The mind and the body are profoundly connected. This is something that is often seen in and experienced by trauma victims. At times, people who have lived through traumatic experiences even have a difficult time feeling entire areas of their bodies. They just feel numb to them. It should come as no surprise that trauma [...]
Words often evade trauma victims on many occasions. Frequently, they may find their bodies responding in various ways, but the mind and emotions are not engaged at all. In his book, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Dr. Bessell Van der Kolk discusses this condition. It [...]
Successfully completing alcohol addiction treatment is a huge achievement which you should be incredibly proud of. Naturally however, you might be anxious about your next steps as it feels like you’re stepping out into the world on your own. There are many different aspects to recovery and avoiding relapse is a very important one. While [...]
Many of us are guilty of assuming that there’s no such thing as sex addiction but it has in fact been likened to substance abuse due to the powerful chemical substances that are released as a result of it. Just like alcohol, drugs, gambling and eating can become addictive, so can sex which means that [...]
One of the biggest barriers which stop people from getting help for drug addiction is the stigma associated with it. Although scientific evidence proves that addiction is a condition of the brain, many view it as a weakness or moral failing. It’s this very stigma which has resulted in decades of misunderstanding, prejudice and people [...]
When traumatic events occur in the lives of people, they often become stuck in survival mode. Instead of having room in their lives for the love and nurturing of others, they tend to spend their lives fighting off enemies that remain unseen. This is one of the tragedies of trauma. In addition, when the mind [...]
Once a trauma occurs, victims see the world very differently than they used to. This is at least partially due to the fact that the nervous system begins working differently in the body. Stephen Porges, a researcher at the University of Maryland, coined the term neuroception to explain how well someone evaluates danger and safety, [...]
Whether you’re recovering from a sex, drug, gambling or alcohol addiction, naturally, relapse is the thing you’re working hard to avoid. There is absolutely no doubt that recovery is difficult but with the right support, you will be able to get through it. If you’re recovering from an addiction, below are five great relapse prevention [...]
With fatal overdoses continuing to increase, health experts are warning that painkiller dependency is becoming just as much, if not more of a concern than illegal drug addiction. In Ontario alone, prescription opioid deaths have risen by 40% in just six years. In Saskatchewan, they have more than doubled since 2010 and with an 80% [...]
When we imagine an alcoholic, we picture someone who sits at home on their own drinking all day. We assume they’ve lost friends and family, can’t hold down a job, are in poor health and that generally, their whole life has fallen apart. Not only is this a stereotype, it’s a dangerous stereotype. We assume [...]