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Trading addictions happens often. Many individuals attempt to “get rid” of their negative habits, but wind up picking up another unhealthy habit instead. Why does this happen? Many people who recently quit an addiction and are recovering experience heightened stress, pain, or anxiety because the vice that they originally used to fill in an emotional or psychological gap is now “gone”. When someone perceives a lack of control over their “loss” they may pick up a new addiction on many things: binge eating, overworking, gambling, cigarettes, benzodiazepines, sex, pornography, shopping, exercising and more. When someone is recovering from an addiction, they may experience lower dopamine levels in their brain – the area that produces feelings of happiness and reward. When this happens, a person may latch on to something else to try and fulfill that craving.  There are many signs that someone has left one addiction for another: constantly thinking about the new addiction, losing sleep to engage in the addiction, difficulty at school, work, or home, relationship issues, neglecting self-care or personal hygiene, experiencing stress and/or anxiety if unable to engage in new addiction. The key to overcoming this new addiction is to find the root of the compulsion through therapy. Talking with a therapist can help a person address any subconscious emotions that haven’t reached the surface. By working through these hidden emotions, we can explore the direct root cause of our emotional and psychological distress – meaning that over time, we will be working directly with our issues instead of filling them with something else. If you feel that you have exchanged one addiction for another, call a doctor and therapist right away. There are many resources available to help people overcome this: in-patient or out-patient treatment facilities, psychotherapy, support groups, and more. By getting help, you can work on the core issue that you are having trouble working through and can be on your way to a happier, healthier life.

Dr. Lisa Firestone, Dr. Robert Firestone and Joyce Catlett, authors of The Self under Seige state: There is an important difference between introspection and rumination. Time spent alone in thought can be positive – a rich environment for personal growth and creativity, but it can also be dangerous when we are negatively turned against ourselves. Introspection can be a process of healthy self-reflection, examination, and exploration, which is good for your well-being and your brain. Introspection allows us to learn from our past, understand who we are, and develop a closer sense of self. If we can look into ourselves for exploration and clarification, we can become wiser and more self-aware. According to Elite Daily in 2015, introspection can help us to notice negative patterns in our lives, keep us focused on the bigger picture, prevent us from worry about things outside of our control, face our fears, define happiness in our own terms, make decisions based on our conscious, and make changes that will finally lead us to the results that we want.   The Right Way(s) To Do Introspection has some great insight that can be used. Here are some investigative strategies that you can use to get the most out of introspection:

For people beginning their recovery journey, relapse seems like a scary, haunted force that should be avoided at all costs. Although it may seem like a contradiction to recovery, there are some valuable lessons that can be learned if you relapse. Addiction.org, a website aimed at provided rehabilitation information, has provided several important lessons to be gained from relapse:

Speed, more formally known as methamphetamine, is a stimulant drug that directly affects the central nervous system and is typically used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and obesity. Speed is also known as crystal meth, crank, meth, ice, glass, and crypto. It is white, odorless, and is often taken through smoking it, snorting it, swallowing it as a pill, or through intravenous injection. Speed is very dangerous and can be very addictive. The National Institute on Drug Abuse noted earlier this year that speed both starts and fades quickly, which causes people to take this drug more often and in higher doses to try and achieve the same “high” they initially felt when they first took it. People who use speed long-term are at elevated risk for contracting infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C. Use of needles for intravenous injection and sharing of needles allows these diseases to transfer via blood or other body fluids from one person to another. Many people who abuse this drug wear out their body by taking it consistently; this may cause them to not sleep or eat for up to a week. Once ingested, the drug’s effects can appear within 3-5 if injected or within 15-20 minutes if taken orally. Common side effects of speed are increased body temperature, euphoria, increased blood pressure, dry mouth, faster heartbeat, dilated pupils, increased energy and alertness, decreased fatigue and decreased appetite. Some unwanted side effects of the drug are hostility, paranoia, aggressiveness, cardiovascular system failure, convulsions, malnutrition, skin disorders, and more. Treatment for methamphetamine addiction first involves detoxification, in which the body dispels toxins from length and severity of addiction. It is important that the person detoxes from this drug in the presence of a health care team. Recovery can be challenging in the beginning, especially since it may seem daunting. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles confirmed in their 2015 study the importance of individualized interventions and multiple, simultaneous approaches and resources to promote abstinence in addiction recovery for users of methamphetamine. In some cases, medication may be provided to assist you with the unwanted symptoms of withdrawal. Nonetheless, you will have a dedicated health care team ready to support you through your recovery.

