Can You Outsmart Addiction?

Psych Central | September 4, 2012

Every parent wants to raise a smart kid. It seems logical that intelligence would correlate to better grades, a higher paying job and improved satisfaction with life. Yet studies show that a high IQ can get us into all kinds of trouble. Not only are brainiacs more likely to max out their credit cards and declare bankruptcy, but they're also at greater risk for substance abuse.

Read more in Dr. David Sack's Psych Central blog...

The Value of Restorative Vacations in Recovery

Promises | September 14, 2012

Taking a well-deserved vacation is a time-honored family tradition. But what happens when you've gone through rehab for drug or alcohol addiction and think that vacations are pretty much a thing of the past for you? Although the belief is completely mistaken, the reality is that many in recovery think they simply don't deserve a vacation, can't afford it, or that it may be somehow counter-productive to their overall recovery.

In fact, just the opposite is true. Here we'll look at the value of restorative vacations in recovery. Don't worry. Everyone can take one – if you adjust your mindset accordingly.

Read more...

An Interview with Dawn Zurlinden, Clinical Specialist at The Ranch

The Ranch | August 17, 2012

Dawn Zurlinden found her voice – and her calling – teaching voice lessons. When she realized that singing was an emotionally therapeutic process, Dawn felt inspired to become a therapist. She earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Tennessee and, for the past 15 years, has specialized in experiential therapy, trauma, and co-occurring addictions and psychiatric or emotional issues.

Learn more about Dawn...

Women and Pornography: Fifty Shades of the Same Old Color

In many ways, the Fifty Shades books and the recent plethora of knock-offs (our society is nothing if not unoriginal) fall squarely into the, dare I say, Harlequin Romance tradition. Back in the day, these books sold story after similar story with consistently central themes of naïve virgins and/or suffering widows being seduced by otherworldly bad boys (much like the vampires and werewolves in Twilight and/or the BDSM "hero" of Fifty Shades fame).

One big difference today is that in traditional or old school romance novels, the sex scenes nearly always faded to black well before the proverbial (read: male) money shot. Whereas Fifty Shades tracks the action taking place in Christian's infamous Red Room of Pain all the way to its, well... orgasmic conclusion.

Read the full article by the Sexual Recovery Institute's Robert Weiss on HuffPost Women.

An Interview with David Levin, Assistant Clinical Director at The Recovery Place

Elements | August 14, 2012

Twenty years ago, David was battling his own addiction. He went to treatment twice, moved into a sober living house, relapsed after almost two years sober, and then finally committed to his recovery in 2001. During an internship at a therapeutic community run by the Department of Corrections, David noticed that on any given day, roughly 95 percent of the cases that went before the judge were in some way related to drug or alcohol abuse.

"It was then that I realized addiction is such a tremendous social problem, and committed myself to fighting it," he explains.

Learn more about David...