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Addiction research – Who are we studying?
I teach a class on the psychology of addiction (Psych 477 at California State University in Long Beach) and as I have been preparing the lectures something has become very clear to me – textbooks patently gloss over important details about the addiction research they cite. One of the most obvious gaps I’ve noticed this…
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Treating alcohol withdrawal with benzodiazepines – Safe if mindful
Contributing co-author: Andrew Chen Alcohol withdrawal can be extremely unpleasant (see here for an overview). Symptoms vary from person to person, but most people will experience some negative symptoms of alcohol withdrawal if they try to stop drinking after long term use. Mild to moderate symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, rapid heart rate, abnormal…
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A3 Verified – Matrix Institute on Addictions
A3 is doing its RehabFinder work this month and we have a brand new and exciting addition to our Verification roster – The West Los Angeles clinic of the Matrix Institute on Addictions (they can be reached at 310-935-1322). We’ve already featured one of the amazing founders of Matrix, Ms. Jeanne Obert, but during these…
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Before we jump to Whitney Houston conclusions
I’ve had numerous calls from media outlets who want to talk about Whitney Houston and her celebrity drug problem since this past Saturday. It seems as if everyone wants to jump to conclusions that I’m simply not ready to make yet. Given Ms. Houston’s drug abuse history and her involvement with Bobby Brown, it seems…
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A3 Verified – KLEAN West Hollywood Addiction Treatment
The A3 Rehab-Finder is happy to announce the full verification of The KLEAN Treatment Center in West Hollywood (call them at 323-391-4032). The KLEAN Center is a licensed residential addiction treatment facility and detox working with those suffering from alcohol and drug addiction as well as related co-occurring disorders. KLEAN’s clients receive the best of…
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Negative self-talk and addiction recovery
Everyone has internal beliefs about what they are, or aren’t, good at. For many these have become an implicit reality – facts about life that are rarely examined and never questioned. The “gravity” of our lives. When I review these internal beliefs with clients, especially those in early recovery but also others who don’t have…
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Naltrexone the addiction cure?
CNN released a news article a little while back titled “With anti-addiction pill, ‘no urge, no craving‘” that seems to suggest that a cure for addiction has been found. As usual, news reporting on these sort of topics revolves around a kernel of truth, with nice window dressing an a serving of embellishment. While naltrexone,…
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Rubber-band addiction recovery – No shame
There’s a specific issue that keeps coming up with nearly every addiction client I work with who is in early recovery. Regardless of whether they’re trying to stop unhealthy alcohol or drug use, sex or gambling behavior, or anything else, this issue keeps returning. It doesn’t even seem to matter if this is their first…
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The Creative Theory of Addiction Recovery
This is a guest post from Patrick Meninga of the Spiritual River website. Since I first got clean and sober over 8 years ago, I have been creating a new life for myself. Talking about creation makes sense when I frame my recovery and how I have grown through the years, because it was always…