Eating disorders include extreme attitudes, behaviors, and emotions surrounding food. There are many common food disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and more – all of which come with their own set of stigmas. For example, many people believe that anorexia happens with celebrities because of the cultural stigma to be “thin” and “beautiful”. However, new research suggests that this popular viewpoint is incorrect – that there is much more than meets the eye on this topic. If you suffer from an eating disorder, knowing that it’s not just cultural stigma and more about your body and brain will hopefully bring comfort. In an article discussed by Kirsten Weir of the American Psychological Association (APA), binge eating disorder is explained as being associated with obesity. When someone suffers from this, they eat substantial amounts of food and eat even when they are not hungry, often feeling guilty and ashamed afterwards. Anorexia is defined by the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) as not consuming an adequate amount of food, leading to unhealthy weight. Bulimia is characterized as eating enormous amounts of food and then taking substantive efforts to avoid weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting. While these are the most common, all forms of eating disorders take a maladaptive approach to food. Many people find eating to be a pleasurable activity. However, The International Journal of Eating Disorders found that in people who suffered from anorexia, the release of dopamine (the reward center in the brain) in the dorsal striatum triggers anxiety rather than feelings of pleasure. Stigma also surrounds those who suffer from eating disorders as having strong willpower – but a Nature Neuroscience study suggests that it’s not willpower, it’s out of habit. In 2016, Dr. Kerr at the Laureat Institute for Brain Research scanned the brains of healthy women and women who had been diagnosed with an eating disorder, and found that those with an eating disorder had abnormal insula activity – what researchers later believed to affect their anxious temperament. Research is still be conducted to look further into brain activity to help us better understand the cause of eating disorders. However, scientists are getting a new perspective that it’s not just cultural stigma – they believe that part of the brain is likely to be different in those who suffer from an eating disorder than those who do not. By learning more about the research conducted in this area, we can correct stigmas around eating disorders and understand the neurobiological aspect of these disorders.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression, and the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that approximately 16 million people have suffered from a depressive episode within the United States alone. Depression can be very debilitating, and those who suffer from it may feel isolated, hopeless, and exhausted. Anyone can experience depression, no matter their age, gender, health situation, or any other circumstance. Dr. Twenge, an author for Psychology Today, suggests the following reasons for this major concern:

There are many concoctions made using cough and cold medicine – these concoctions are typically known as “lean”, “purple drank”, “purple lean”, “sizzurp”, “dirty sprite”, and “lean drink”. These drinks most often are comprised of prescription-strength cough medicine, soft drinks, and hard, fruit-flavored candy. According to Drug Abuse, a website aimed at providing addiction information, those drinks that contain cough syrup present a major danger because they contain codeine, a dangerous opioid drug. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) has noted two main medications that are most commonly abused: dextromethorphan (DXM), and promethazine-codeine cough syrup. Narconon, a website that provides drug and recovery health information, mentions that the hip-hop industry is a major endorser of these concoctions. Signs of drug abuse from cough medicine include slurred speech, blurred vision, euphoria, sedation, disassociation from one’s body, impaired motor skills, lethargy, and drowsiness. When taken in high doses, users may experience vomiting, weakness, headaches, itchiness, dry mouth, hives, chest pains, fainting, hallucinations, seizures, and tremors. While a cough and cold medications can be safe when used as directed for cold symptoms, it can affect the brain as a drug would if taken in large doses and more frequently. The NIH has noted that codeine found in cough and cold medications attaches to the same cell receptors that drugs like heroine attach to. These medications often act as depressants to the central nervous system, causing a person to feel relaxed and sedated. When abused, the medication can cause an increase in dopamine, the brain’s reward center. This can cause the brain to become dependent on the drug to feel happy, relaxed, and calm – leading someone down the road of addiction. Many people who abuse this drug feel a release from anxiety and tension. Cough medicine concoction are particularly popular among children in 8th -12th grade; the Drug Enforcement Agency reported in 2011 that 2.9% of 8th graders, 4.3% of 10th graders, and 5% of 12th graders abused cough and cold medicines that year. Thankfully, the NIH has been working diligently to decrease these numbers. Researchers from Georgia Southern University found in 2013 that cough and cold medicated drinks are also popular among young adults in urban areas, no matter their race or sexuality.

