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Seasonal affective disorder is a condition that commonly begins in the autumn and lasts throughout the winter. This condition is also referred to as SAD because it makes an individual feel mentally depressed and physically unenergetic for several months. The condition of SAD primarily occurs in geographic regions where there is less daily sunlight as winter approaches. SAD is diagnosed in children, teenagers and adults of both genders, leading to more than 3 million cases of the condition each year in the United States.

Alcohol is legal in the United States for those 21 and older, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people between the ages of 12 and 20 drink about 11 percent of the alcoholic drinks the country consumes. A 2016 study in the journal Pediatrics shows that 11.5 percent of those in that age group reported a major depressive episode in 2014, up from 8.7 in 2005 — a 37 percent increase. One recent American Addiction Centers (AAC) report suggesting that the connection between the alcohol and depression is particularly tricky. The report explains that it’s logical those who suffer from depression would seek the temporary relief that a drink can provide; but it is quick to point out that abuse invariably feeds the depression. Meanwhile, it asserts, the connection between abuse and depression is “undeniable” in all age groups.

Struggling with alcohol addiction can be very disruptive in your life. People go from being a flourishing business professional who is on the ball with their family to someone who can barely get out of bed in the morning. When it's finally time to go to a treatment center, there needs to be a healing solution that will work best. Sometimes, that involves traveling.

With hundreds of thousands of rehabilitation centers around the world, it's hard to determine which one is the right fit. So many are committed to providing exceptional service and tools for success. For those interested in completing a drug or alcohol program in the most comfortable and discreet environment possible, treatment at a luxury rehabilitation center may be ideal.

According to the American Psychiatric Association our personalities are the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors we have that are what make us different from others. Personalities are shaped over time by a variety of factors from both environment and experiences. Also according to the APA, a personality disorder occurs when a person’s thoughts, behaviors and interactions with others deviates from cultural norms and causes distress or problems with functioning, and lasts over time. There are many types of personality disorders and doctors have organized them into different groups, or cluster, to help with diagnosis and identification. The good news is that most personality disorders can be treated.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), an estimated 1.5 million Americans aged 12 or older were using cocaine in 2014. Annual surveys suggest that cocaine use has been quite stable since 2009 – with nearly 505,224 emergency room visits involving cocaine in 2011 and similar numbers to date, recovery is one major topic of discussion. By understanding the various treatment options available, more information can be shared with loved ones ready to recover. Furthermore, we can seek help for ourselves by knowing what options are available to us. Cocaine dependency has been treated with several medications, which have shown to reduce harm in withdrawal and detoxification, counter the effects of overdose, and more. However, treatment should always be more than medication, as addiction directly effects the mind, body, and spirit. Psychosocial treatment involves a variety of components: structured counseling, motivational enhancement, case management and coordination, psychotherapy, and relapse prevention may all be involved. Those with cocaine dependency may have needs different from other substance users, making customized treatment very important. A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that individual drug counseling plus group drug counseling were very effective for those with cocaine addiction. What can you expect with each of these? Individual drug counseling: a mental health clinician will work with you one-on-one to uncover, explore, and conquer issues with discussion, observation, analysis, and intervention. With this, you can develop a professional relationship with someone whom you will speak with regularly. Group drug counseling: with others in recovery, you will obtain information on addiction and how it effects the brain as well as coping strategies and topic discussions. Relapse prevention, interpersonal communication and social relationships, and other areas of interest will likely be explored. When addiction is involved, recovery should focus on every aspect of life because addiction affects every aspect. Holistic recovery places emphasis on rebalancing and restoring a person’s mind, body, and spirit. If you’ve been struggling with cocaine addiction, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center today to learn more about treatment options to best fit your needs.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy) that helps clients replace old, unproductive and negative thought patterns into newer, more productive ones. Much of CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts either hinder or support us living in the present moment and our success in the future – if we’re constantly feeding our minds with self-doubt and negative talk, we will likely carry this negativity into our present moments. Many studies have shown that CBT is greatly effective in helping treat a variety of conditions, including: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, depression, and more. If you’ve recently started CBT with your therapist, that’s great! You will likely gain invaluable skills that you can put directly towards your mental health, which will trickle into many other areas of your life in the most beautiful of ways. CBT is more hands-on, which means you may have some “homework” or take-home exercises to complete. Since CBT focuses on changing your thinking patterns, it will be quite an adjustment. Here are 3 challenges you can expect to work through while embracing this transformative, therapeutic technique:

