5 Things Standing Between You and a Healthy Relationship

Elements' David Sack, MD in The Huffington Post

Why do some people repeat the same relationship mistakes over and over? The five most common culprits include past relationships, trauma, addiction, and mental health problems. If you keep making the same mistakes time after time then you need to ask yourself, "Why were you attracted to this person?" Can you answer yourself honestly? What's familiar may be comfortable, but it isn't always the best choice. Only when you address the underlying issues can you begin making healthier choices and healing your own wounds from the past.

Read more on The Huffington Post...

How to Manage Work and Family Obligations During Your Addiction Treatment

Promises | February 15, 2013

Can I lose my job? Who will care for my children? How do I juggle work and family demands while I'm in treatment?

If you're contemplating addiction treatment, troubling questions like these are often foremost in your mind. Everyone has responsibilities, whether it's paying the bills or caring for a small child. Some people, like single parents, are in charge of doing it all. Daily responsibilities present unique challenges for substance abusers who want to regain their health. While it may require some creative thinking, support, and discipline, you can manage the daily demands of your life during your addiction treatment.

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Did the Internet Kill Cupid?

It's Cheating | February 11, 2013

The Internet has clearly changed the way we meet people, and it's definitely changed the way people cheat. But has our romantic image of love also been shifted by the Internet? Has early exposure to explicit images and a steady diet of pornography skewed young peoples' expectations about sex and romance? And with people hooking up using smart phone apps that can geo-locate a perfect match in seconds (and face it, often with someone who is already spoken for), we could make the argument that the Internet has killed Cupid.

Watch the first It's Cheating Thought Video and tell us, what do you think?

Sex and the Cultural Zeitgeist

Sex Addiction Expert, Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S in The Huffington Post

Once upon a time, there was no such thing as the Internet. Endless varieties and amounts of hardcore pornography were not available at the touch of a button. America had not yet been desensitized by digital smut, and sex was a taboo subject. Nowhere was this more evident than in movies and on television.

Slowly but surely, over the last 40 years or so, sex has emerged from the shadows. What does this sudden interest in sexually-themed stories mean? Is this sexualization of the American zeitgeist a passing phase, or have we permanently discarded our puritan roots?

Read more in the HuffPost Entertainment blog...

Science and Support Are Keys to a Successful Recovery from Addiction

Right Step | February 15, 2013

Very few people intend to become alcoholics or drug addicts. Further, very few people who find themselves snared by addiction and who seek treatment for it intend to relapse. The bottom line: Overcoming addiction, whether it's the first time or subsequent to treatment, is a challenge that is often underrated and almost always misunderstood.

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Drug Rehab: Prelude To Your Do-Over

The Ranch | February 14, 2013

The great irony of perfectionism is that it makes failure all but inevitable. Because perfectionists insist on a level of performance that is impossible to achieve in the vast majority of instances, they must constantly cope with feelings of frustration, disappointment, guilt, shame, and personal inadequacy. Perfectionists live in a state of constant psychological tension, which leaves them vulnerable to the soothing and sedating touch of alcohol; and when feelings of failure send them spiraling into depression, they can be strongly tempted to turn to stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine to help them overcome their inner sense of ennui.

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