Scopolamine, also known as hyoscine, is a medication used to treat motion sickness and post-operative nausea and vomiting. E-Medicine Health states that scopolamine helps decrease the secretion of fluids, slowing the stomach and intestines, and dilates the pupils. This drug has also been called “devil’s breath” and has been used to reduce a person’s free will and coerce someone into doing something. Scopolamine has been used recreationally; it creates feelings of euphoria and produces hallucinations. Above It All Treatment Center identifies the following side effects associated with scopolamine: dry mouth, blurry vision, dizziness, flushing, lightheadedness, urination issues, confusion, rapid or irregular heartbeat, disorientation, extreme drowsiness, and more. Due to the damaging effects that scopolamine can cause, it is not intended for long-term or recreational use. Scopolamine has been used in the past as a tablet to be taken orally, but is now in the form of a patch (also known as the transdermal route) that one can place behind their ear. With this, the medicine soaks into the skin. Everyday Health notes that scopolamine blocks the activity of the neurotransmitter (acetylcholine) which stimulates the part of the brain that triggers nausea and vomiting, as well as involuntary muscle movement and more. This drug can also cause a serious allergic reaction such as constriction of the throat and difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue, or face, and hives. Before taking this medication, consult with your doctor to ensure that you are not allergic to it. Long-term use of scopolamine may cause a person to develop a dependency to it. If you feel as though you cannot feel happy and relaxed without taking this drug, you may be addicted to it. The first step in treatment for scopolamine addiction is detoxification, in which the body dispels of the toxins placed in it through excessive drug consumption. From there, you will begin treatment towards your recovery.

Massage therapy is defined by Northwestern Health Sciences University as the manual manipulation of soft body tissues such as the muscle, connective tissue, tendons and ligaments, to enhance a person’s health and well-being. There are two primary types of massage therapy: relaxation massage and rehabilitation massage. In rehabilitation, this also consists of deep tissue, medical, therapeutic or clinical massage, often practiced in medical settings and rehabilitation centers. Relaxation massage, also known as the Swedish massage, is most often practiced in wellness centers, spas, and massage practices. In a pilot study International Journal of Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, patients who suffered from multiple sclerosis were given massage therapy treatment for 6 weeks. By the end of the 6 weeks, the patients saw significant improvement in their feelings of fatigue and pain. In addition to the assistance with multiple sclerosis, massage therapy is most often used for: anxiety, digestive disorders, fibromyalgia, headaches, insomnia related to stress, myofascial pain syndrome, soft tissue strains or injuries, sports injuries, temporomandibular joint pain and more. Another, Journal of Depression and Anxiety, found that therapeutic massage, thermotherapy, and relaxing room therapy benefitted 68 patients with generalized anxiety disorder over the course of 12 weeks. The American Massage Therapy Association states that massage therapy helps people relieve stress, manage low-back pain, reduce anxiety, relieve post-operative pain, improve balance in older adults, promote relaxation, lower blood pressure, improve quality of life in hospice care, decrease stress in cancer patients, improve cardiovascular health, increase range of motion, and more. Massage therapy helps decrease nerve compression and increase joint space, which helps achieve many of the benefits above. While there are many benefits, some people should not use massage therapy. For example, people who suffer from bleeding disorders, burns, deep vein thrombosis, fractures, severe osteoporosis and more may not be eligible to receive this form of treatment. If you are considering using massage therapy to help you relieve stress, anxiety, or other health issues, speak with a doctor today to determine if massage therapy is appropriate for you.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than a quarter of adults in America suffer from depression, anxiety, and other related mental illnesses each year. In today’s world, so many forms of therapy are available to us, and many who suffer from a mental illness may choose to seek out someone who can help them work through these deep-rooted issues. There are therapists that specialize in certain areas, which can be incredibly helpful for helping us feel safe and secure, to know that we are being taken care of by someone who is very knowledgeable. With a variety of methods available, psychotherapy is a common choice to help a person lead happier, healthier, and more productive lives.

There are many reasons for why someone may develop a personality disorder, with some of those reasons perpetuating stigma. For example, many people believe personality disorders are a sign of evil or a ploy used to help people manipulate others. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Personality disorders are developed not by choice, and can cause significant distress to one’s daily life. The American Psychological Association (APA) has identified the following causes of personality disorders:

The first step in recovery is detoxification, a process in which the body naturally dispels any toxins that were inhibited from addiction. Detox can seem daunting, especially if you are unsure of what you will be experiencing. Knowing what to expect can provide you with a sense of relief, and knowing that you will have a team of health care professionals that support you means that you will be provided with optimal care. Rehab International, an online treatment center directory, has noted that detox care begins with completing assessment paperwork. With this intake assessment, you will inform your healthcare team of your health issues, addiction history, and more. Transparency is incredibly important to ensure you receive the best care possible. From there, a brief physical assessment may take place as well as a tour to help you feel more comfortable. Many people who enter recovery fear the pain of detox. However, the detox process is designed to be a painless as possible. WebMD notes that you may be given medication to assist with any unwanted withdrawal symptoms as you go through detox. There are several symptoms that you may experience from detox: