mental health

Bipolar is a psychiatric disorder that’s characterized by states of mania and states of depression. In this two-part series, we’ll look at signs of both bipolar mania and depression. We’ll first discuss the general meaning of bipolar depression, as well as common signs and symptoms. People with bipolar disorder experience states of mania and states… Read On »

The science behind meditation is not lacking. Though the practice is thousands of years old, in the last decade science has taken a particular interest in the efficacy and benefit of meditation. Brain imaging studies, behavioral studies, and even studies conducted on the smallest parts of our cellular make up have all found that regular… Read On »

The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems are the two parts of what’s known as our autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for controlling bodily functions that we don’t do consciously such as breath, digestion, and our heartbeat. While the sympathetic nervous system is like a gas pedal that activates the stress response… Read On »

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is often cast as one of the most difficult mental illnesses to diagnose and to treat. Characterized more often by external behaviors rather than internal causes, getting to the root of BPD can be a therapeutic challenge as a complicated web of coping behaviors that have been formulated to protect against… Read On »

What Is EMDR? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based, integrative form of psychotherapy that has been proven effective for the treatment of trauma. Essentially, EMDR facilitates the healing of the intangible. Experiencing trauma and the ongoing distress of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be like living with an invisible wound. Often, our traumatic… Read On »

  All of our experiences in life are chemically based, meaning, that our brain releases chemicals, specifically chemical messengers, and those chemicals interact with different parts of the brain. From there, the different parts of the brain communicate with each other, with the nervous system, then with the body, creating an overall sensory experience. Pleasure… Read On »

During the daytime, it is easy to stay busy and distracted from what can sometimes be overwhelming and uncomfortable thoughts about drinking and using. When the sun is out, or if it isn’t out, during the working hours of the day, the world is alive and buzzing. We can hop onto that current and ride… Read On »

Meditation can and will change our lives with regular practice. To make the most of our meditation time, we need only to follow a few simple suggestions. Set A Meditation Time Meditation is an “any time” practice – you can practice meditation in any way you want, any time of day, as long as you… Read On »

In our previous blog post, we talked about the difference between passive and active recovery, as well as the grave danger we put ourselves in when we let our recovery become passive. Working a program of recovery includes more than a sponsor, working with newcomers, attending 12-Step meetings, and being of service to others. At… Read On »

Boundaries are the invisible rolls of caution tape we put up around our limitations emotionally, mentally, financially, and physically. Though others can’t see our boundaries, they can hear them and know them through our communication, as well as our actions. For people with an addicted loved one, these boundaries can be difficult to set, even… Read On »