I really dislike the word addict to describe someone. I believe that people are more than just their addiction! Yes, many of my clients are trauma survivors who use (or have used) drugs and alcohol (or food or self-harming behavior) to feel less badly and they are/have been addicted to their drug of choice, but they are people… Read more »
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While the term “love addiction” may be controversial among mental health professionals, having an overwhelming or obsessive compulsion toward love or a loved one is not uncommon. Love addictions are formed as a defense against psychological pain. Love addicts have a fantasy of being rescued by their loved one and often believe that this one… Read more »
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People often ask, “Is there such a thing as food addiction?” and the answer, for many, is a resounding “Yes!” Experts, dancing on the head of a pin, dismiss overeating as a “behavioral” addiction, much like gambling or Internet use. Substance use disorders are somehow more legitimate, garnering recognition and resources, i.e., insurance coverage. Meanwhile… Read more »
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I wake in the middle of the night and instinctively reach for my phone. I innocently tell myself that I just need to check the time. It’s still dark out and I will surely go back to sleep, but as soon as the iPhone is in my hand, muscle-memory takes over. Before I know it,… Read more »
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As human beings, the deepest, most core conflict we face is whether or not to feel. Do we seek vitality, love, passion, compassion and the unpredictable roller coaster that comes with being engaged in life and emotion? Or do we engage in behavior that detaches us from the inherent pain of the human condition? When… Read more »
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With the nationwide release of Amy, the bio-doc of Amy Winehouse, I am reminded of the all too often fatal cost of fame. After seeing the movie, there is something I want to shout from the highest peak so that people can it hear this loud and clear: “Fame can kill you!” In the first… Read more »
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Human beings have a longer period of dependency on their caregivers than any other mammal. We depend on our caregivers not just for food and safety but also emotional connection, affection and love. When there is strong emotional connection and love between infant and caregiver we call this “secure attachment.” Baby knows that they can… Read more »
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What is your relationship like with your mobile phone? Do you use it for calls? Texts, social media, games, apps, Internet or all of the above? I use my phone for work, pleasure, socialising; It’s the first thing I pick up in the morning and the last thing I put down before I go to… Read more »
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Crystal is a power shopper. She arrives at our lunch wearing a $2,300 white, billowy Donna Karan shirt for which she paid only $180. She tries to play down the label “shopping addict,” which her friends accuse her of being. She is, she says, a collector – a collector of fine clothing. The whole obsession… Read more »
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by Katherine Todd Due to the rising presence of the internet in our daily lives, online shopping addictions are becoming more common. Like compulsive shopping, online shopping addiction is detrimental to one’s personal, professional, and financial lives. In some ways, though, online shopping is more hazardous to one’s finances than offline compulsive shopping. Because… Read more »
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