Addictions and Compulsions

Many depressed people tell me they want to stop their self-destructive behavior, because it is causing their depression. The self-destructive behaviors they are referring to range from ... Read More

The idea of compulsive shopping being a “real” disorder is becoming more palatable recently. People are looking at their economic situations and trying to understand the dynamics behind ... Read More

Often the parent of a teenager or young adult in recovery will tell me that their son or daughter is “like an extension of myself.” They might describe their offspring as being “like ... Read More

If one of the core beliefs of people addicted to sex is that “sex is my most important need (or the most important sign of love)” (Carnes, 1983), then sex addicts active in their disease ... Read More

When is not enough sex too little by far? When we talk about sex addiction, most of us think of someone who is unable to stop engaging in sexual activity. And most of us can understand ... Read More

With Spring upon us and Summer around the corner, that desire for a golden tan starts to nag at most Caucasian women in the United States. While there is certainly more awareness than ever ... Read More

Because of serious concerns surrounding client confidentiality and the preservation of trust within the client-therapist relationship, providing the community with details about a particularly ... Read More

While most people probably call to mind certain substances like alcohol or habits involving gambling or smoking when thinking about addiction, there are some addictive behaviors that might ... Read More

Traditionally, psychotherapists have worked with people facing the difficulties of substance abuse and addictions, developing special programs or types of treatment to help clients overcome ... Read More

The final alcoholic family role I’d like to discuss in the context of recovery is the lost child. This is the child who stays under the radar, invisible, quietly decamping to his/her ... Read More

When it comes to eating and food-related problems, various philosophies determine how eating problems are defined and addressed. When the eating disorders treatment field was in its infancy, ... Read More

In part I of this series, Family Ties: Support for Family Members with Alcoholism, I discussed what happens when members of alcoholic families, who are alcoholic themselves, get sober. ... Read More