This week the Wall Street Journal released an investigative report about Facebook after uncovering leaked internal documents reflecting the impact of social media on its users. What may be most surprising about the report is not so much the impact that social media has on its users, but rather the...
Did you know that alcohol is one of the deadliest substances when compared to other drugs? Every year in the United States nearly 100,000 individuals die due to alcohol-related causes, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the country in an average year behind smoking tobacco and...
It is estimated that 1 in 10 individuals experience an alcohol or drug addiction at some point in their life. When other addictions such as gambling addiction, technology addiction, food addiction, or other common forms of addiction are taken into account the statistic of those suffering from an addiction increases...
Cryptocurrency addictions cause significant distress to all individuals who care for the person facing the addiction. Cryptocurrency addictions impact spouses, partners, children, parents, siblings, and other such loved ones, as well as close friends and colleagues in a variety of ways. As such, addiction is often called a family disease...
Technology addictions, also commonly known as digital addictions or internet addictions, are often overlooked due to the acceptance that society has placed on using digital devices. Technology addictions often go unnoticed by loved ones because the addicted individual may appear as though they are tending to something important such as...
While the opioid epidemic continues to surge in the United States, an alcohol epidemic is all too often overlooked. This is perhaps most notably due to the legalization and social acceptance of alcohol in our society, even when alcohol is responsible for approximately 100,000 deaths in the United States every...
Whether it’s a stock, a cryptocurrency, foreign currency, derivatives, or any other financial investment, the goal is to buy low and sell high. Following Warren Buffet’s two rules of investing – Rule Number 1: Never lose money, and Rule Number 2: Never forget rule number 1. If you don’t sell...
TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook or whatever the platform is, social media connects us and offers a variety of benefits to our lives, but for certain users these platforms can also be highly addictive and dangerous. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically increased technological use across the board, especially among children and...
Extreme euphoric highs, and devastatingly intense lows. These are one of the hallmarks of addiction, and one of the reasons why investing in and/or trading Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies can be highly stimulating, mood altering, and addictive. Investing in and trading cryptocurrencies has become increasingly popular by retail investors over...
An unfortunate statistic: 40 to 60% of individuals new to recovery relapse within their first 30 days of leaving an inpatient treatment center, and up to 85% relapse within their first year. Oftentimes individuals in their initial months of recovery will resume their day-to-day lives that they lived prior to...
Finding an addiction therapist can be a confusing, burdensome and overwhelming process. Many individuals seeking recovery from addiction and their loved ones are left feeling lost, hopeless, helpless and isolated among a host of other negative emotions. During a time of crisis when one is seeking treatment for their addiction...
It is easy to conflate material wealth with mental wellbeing. There is a stereotype and stigma of being wealthy, that if you have wealth you should be happy and have nothing to worry about, but this myth is far from true. There is a hidden cost of affluence that surfaces...
On an annual basis approximately 14 million Americans are diagnosed with an Alcohol Use Disorder, and tens of millions more engage in binge drinking, problem drinking, and have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Of all the drugs that people abuse, alcohol is one of the most fatal. Approximately 100,000 Americans...
Over the course of the pandemic day trading has become extremely popular, especially among young people. Social media platforms such as Tik Tok, YouTube and Instagram are flooded with content providers that try to educate newbies about the investing world, and trading apps like E*Trade and Robinhood have made trading...
Preventing an alcohol or drug relapse is at the core of one’s recovery from addiction. Unfortunately, relapse rates for individuals in recovery from alcohol and drug dependence are staggering. Up to 60% of individuals relapse on drugs and alcohol within their first 30 days of leaving an inpatient treatment center,...
Now more than ever, amidst remote learning, lockdowns and pandemic unpredictability, parents have growing concerns about their children’s mental health. Though data is still scarce, evidence thus far suggests a significant uptick in mental health and addiction related issues among all age groups, including teens. During this time, teens may...
Am I an alcoholic? Do I drink too much? Is my drinking out of hand? These are questions that people may ask themselves if they are unsure if they have a healthy relationship with alcohol. This question is more common than people may think, as the line between casual drinking...
Recovery from an addiction is much more than mere abstinence from a substance or a behavior. Abstinence can be, and usually is, a fundamental component of the addiction recovery process, but abstinence does not necessarily equate to recovery. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch...
In 2013 the American Psychiatric Association added Gambling Disorder to the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). In doing so, pathological gambling was recognized by mental health professionals as an addiction similar to an alcohol or drug addiction. Despite obvious differences, primarily one being...
