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DBT: An Effective Addiction Treatment?
The debate over what causes addiction never seems to end. Is it nature or nurture? Is it a disease, or is it a choice? What makes it worse: drug availability or social isolation? While determining the cause of an addiction can be helpful, in truth it is an incredibly complex syndrome that arises from a…
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Mental Health Labels – Rebranding Our Shame
I recently gave a talk at the TEDxUCLA conference. The point of the talk was to point out just how impactful, often negatively so, mental health labels can be. In case you are not aware, mental health labels typically come with expectations. As I point out in my talk, these expectations can actually alter individual…
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About Addiction: non-addictive pills, internet addiction, marijuana and alcohol
You want to know more about addiction and we want to tell you, so here is this week’s wrap up of exciting news (well, some of it. ) A lot of news about addiction comes up every week and we want you to be informed! The End of Opioid Addiction?– According to a joint international…
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Forgetting astrocytes – marijuana, memory, and the brain
My favorite thing about science are those discoveries that remind us we simply don’t know everything. A recent article by a group of researchers from Canada, China, and France (see original research article in the journal Cell here and a nice summary here) summarizes findings that reveal some surprises about the ways marijuana use affects…
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Loss, but not absence, of control – How choice and addiction are related
In a recent post the notion that “loss of control” is an addiction myth was raised by our contributing author, Christopher Russell, a thoughtful graduate student studying substance abuse in the U.K. Though I obviously personally believe in control- and choice-relevant neurological mechanisms playing a part in addiction, this conversation is a common one both…
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Where is catastrophe in my brain?
People argue constantly about the role of specific brain changes in affecting human behavior. As you probably know if you’re a frequent A3 reader, I’m a big believer in the notion that just like every other physical aspect of our “selves,” biological changes in our brain function brought about by genetics, experience, or other influences…
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Shame on me – Stigma and addiction in treatment
I keep hearing that back in the old days of addiction treatment, shame was the main motivating factor used by rehab counselors. Everyone admits that it proved to be a horrible motivator. It simply didn’t work! With all the advances in research into addiction, that must have changed, right? I don’t think so. I see…
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Will you get addicted? Signs of drug abuse
Everyone wants to know if they, or someone they love will get addicted to alcohol or drugs. • Parents want to know if their children are likely to become addicts, especially if there is a family history of addiction. • Teens wonder if trying a drug will lead to a life of crime and shame.…