With marijuana becoming legalized in various parts of the United States for medical and/or recreational purposes, it’s important to know what you’re consuming. According to a 2017 poll conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, 52% of Americans aged 18 or older have tried marijuana, and 44% of these individuals who have tried it, currently use it. As explained by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), around 30% of those who use marijuana also have marijuana use disorder; in 2015, approximately 4 million people met the diagnostic criteria for this. A mind-altering, chemical compound, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can treat pain, muscle spasms, nausea and more – but can also lead to dependency and addiction if not monitored closely. One of the biggest concerns regarding recreational marijuana is the fact that it’s unregulated – meaning different strains could have varying levels of potency. In fact, researchers are still looking into potency to see if it’s related to commonly-noted side effects as well as emergency-room visits. Put simply, THC is responsible for the psychological effects experienced when marijuana is consumed. The brain naturally has cannabinoid receptors, which are associated with memory, pleasure, thinking, coordination, and time reception – when marijuana is consumed, THC attaches to these cannabinoid receptors, which affects all of the functions previously listed. One cannabinoid from the marijuana plant, CBD, has been shown to block the high associated with THC – which is also coming into research discussions for medical and therapeutic purposes. THC ultimately stimulates cells in the brain that release the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is responsible for feelings of pleasure. When an excessive of dopamine is release, the brain’s hippocampus (which is responsible for storing memories) remembers this “good” feeling and what caused it – which is what keeps people coming back for more of the drug. Despite common belief, psychological and physical dependency is possible with marijuana because of THC. If you feel that you may have marijuana use disorder, speak with a professional from a reputable treatment center today to learn more about treatment programs. Recovery is possible.

With so much that goes on in life, it’s easy to feel entrenched in this never-ending cycle of stress and anxiety. We find ourselves running down a path, reaching towards happiness, but sometimes it’s nowhere in sight. Something unexpected occurs, as life always brings this, and an overwhelming feeling encapsulates every ounce of energy that lives within us. If this is currently where you find yourself, you likely feel as though you can’t escape the madness. It may feel like everything is spinning, but there is a way to find balance in this chaos. It all starts by taking a deep breath. Meditation has been around for over 5,000 years and has provided people with a sense of peace and calmness despite whatever was going on in their mind or in their external world. Americans have picked up on this transformative practice over the years, as there are now 18 million adults in the U.S. alone that benefit from this healing approach, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine. Forbes Magazine highlights the many benefits of meditation, including: its ability to help preserve the aging of the brain, its reduction of activity in rumination and “me” thinking, its ability to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, its ability to shift our perceptions, and more. If you’re ready to find healing and enlightenment through this restorative journey, take into consideration the following meditation techniques:

If you have a loved one who is struggling with substance abuse, you may feel frustrated, angry, or downright hopeless. “How could they have gone this far?” you may ask yourself. Many friends and family members of loved ones with addiction feel the same way – it’s hard for someone looking in to truly understand all of the factors that play in addiction. First and foremost, it’s important that you and your family members attend family therapy so that you can develop important tools for recovery and family dynamic; addiction affects everyone, and you deserve help as well.

With mobile apps and gaming becoming the center of focus for many adolescents and teenagers today, it’s become challenging for parents to monitor their child’s usage on technology. “They’re just kids – they’ll grow out of it”, is likely a common thought process many parents go through and, while it may seem this way, the reality is that your child’s physical health is directly connected to their mental health – both of which are very important to their long-term health and happiness in life. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS), only 1 in 3 children are physically active each day – and more than 80% of adolescents do not do enough aerobic activity to meet the physical activity requirements for their age bracket. As a parent, one of the best things you can do is encourage outside activity with your children, preferably by engaging in sports and recreational activities with them. According to Dr. Nandini Mani, Hospitalist and Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, exercise has been shown to boost mood in adults, and could potentially help abate symptoms of depression experienced by teens. Ultimately, there are many great reasons why exercise should be implemented in your teen’s daily routine, as outlined by U.S. News:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychological treatment used to help treat conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders (SUDs), marital problems, eating disorders, and much more. The American Psychological Association (APA) emphasizes 3 core principles that CBT relies on: