'If I Drink' Shows How Alcohol Changes How You Drive or Ride a Bike

How much alcohol can you drink before you exceed the legal limit, putting yourself and others in danger? It is common for people to underestimate alcohol's impact on their balance, speed, accuracy and reaction time behind the wheel, yet research shows that serious negative effects can result after as little as one or two drinks.

A new interactive simulated drinking app "If I Drink…" helps people understand, in a visual, easy-to-understand way, just how severely alcohol affects their ability to drive safely. The app isn't just another blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) calculator. It provides a first-person virtual experience of riding a bike, driving a car or walking the line at different BAC levels, ranging from sober to extremely intoxicated.

After plugging in a few simple facts - including the type of alcohol, how many drinks are consumed in a specified period of time, weight, gender, and location - the app calculates the resulting BAC level and plays a short video of someone driving, biking or attempting the walk-and-turn field sobriety test at that BAC level. The app also describes the potential legal consequences based on current state law.

Try "If I Drink" now...

Teens Gone Wild: Spring Break and Risky Behaviors

Elements | April 10, 2014

Spring break is a fun time of year for most students. It means relief from studying and hitting the books and is a good opportunity to relax and recover. For most students, though, spring break means partying, drinking, sex, and a whole lot of trouble. Partying during spring break has taken on epic proportions in the last couple of decades. High school seniors and college students travel to sunny places to have fun and cut loose, but they often take serious risks. Parents of students: beware. Spring break is a dangerous time.

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Nymphomaniac: Volume 1 - A Realistic Look at Female Hypersexuality?

Elements' Rob Weiss in Psychology Today

Before going any further, I need to state that I thoroughly dislike the title of Nymphomaniac: Volume I. For years I've argued against use of the term nymphomaniac. Frankly, it's an antiquated and demeaning word used to denigrate sexual women. It is not a medical or psychiatric diagnosis, and it is certainly not helpful to anyone. Frankly, calling a hypersexual female a nymphomaniac is about as empathetic and insightful as calling an alcoholic a degenerate bum (which, sadly, was relatively common practice until only a few decades ago). That said, use of this shaming term may have been an intentional plot-related choice by von Trier as opposed to just an eye-catching title. Certainly the term is consistent with Joe's shame-riddled self-image. In fact, she describes herself as a "bad person" almost immediately, and never once does she waver from this self-portrayal.

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An Interview with Jeremy Stalbird, Residential Manager at Promises Young Adult Program

Promises | April 14, 2014

Jeremy Stalbird was on a troubled path for the early part of his life, but it led him "right where I'm supposed to be," he said, helping those with drug and alcohol addictions as Residential Manager of Promises Young Adult Program. Coming up on his sixth year of sobriety, Jeremy uses his hard-earned knowledge to connect with those seeking their own road to recovery. "I hope they find inspiration from me," he said. "Probably 90 percent of the technicians who work here, we've all been through it. So we have a lot of compassion and empathy for our clients."

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Right Step Opens ‘Women Only' Substance Abuse and Intimacy Disorders Program

Right Step | March 25, 2014

Right Step addiction treatment center in Dallas/Ft. Worth opens the Substance Abuse and Intimacy Disorders program (SAID DFW) for women only. SAID DFW treats women who have relationship and intimacy issues that are undermining their ability to live healthy, satisfying, and sober lives. For example, women attending this new program often have a history of maintaining close relationships with abusive or unavailable men, as well as partners who remain actively involved with alcohol or other drugs. Women with underlying sex and relationship disorders and trauma often use alcohol and drugs to enjoy or even tolerate sex or unfulfilling relationships, or to cope with loneliness and painful past traumatic relationships and experiences.

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What Therapy Animals Can Teach Us About Being Human

Elements' Dr. David Sack in Psychology Today

When Winston Churchill said, "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man," he may have been more right than he realized. A growing body of research is beginning to confirm what has long been observed anecdotally - that animals can help us heal in ways both physical and psychological. More and more in therapists' offices and mental health and addiction treatment facilities, animals are being used as a bridge to those who are struggling, with encouraging results.

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Risk Factors for Prescription Drug Abuse

Sundance | April 6, 2014

Prescription drug abuse has reached epidemic levels not only in the United States but in the United Kingdom as well. Recent UK research has focused to identify specific triggers for prescription pain reliever addiction.

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