Four Reasons to Be Wary of Supplements Who doesn’t want an extra boost to their health that’s as easy as taking one little pill? Although herbal supplements are often touted as a relatively easy way to support your body’s healthy functioning, in reality many of the products that are […]
Six Ways to Maintain Your Sobriety at a Thanksgiving Celebration I first tried to quit drinking on November 11, 1995. By Thanksgiving of that year, I was clean, but I was scared to death of facing a holiday dinner without a drink. I remember standing by the bar in my grandmother’s house, downing Diet Coke […]
Resilience is defined as the ability to recover from setbacks, adapt well to change, and keep going in the face of adversity. Learning to become more resilient can offer individuals the opportunity to improve their life, maximizing potential and success. As Diane Coutu so eloquently explains in How Resilience Works: “Resilient people possess thee characteristics […]
This past week, I presented a paper at the 2nd Canadian Conference on Positive Psychology. The paper was titled, “From Despondency to Hope: Ending Addiction for Good Using a Positive Psychological Approach.” Positive Psychology is a relatively new field of psychological research and intervention. The University of Pennsylvania describes positive psychology in this way: […]
An alarming number of young people are consuming alcohol nowadays, often binging on the weekends and combining drinking with drug experimentation. These risky behaviors are causing health problems with consequences that will have to be dealt with throughout their adult lives. I should know. I was once that teenage drinker turned alcoholic. As such, these […]
April is Alcohol Awareness Month. This is an excellent time to have conversations with friends, relatives, and medical professionals about drinking and its impact on our lives. Several problems are specifically related to women and drinking. These are particularly important for us to talk about. These issues include but are not limited to: pregnancy and […]
Not since the 1960s and Harvard Professor Timothy Leary, has there been such interest in the medical and scientific study of entheogenic substances. Entheogens, hallucinogenic substances traditionally used in shamanic rituals or to facilitate spiritual experiences, have long been used by folk healers to treat psychiatric problems. Later this year, researchers at Alabama University at […]
Can a person be addicted to sugar? With obesity becoming an epidemic health issue, scientists have begun studying how food has an effect on our brain and body. A general consensus of researchers is finding that sugar may be addictive. A neuroscientist at Columbia University, Nicole Avena, found through laboratory experiments on rats that overeating […]
Today, I’m sitting at a desk in a hotel in Paris, looking out over the city as I complete my writing and prepare to give a presentation this afternoon about the role of naturopathic medicine in addiction recovery. I am at the International Conference on Naturopathic Medicine. This is touted as the premier international conference […]