After Addiction and Broken Dreams, a Life Gone GoodRecoveryBy Promises Behavioral HealthAugust 17, 2016Each day, Brent Clark carries five index cards in his back pocket as a reminder of where he’s been and where he could be headed.
Musician Charts a Path From Addiction to AuthenticityNews and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthDecember 28, 2015When musician, singer and songwriter Michael Shapiro tells the story of his drug and alcohol addiction, he starts in 1976, when his father took him to see Carlos Santana perform.
Movie Review: Revealing ‘The Skeleton Twins’ in the ClosetCulture & MediaBy Promises Behavioral HealthDecember 25, 2014Every family has its secrets, and the Dean twins, Maggie and Milo, are examples of what happens when the skeletons in the closet gradually start rattling. This is the premise of the movie “The Skeleton Twins.”
Abstinent Alcoholics Can Regain Brain VolumeAlcoholismBy Promises Behavioral HealthNovember 18, 2014The chronic, excessive pattern of alcohol consumption associated with alcoholism is known for its ability to damage several key aspects of brain function. One of the most common indicators of alcohol-related brain damage is a loss in the volume of tissue contained in the brain’s main structures. In a study scheduled for publication in 2014…
Four DUIs in 30 Hours? People Do Worse During BlackoutsAlcoholismBy Promises Behavioral HealthOctober 25, 2014You’d be surprised how many problem drinkers in a blackout have come out of it having flown to another country. To the untrained eye they may appear sober and rational while complete lack of reason and control have overtaken them, said Dr. Anita Gadhia-Smith, a Washington, D.C., specialist and author of From Addiction to Recovery:…
#14 Days on the WagonCulture & MediaBy Promises Behavioral HealthOctober 8, 2014Are you ready to take a dare? Can you go two weeks without hoisting a pint, sipping chardonnay, or slinging a shot? What would it be like to abandon alcohol for two weeks? Parvati Shallow of CBS News challenges viewers to do just that. She writes, “Nearly 23 million Americans need treatment for a drug or…
Even in Addiction, It’s Never Too Late to Start OverRecoveryBy Promises Behavioral HealthSeptember 2, 2014There are those who realize that they have a drinking problem and are able to cut back or simply stop. I wasn’t one of them. I abused alcohol for 20 years knowing that it was causing problems both physically and mentally, but didn’t stop until I had lost everything. Here’s what I learned from thinking…
Once-Broken Mom Moves Beyond Stigma to StrengthAlcoholism, News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthMay 7, 2014To those in AA, it’s known as The Big Book. Chrisi Hard’s copy is deep blue with the title Alcoholics Anonymous embossed in the same color on the cover, rendering the words almost invisible. “They design them that way,” she explains, “so that if you’re reading it in a coffee shop or somewhere, no one…
Who Do You Think You Are? Discovering the Person You Were Meant to BeFeatured, Mental Health, News and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthMay 6, 2014By Carolyn Hughes, BA Hons, CQSW — Who do you want to be? If you’ve experienced traumas that have left you numb, or the pressures of an image-conscious, success-driven society are forcing you to live your life trying to be someone you’re not, perhaps it’s time to start finding out who you really are. As…
Fish Oil May Help Prevent Alcohol Abusers From DementiaNews and ResearchBy Promises Behavioral HealthOctober 8, 2013Alcohol-related dementia is an unofficial term used to describe a decline in mental function caused by the habitual, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages. The American Psychiatric Association recognizes this dementia under a more general heading called “substance/medication-induced major or mild neurocognitive disorder.” In a study presented in September 2013 by Loyola University Chicago, a team…
