Addictions and Compulsions

Over 25 years of living in rural Alaska (“The Bush” – Aniak, Pt. Hope, Rampart, Seward, Kodiak) gave me a lot of insight into why alcohol problems occur there – ... Read More

Some problems manifest themselves differently for women than for men. Alcoholism is one of them. While both genders can suffer equally from the ravages of this disorder, women often abuse ... Read More

Richard came to treatment feeling angry, sad and resentful. He was scared that the man he was living with was getting ready to dump him. “That always happens,” he said. “Just when ... Read More

Once a person becomes addicted to a substance, be it alcohol, tobacco or drugs, the addiction becomes a biological and medical problem. But how as person thinks about quitting, and often, ... Read More

Did you wake up Saturday morning flashing back to Friday and how many times you took your credit card out of your wallet to purchase something? Are you having difficulty remembering all ... Read More

I work with two very different teenagers who use drugs. The first we’ll call Brittany, a 17-year-old girl whose parents are divorced but who both are kind and available to her. She ... Read More

When I write articles for GoodTherapy.org, I usually write about my views on recovery from disordered eating and body image concerns, and about things I’ve learned from my professional ... Read More

John, our favorite Australian correspondent, wrote to note that a lot of people don’t really want to hear that their alcohol abuse is a choice – and so is fixing it. That came ... Read More

Since my last blog post several of you (all female) have logged onto my website and then called to express relief that I’m writing about something – women and pornography addiction ... Read More

Seeing a counselor to quit smoking has been previously shown to be quite affective (more so than nicotine patches and gum alone), and now, addiction counseling for smokers will be more ... Read More

Have you ever found yourself in a shopping mall, searching, with a slightly pounding heart, for something? Something to wear tonight, tomorrow, or for that next important meeting, or perhaps ... Read More

Quitting smoking or overcoming reliance on other behaviors—such as eating, drinking alcohol, drinking caffeine, sex, excessive exercise, and others—can be difficult. From addiction ... Read More