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Change is harder for some to cope with than others. There are some changes in the world which seem completely out of our control. When change happens beyond our permission or control, we can find ourselves getting anxious, depressed, or even angry. Have you ever noticed a change in mood when the seasons change from summer to fall or winter to spring? Inexplicably you have a hard time going with the flow of seasons in life. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a mood disorder that impacts up to twenty percent of the population each year.

12 months in a year. 12 steps in the 12 step program. Coincidence? In the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous, meetings were held for newcomers to the program called “beginners meetings”. The point of the beginner’s meetings was to get the newcomers through the 12 step program as quickly and efficiently as possible. In a matter of just 5 weeks, the beginners meetings took new participants through all of the steps. After completing taking the steps, they received a card. Once upon a time there was such a thing as being a card carrying member of AA. Beginner’s meetings were helpful in helping someone have the necessary psychic change through a spiritual awakening advocated through the steps. Having had this spiritual awakening, they were ready to join other alcoholics in recovery at regular meetings. Completing the steps was critical to the development of the alcoholic in recovery.

Psychological, psychiatric, and substance use disorders can make us feel like we’ve been shut off from the world. In fact, many of us have put a lot of effort into making sure nobody can get in. From trauma and abuse in our past, we learned early on that letting people, places, and things in usually led to hurt, pain, more abuse, and disappointment. To keep ourselves safe we made the sacrifice of shutting down entirely. Recovery teaches us that we don’t have to hide anymore. Over time we can learn to open ourselves up to many wondrous things in the world, embracing all that life has to offer. We are given a way to live life fully.

Postpartum depression affects 11-20% of women who give birth each year according to the Centers for Disease Control. Averaging on 15%, approximately 600,000 women get postpartum depression in the United States each year.

Binge drinking and alcoholism are not one in the same, but share many similarities. Though long term binge drinking is more harmful, the effects of just one binge drinking episode can have negative effects.

Therapy is defined as the “treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder”. Despite the definition, a disorder is not required for therapy. Many people have issues, problems, or difficulties they need to sort out. Working with a psychological professional is helpful for getting a deeper understanding of oneself and how they relate to those around them. Treatment for drug and alcohol therapy goes hand in hand with therapy. Almost every treatment program around the world employs the use of therapy in various forms. Traditional talk therapy, which can incorporate different practices of therapy, is most common.

Sponsorship has changed throughout the years since Alcoholics Anonymous was first introduced in 1939. At the time of the founding of AA, the world struggled to find a permanent solution to the problem of alcoholism. Alcoholics were considered insane and found help only in hospitals and mental wards. Then, a group of men started using spiritual experiences as their foundation for recovery. One such man in particular discovered that having a spiritual awakening, talking with other alcoholics, and helping those still drink come to sobriety helped him stay sober. That man was Bill Wilson, who became the founding father of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Young people are always at a higher risk for developing addiction. Today, in a marketing centered world, the word addiction is used rather loosely. For the tech-savvy millennial generation, addiction applies to the internet, to smart devices, to food, and anything they do. Rather than being a criticism on the influential youth, the addictive tendencies of the millennial generation are an indication of their neurochemistry.

Ready to change the way you and your loved ones feel about yourself? Follow these 6 suggestions!

Check the labels all you want, you’ll rarely see the word “sugar”. Today, sugar and its analogous compounds run under 61 different names, making their way into over 70% of all processed and packaged foods. Humans are supposed to consume, at most, just over 100 calories of sugar today. For Americans who consume a mostly packaged and processed diets, they could be consuming up to five times that amount of sugar each day without even eating a single sweet. Added sugar is a problem under great controversy in America. Many feel that it is added and processed sugar which contributes to food addiction, eating disorders, and poor physical health including problems of obesity. America has one of the worst obesity problems in the world. Simultaneously, America boasts a high rate of child starvation as well as a high rate of child obesity.

Admitting we are having a problem and struggling in life is not always easy. We face a lot of challenge in overcoming our pride and ego when it comes to admitting we need help. Asking for help for treating a substance use disorder or getting a hold on a mental health disorder is not failure. In fact, it is a tremendous demonstration of strength and success. To continue living in struggle when there are real life threats to your safety, sanity, and livelihood is a grave mistake. We often find that once we finally get over the fear and ask for help, we wonder why we didn’t ask for it sooner.