Money can’t buy happiness, and it certainly can’t ward off mental health or addiction related issues. Despite the privileged life lived by children of wealth, they also face many obstacles and difficulties. Although they are often set-up for success with a platinum spoon in hand, they are also set-up to...
Coaches were once only known in the field of sports, but now there is a coach for nearly everything and anything - business, career, relationships, divorce, health and wellness, travel, general life coaching, and quite possibly anything you could imagine. Coaching has also become popular in the field of substance...
Family and friends often feel lost and alone when they discover that their loved one might have a drug or alcohol problem or suspect that they may be gambling excessively or engaged in various other potential addictions. In such cases, it is completely normal for family and friends to feel...
During a regular fall and winter season, approximately up to 10% of the US population is impacted by seasonal depression, also known as the seasonal blues, winter depression, or more officially as Seasonal Affective Disorder. This winter season will be far from regular, as our lives have been significantly impacted...
COVID-19 drastically uprooted our lives, and continues to impact it in significant ways. Although the virus is still active without access to official therapeutics or vaccines, we have more or less learned to live with it. Wearing masks and social distancing has become the norm, and we have learned to regularly...
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to help raise awareness and understanding of mental health and suicide in efforts to help alleviate stigma, help those suffering with suicidal thoughts, educate individuals about warning signs of suicide, and make efforts in...
September is National Recovery Month, a time to help raise awareness and understanding of mental health and substance use disorders and to celebrate those in recovery from addiction. Approximately 22 million Americans struggle with addiction to alcohol and drugs on a daily basis, and another 100 million family members and...
What are a few ways alcoholism and addiction affects family members, loved ones and spouses? Alcoholism and addiction causes significant distress to all individuals who care for the addicted individual. Due to the impact of addiction on family relationships and dynamics, addiction is often called a “family disease” by...
Unfortunately relapse rates for individuals who enter recovery from a drug or alcohol addiction are quite high. Studies reflect that about 40-60% of individuals relapse within 30 days of leaving an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center, and up to 85% relapse within the first year. It is important for...
When an individual is struggling with a substance use addiction it is extremely challenging for the entire family. There is often guilt, shame, sadness, anger, anxiety, among a host of other negative emotions. When the addicted individual is ready and willing to receive help it can be confusing and overwhelming. ...
Wealthy individuals have a unique set of challenges when it comes to mental health and addiction. Emotional and behavioral issues can linger much longer for wealthy individuals before one is willing to receive psychological help for a variety of reasons. High-net-worth individuals also are faced with a variety of barriers...
Suffering from depression, anxiety, alcoholism or drug addiction, and other mental health issues can feel like being stuck in a giant deep hole that is impossible to climb out of. This is in part because mental health issues and addiction are often cyclical in nature, meaning that the symptoms of...
We frequently hear about the opioid epidemic, but rarely do we hear about the alcohol epidemic. While alcohol is legal and socially acceptable, and while most individuals can drink alcohol privately or socially without consequence, alcohol leads to millions of individuals abusing it, becoming dependent to it, having medical issues...
As the world continues to navigate through COVID-19 and what may lie ahead, businesses across industries, large and small, are going through a crisis of their own. In addition to surviving this economic downturn, strategizing a new way of business, and reinventing themselves, businesses of all sorts have their work...
This past week, a research study conducted by the Well Being Trust, a national foundation with a mission to advance mental health in America, has estimated that as many as 75,000 Americans could die from mental health related issues that stem from the coronavirus pandemic. The research study used projected...
COVID-19 is causing significant problems and disruption to virtually all areas of our lives. It is impacting our physical health, our financial health, our relational health, our spiritual health, our mental health and every which way in-between. As the majority of the world is currently enduring social distancing, telemedicine (or...
On a normal day, we spend a substantial amount of time in our homes. From getting ready in the morning to relaxing after a long day of work, our home is a safe place. With the recent quarantines, we are now confined to this space. For those dealing with...
COVID-19 has led to significant problems all across the globe and is impacting our lives in many different ways. While most people are currently focused on fighting this global health pandemic and are concerned with their physical hygiene, it is also important to focus on one’s mental hygiene. If we...
High-functioning alcoholics are individuals who are able to maintain their careers, relationships, and other obligations while displaying signs of alcoholism. The same is true of high-functioning addicts or individuals who may suffer from high-functioning depression, anxiety or other mental health issues. Such individuals are able to maintain their day-to-day lives,...
The Corona Virus Disease pandemic (COVID-19) is causing unwanted and unneeded stress, grief and anxiety for many people. Individuals around the world are concerned about their own physical health and the health of their loved ones, navigating life isolated at home, homeschooling, financial concerns, and much more. This worry has...
