Spirit

  • How to treat work addiction? Tips from a work addict

    The pressures of a global recession. The need to produce more for ego-satisfaction. Or simply the need to work as a distraction from inner pain. Call it what you will, work addiction is endemic to our society. So what are some tips for workaholics? How can we manage work addiction?

     
  • How effective is A.A.?

    According to one report, 5 of 100 alcoholics are still sober one year after their first A.A. meeting. The most under reported lifestyle story might be that the majority of American alcoholics who make successful recoveries - 60% - do it outside of A.A. But with over 2 million + members, doesn’t A.A. have a good thing going? What do you think? Are these statistics bunk? Do they prove anything?

     
  • Social norms marketing for addiction prevention

    Social norms marketing is emerging as a major force in changing behaviors - including problem drinking - among certain populations. But just which populations might benefit from this prevention technique? And how do social norms campaigns work? We explore the “power of normal” in this enlightening new field of communications.

     
  • Surviving Christmas and family time tips for addicts

    The holiday season bring us high or low. On either extreme, it’s a time of needed vigilance for addicts and alcoholics, a time when many relapses occur. So what can you do to buckle in and stay in the middle of your game? Here are some tips and suggestions for making it through December 25…and beyond. Other suggestions and experiences welcome.

     
  • Are steroids addictive? Anabolic steroid abuse and teen addiction risk

    Disapproval of steroid use in the media has been evident for years now. But latest data indicates that 1.5-2.5% of junior high and high school teenagers use steroids to improve athletic performance, muscle strength and physical appearance. And that’s only the teens that reported use. Can teens really get addicted to steroids? And who’s responsible for low self-esteem in a culture that always tells us that bigger is better?

     
  • Top 10 ways to improve your body image

    If you look in the mirror, you deal with self-image. Here are some tips for teens (and adults!) for maintaining healthy self-image and self-esteem. Ten simple steps on how to begin thinking of yourself differently. Learn how to base your satisfaction with yourself less on outward appearance and more on internal goals.

     
  • Caffeine addiction relapse : CONFESSIONS from a coffee addict

    Breaking any addiction is difficult. Participate in this dialogue about stopping drinking coffee. Is it easier said than done? Is coffee the final frontier? Or are the thoughts that drive the behavior even stronger? Read and add to the positive and negative side effects of coffee. Comments encouraged.

     
  • The stigma of addiction: cigarettes and lung cancer

    It seems that prevailing attitudes towards addicts are still fairly personal and judgmental. Results from a Lung Cancer Stigma Survey published in November 2008 indicate that fifty-nine (59) percent of the general population surveyed said they agreed that lung cancer patients are at least partly to blame for their diagnosis. What stigmas do you carry with you?

     
  • Are HIV positive addicts and alcoholics treated equally?

    In honor of World AIDS Day 2008, we explore the ethical issues surrounding addiction treatment of patients diagnosed with HIV. Are these patients subject to discrimination? How possible is it really to treat ALL addicts equally? We explore if and how clinicians limit contact with HIV+ substance abusers and what we can do about it.

     
  • Top 10 steps in drug addiction intervention

    Interventions are practices that aim to investigate a potential addiction problem and to motivate an individual to begin to do something about her substance abuse. This list indexes the intervention techniques used to address substance users. Although created for clinicians, these intervention techniques are also helpful for working the 12th Step.