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Archive for May, 2009

Can Video Games Kill?

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

videogameVideo game addiction continues to rise, and in some cases, it can even be deadly.

Around the world, boys and girls, men and women are staring at computer and television screens, holding various “controllers” in their hands, and experiencing alternate worlds through alternative personalities.

With “gaming” going mainstream on the international scene, video game addiction has been on the rise. “It’s a clinical impulse control disorder,” an addiction in the same sense as compulsive gambling, says Kimberly Young, PsyD, on WebMD.
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Searching for a Bargain High

Friday, May 8th, 2009

heroinWhile heroin may be cheaper than beer, this inexpensive high ultimately has a very large price tag.

Everyone is looking for ways to save these days. Clipping coupons, packing your lunch, buying in bulk, watching the sales and checking out local consignments stores are all great ways to stretch a dollar. This new trend toward thriftiness is having some negative effects, though, when it comes to drug use.

Those in search of a cheap “high” are bypassing alcohol and other legal substances for street drugs that are selling at bargain prices.

A Cheap Heroin High

A single dose of heroin can be cheaper than a six-pack of beer and provide a much more intense high, a fact that isn’t lost on young people eager to experiment. Of course, unlike beer, heroin doesn’t come with a label listing the ingredients and there’s no FDA oversight so you’re never quite sure what you’re getting. Purity can range widely and that fluctuation alone can be deadly. For teens and twentysomethings who think they’re invincible, warnings don’t do much to scare them away.
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Harold’s Blog: Take the Good With the Bad

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

goodandbadWhen you take that moral inventory, don’t forget to include what’s good about you.

In any 12-step group, part of the recovery process includes taking a searching moral inventory of ourselves. That’s a scary thought for most of us. Addiction has made all of us do things we’re not proud of, and so often we beat ourselves up over the past. But before you get too busy focusing on all your downfalls, don’t forget to factor in your good traits, too.

It is important to take an honest look at ourselves – both the good and the bad. The things we don’t own up to or deal with are only going to hurt our chances of staying sober. But it’s important to remember we’re so much more than our mistakes. We all have a place here, and the process of recovery isn’t meant to destroy us. Instead, it allows us to discover who we are and why we do what we do.
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Treatment Alumni

Monday, May 4th, 2009

alumniYou’ve graduated from your program. Now what? Plug into recovery resources.

When you complete residential treatment for an addiction there is a well-deserved sense of accomplishment, but the journey is far from over. You may have graduated from full-time treatment, but instead of throwing a tasseled cap into the air, your focus should be on plugging into an “alumni association.”

Post Recovery Options

Some who are new in recovery opt for a sober living house, a place where they can ease back into the “real” world and try out their new freedoms in a regulated environment. For others with jobs or young children waiting, this isn’t an option, but they can still find community in a variety of ways. (more…)


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