As many of us are increasingly isolated from others and separated from the world outside of our apartments or homes due to the Coronoa Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, our mental health may suffer. Many are facing growing worry, stress, sadness, and loneliness all due to fears of becoming ill...
The entire world is facing new challenges as we battle the Coronoa Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, relationally, and every which way in-between. From a psychological standpoint, this pandemic has contributed to mental health stressors for many individuals such as worry, stress, sadness, and substance abuse...
Opioids, especially the misuse of opioids – including prescription pain killers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl – has caused an epidemic in the United States. Every day there are approximately 128 opioid deaths due to overdose in the US - every single day. Unfortunately, newfound studies have found...
Sobriety can undoubtedly help your health, but can it help you in business? Business is often about relationships, relationships are often about socializing, and socializing is often about drinking alcohol. Skipping social aspects of business that involve alcohol or being the sober person at business functions can mean missing out...
eSports, also known as ‘electronic sports,’ is the world of organized competitive video gaming. While many who are unfamiliar with eSports may conjure up an image of middle- or high-school children playing video games on their parent’s couch, eSports has become a 17 billion-dollar industry with professional leagues and professional...
Whether traveling for business or for pleasure, maintaining wellness while traveling can be challenging, especially for those in recovery from a mental health issue or an addiction related issue. Whether new to recovery or not, being out of one’s comfort zone while traveling comes with its own host of triggers...
The stock market and our moods are interconnected in an interesting way. The stock market affects how investors feel, and in turn their feelings affect the markets. In this way, the relationship between our mood and the stock market are a bidirectional one. In fact, money and mood, and subsequently...
Therapeutic Coaching is a unique and innovative method of helping individuals recover from a variety of issues including mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders; substance addictions such as to alcohol, opiates, Adderall or other drugs as well as to food; behavioral addictions such as to...
Executives and other such high-ranking business and political leaders face a unique set of challenges when it comes to addressing their own mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or other such mental illness, as well as substance abuse and other addictions. When untreated, such individuals can not...
Just eighteen days ago many of us made New Year’s resolutions for 2020, and some of us even made long-term resolutions for the decade ahead of us. Unfortunately, various statistics reflect that less than 25% of people stay committed to their resolutions past the end of January, and only about...
Mental health and addiction related issues are often accompanied by a sense of hopelessness. Hopelessness ensues when the individual feels stuck in the state they are in, especially after failed attempts to get well. Individuals in such a state of mind feel stuck in a deep and dark hole that...
Feeling depressed, or down, or sad, or having a case of the blues is a normal part of life that everyone goes through. It could be situational due to death of a loved one or ending a relationship, or it could be emotional due to letting yourself down, others letting...
An average individual will spend 1/3 of their life working. For executives, entrepreneurs and other such individuals who do not work a standard 9 to 5, the amount of time spent on business related tasks is often much, much more. As a result of living in a society that values...
Children bring a lot of joy to our lives, but being a parent also comes with its own set of added stress to an already stressful world. Due to the obligations, love, and commitment that we have as parents it is easy to put our children first while our own...
Physical activity triggers a biological cascade of occurrences that results in many physical and mental health benefits. Research suggests that exercise is an effective treatment for mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, and can serve as a fundamental component to one’s recovery from addiction. Studies show that individuals...
Addictions (Substance Use Disorders) are extremely powerful. So much so that even after years or decades of abstinence and recovery, an individual can still experience strong cravings, and be vulnerable to relapse. Neuroimaging has allowed researches to investigate the acute and long-term effects of addiction on the brain. The majority...
People often ask how to tell if they or a loved one has a problem with alcohol. Well, for starters, if one is asking this question, there is probably a problem. Your average social drinker or your average “I enjoy a glass of wine with dinner” drinker usually does not...
Studies show that 20-57% of individuals do not return to therapy after their initial appointment. There are various reasons for this, and for premature dropout rate in general. Sometimes dropping out of therapy is a reflection of the therapist, other times it is due to the individual receiving therapy, and...
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? There is nothing wrong with being either. One of the key differences between introverts and extroverts is that introverts become tired when they are around other people and are able to regain energy when they are alone. Extroverts, on the other hand, become...
People enter therapy for a variety of reasons, be it a mental health issue such as depression or anxiety, a behavioral issue such as alcoholism or overeating, or a general life issue such as marriage problems or feeling stuck. For most people, therapy is not a first-choice solution when problems...
When most people think of nutrition they think in terms of their physical health, but nutrition is also a fundamental component of one’s mental health as well. A healthy mind and body are essential elements in coping with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, as well as with...