The News
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INTERVIEWS with addiction aftercare programs: Beating Addiction
America is a country of over 23.6 million addicts … And BeatingAddiction.com is a social network that wants to help. Any addict. Any addiction. Read about the ideas and the beliefs behind this unique community as we talk to founder Alexander Kintis. We explore the WHY? WHAT? and WHO? of Beating Addiction in this interview.
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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?
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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.
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Top 10 classic 12 Step recovery slogans for t-shirts
12 Step sayings are a great way to express yourself and carry the message at the same time. These ten (10) recovery slogans have been hand-picked to represent classic sayings that you’ve probably heard expressed at 12-step program meetings. If you have more ideas, please send them in! Keep an eye out for the next slogan series on irreverent recovery slogans.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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Parents. The Anti Drug Prevention program advocates espionage?
The White House urges parents to break into their kids’ emails, instant messages and MySpace accounts - but are these common drug prevention practices? If my parents had secretly installed cookies, traced my phone calls and looked at my SMS phone messages I would have lost major respect. Is “The Anti-Drug” campaign off-track? Or is monitoring adolescent communication the new best thing for preventing drug and alcohol use?
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INTERVIEWS with addiction and drug rehab centers: The Way Station
Continuing our new interview series, we talk to Brian Dooley of the Way Station in Orange County, CA a treatment center that uses neurofeedback to treat brain conditions including autism, ADD, ADHD, addiction, anxiety and depression. I was attracted by the treatment center’s pioneering use of biofeedback for addiction treatment, as the modality sits on the fringe of mainstream medical practice. We talk with Brian about their outpatient philosophy and the best practices Way Station uses today.
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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?
