For many of us, growing up in a household where feelings were not talked about at all, is a relatable experience. While it is unfortunate that talking about feelings is an often overlooked life skill, the upside is that it is possible to learn this skill at any point in one’s life. When talking with …
Are you feeling “stuck” right now? Not sure what to do or where to go? Feeling like everything happening around you is going against you? Feeling overwhelmed? Lots of dynamics and a variety of feelings can be at play when people find themselves feeling “stuck.” Some common underlying themes will be explored below. Fear When …
Do you know the difference between self-comfort and self-care? Are you wondering if what you have been identifying as “self-care” may actually be harming you? Read below to learn more. Self-comfort Self-comfort can be thought of as turning to something in a non-conscious manner, where we may be seeking to numb ourselves out, “veg out,” …
Addiction neurobiology research has demonstrated that there are 3 fundamental pathways in the brain that moderate the risk for relapse with any behaviour whether involving substance use or not. These pathways will be explored in more detail in this post. Keep reading below if you would like to improve your awareness around relapse triggers. The …
Getting Started Starting with as little as five to ten minutes of journaling about feelings daily can be quite beneficial. Studies have shown that the simple act of putting pen to paper and journaling about our feelings helps to quiet the parts of our brain that get very active when we are feeling overwhelmed or …
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This is a continuation from Part 3. Click here to view Part 1 and Part 2. In this post, we will explore the ABCDE characteristics of addiction from the 2011 ASAM definition in more depth with real world examples to bring the concepts to life. Below is a brief recap of the 2011 ASAM definition. …
This is part 3 in the What is addiction series: Part 1 can be viewed here and Part 2 here Now that you have a shared understanding of the general approach to mental health diagnosis and its limitations, below you will learn more about the only scientific definition of addiction that we have, informed by …
This post is a continuation of Part 1 in this series defining addiction. You can revisit Part 1 here. Part 2 is more oriented toward professionals working in the field. Part 3 and Part 4 are written with a broader audience in mind. Contradictions in the DSM With a critical read of the “Substance-Related and …
Mental health diagnosis requires a top-down approach: Diagnoses at higher levels in the pyramid need to be ruled out prior to considering diagnoses lower down The Diagnostic Hierarchy of Psychiatry In the featured image of this article, you will see a pyramid with 5 levels to it. From top to bottom there are the following …