Groups Somewhere back in time, the idea appeared that "support groups" were not just desirable, but necessary. There are instances where these groups can be helpful for a short period of time following a health crisis, a death, divorce, or other calamity. The operative word here is "short." Most significant changes in our lives, good [...]

"It's a Disease!!!" When it comes to alcohol abuse, we often hear the refrain, "It changes your brain so it’s a disease!" UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Center recently reported that "it" causes "thickening of the brain in the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for decision making, emotional flexibility, and empathy." The problem for the disease mongers [...]

This week we’re continuing to run through the mosaic of services we provide to address the various issues you have been medicating with alcohol. First, to review: In the March 1 Issue we took a look at Naltrexone - the anti-craving medication - and at issues of Privacy and why we’re the only confidential program [...]

Continuing on with last week’s theme of “Topics of Concern to Clients,” we’d like to do a short review of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Assertiveness Training. Originally developed as a treatment for depression and later for anxiety, CBT is a technique for achieving control over our emotions. Most of us believe that our emotions [...]

Periodically we like to review various topics of concern to clients. This week we'll take an up-dated look at Anti-Craving Medications and Confidentiality. First, Naltrexone We receive a lot of inquiries about Naltrexone, the benign anti-craving medication, and it’s been awhile since I wrote anything about it. Seems like it’s again time to review what [...]

Maybe it’s Time to be Selfish? Too many of our clients have found themselves exceeding their carrying capacity and, rather than lightening the load, find themselves seeking respite, and refuge, with alcohol. That is quite understandable as well as being, in the long run, counter-productive. ?Let’s look at the “understandable” part first. Too often we [...]

Time to Get the Ferrari Down Off the Blocks? The analogy that fits a lot of our clients, especially many of you women, is the picture of a classic Ferrari, up on blocks in the garage, with the motor running, going nowhere. That’s what happens to too many of us when the roles run out [...]

Why We Like Working With Couples – And Why We Can and “They” Can’t Our Couples Program is a unique way to address your drinking problems. We combine the most effective way of working with couples along with the proven components of success in eradicating alcohol abuse. So what do we do that’s so unusually [...]

The two most common underlying conditions we treat are Under-Engagement in Life and Passivity in Personal Relationships. First, let’s take a look at “Under-Engagement.” Last week’s newsletter included a link to a recent Huffington Post article which is essentially a review of the addiction research that’s been around for a long time, some of it [...]

January is nearly gone, the holidays are behind us and resolutions, well, they too have mostly gone by the wayside. That’s all perfectly normal, as you well know from having gone through the process twenty, thirty, or more times by now. Way back in early October we suggested that it’s often easier to come up [...]