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Addiction

Do Religious Families Play a Role In Addiction?

By Thomas Gagliano, MSW In order to understand why religious families inadvertently and at times unintentionally create an environment where their children run to addiction rather than God as their coping mechanism, we must first begin by understanding the mindset of a child. When we look back on our childhood, we look back through adult lenses. Since then, we have grown by our maturity and life experiences, which may have distorted the truth of our childhood. Many of us carry messages that tell us we are bad children if we get mad at our parents or disagree with them. This message can have a profound impact on the way the person feels about himself or herself in adulthood. It is important to respect our parents but we can also have different opinions. A child needs to feel their opinion is important to their parents or the child may feel he or she isn’t important. Validating and acknowledging a child’s feelings is essential if they are to have self-worth. If children are afraid to share their true feelings and doubts in fear of reprisal then who can they trust? All of these messages set up the destructive entitlement that leads to addiction. It’s no coincidence that most addictions begin before the age of 18. Read More

TRICARE Expands Treatment Options for Mental Health and Substance Use

Per the Tricare press release posted on their website: TRICARE expanded mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services, adding intensive outpatient programs and expanding options for opioid treatment. In addition to other improvements, this expansion improves access to care and increases opportunities for mental health and SUD treatment. It… Read More

Chronic Pain Management and Opioid Addiction

By Tammy M. Bolles, LCSW Our stressed-out society is very focused on comfort. A spa, salon, or massage therapist’s office can be found on almost every corner. Who doesn’t enjoy an occasional foot rub or the ability to sit back for a pedicure without a care in mind? For most… Read More

Love Addiction: Myth vs. Reality

By Caroline Becker, LISAC, LACTherapist, The Meadows Outpatient Center What is Love Addiction? Pia Mellody defines love addiction as: “A condition in which individuals…are attracted to somebody who will neglect the relationship.” This creates a co-dependent love dance that is unhealthy, frustrating, and debilitating to the love addict, yet they remain entrenched in a fantasy of what was or might be. Read More

Understanding the Neurobiology of Sex Addiction

Alexandra Katehakis, a Senior Fellow at The Meadows, recently talked with Tami Simon of Sounds True’s Insights at the Edge podcast on a wide range of topics, including: The roots of sexual dysfunction “Grown-up sex” (i.e. sexuality based on honest communication of needs, preferences, and… Read More

Dr. Shelley Uram Featured on The Dr. Drew Podcast

Dr. Shelley Uram, a triple board-certified psychiatrist and Senior Fellow at The Meadows, was recently a guest on The Dr. Drew podcast. The podcast is hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky, a board-certified internist and addiction medicine specialist who is well known for his work both as a physician and as a TV and radio personality. On The Dr. Drew podcast, he takes listener calls and talks to experts on a variety of topics relating to health, relationships, sex, and addiction. Read More

‘Hooked Rx’ to Take Over Arizona Airwaves

In 1999, the leading cause of death was car accidents. Nearly twice as many people died in a car accident as died from a fatal drug overdose. By 2014, those numbers were reversed. There were almost 40 percent more deaths from drug overdoses than from car crashes. Most of today’s overdoses stem from prescription opioids and heroin, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More

U.S. Surgeon General Issues a Call to Action on Addiction

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s release of Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health at yesterday’s Facing Addiction Summit was an unprecedented moment in our country’s fight against addiction and substance misuse. It is the first time in history that… Read More

Marijuana Addiction is No Joke

Can a person really become addicted to marijuana? You never hear of any dying from daily pot use. You certainly don’t hear about it in the same way you hear about deaths and other tragedies caused by alcohol and other “harder” drugs. And, there are some serious medical… Read More