When we go out on a first date, it can be tempting to be swayed by our chemical attraction. Sometimes when we find someone charming, we throw logic out the window. But this behavior can lead to heartbreak.  Before you jump into something, keep on the lookout for these guys.

People trying to move away from addictions to drugs and alcohol face a very difficult task. However, by adding Acupuncture to detoxification treatment, many are learning that it is easier to stick with their program and find the successful road out. One such success came out of a one-year study conducted in Portland, Oregon, where individuals received Acupuncture as part of their recovery.

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If an alcoholic or addict fails to perfect and enlarge their “spiritual life” through:Work – Meditation, and prayer,Self-sacrifice – Taking time to help others they will not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead. If we do not work, we will eventually relapse, and if we continue to relapse, we will eventually die from our disease, or wish we were dead. (A.A. Page-15)Many of us are “loners.” We often carry this trait into our recovery program. We go to meetings. On occasion, we read recovery literature. We may even have daily phone conversations with other alcoholics or addicts.What’s missing here? Accountability! When we’re loners, we are not accountable to anyone. How can we solve this problem? We can solve this problem by first of all becoming “accountable” to ourselves. It would help to have aRELAPSE PREVENTION BAROMETER to help us keep track of the progress we are making in our recovery. (continue reading…)

By Dawn Maslar

Sometimes after we have been hurt in a relationship we develop negative beliefs. Those negative beliefs both spring from and reinforce an unhealthy GPS (Guy/Girl Picking System). Although it may have been only one bad experience, we sometimes find comfort in sweeping generalities. If we have been cheated on, it is tempting to believe that everyone cheats. We don’t want to be the only one ever hurt by cheating, so it is comforting to think that everyone cheats. In other words, since it happens to everyone, we are not alone.

Besides the snow, lights, decorations, food and family, one of my most favorite things about Christmas time is Christmas movies. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching my favorite Christ mas movies from childhood and passing them on to my kids. I have also enjoyed adding newer Christmas movies to my list of movies to watch every year. As a child, we had to wait every year for the movies to air on T.V. Thank goodness we can buy all our favorite movies on DVD. Below is my top 15 favorite Christmas movie list. ENJOY!

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Imagine that something takes hold of your child’s mind so forcefully that you can’t get through to them any more. Some kids suffer from addiction so severe they don’t want to do anything else all day. Many parents go through this with their child who is a drug addict, but it’s not just drugs that pull kids in so tightly. Today we are talking about computers and kids who are addicted to video games and the Internet.

Losing Control because of a Video Game

The stories may surprise us. Parents seem to lose all control over their child who is addicted to the Internet. The kids will skip school, stay up all night to play, and become violent when their parents try to turn off the computer. While these parents would benefit from learning some parenting techniques to keep from getting to that point, the fact is that the Internet and, in particular, online games are so addicting many people find it hard to stop.

It does not just affect kids and young adults; parents themselves and others have been known to neglect their duties because of Internet addiction. “The Internet and its functions have proved to be overwhelmingly positive, empowering and enjoyable allowing millions to connect, be informed, and entertained like no other technology before,” psychiatrist Philip Tam said. “However, for a small but significant minority this … can lead to social, educational and behavioral difficulties. This particularly seems to appear in young people and in those with predisposing mental/behavioral vulnerabilities.”

Help from the Mental Health Community

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