Addiction

Is your passion for gambling, exercising, or watching online videos a fun hobby or a sign of someone more serious? It might surprise you, but addiction is a complex condition that comes in many forms and can happen to anyone. Generally speaking, addiction is an inability to stop using a substance (from tobacco to illegal drugs) or engaging in a behavior (from shopping to sex) despite negative consequences. Why is this? The reward center in the brain releases dopamine in response to a pleasurable experience or hyperarousal. The more times people experience the behavior, the more dopamine is released and the more driven they are to return to the behavior. If you find yourself shifting your priorities, increasingly isolated or feeling irritable when not engaged in a behavior, it may be time to get help in breaking the pattern of behavior.

Addictive Personality Traits

Everyone has interests that they are passionate about, but how do you know if your love of something is interfering with life and actually is a problem?

Substance Abuse Addiction

Substance use disorder can start with experimental use of a recreational drug in social situation but then the drug use becomes more frequent. As drug use increases, one may find that it's increasingly difficult to go without the drug.

Alcohol Addiction

Alcohol, while often socially acceptable and legal for those over the age of 21, can turn into a problem for many. In fact, alcohol abuse affects millions of Americans each year.

Teen Screen Addiction

The world is largely digital. From checking social media on our phones to gaming or binging a new show, it’s hard to escape this cultural norm. So how do you encourage your teens to give their brain a break?

Helping Someone with an Addiction

Motivating someone to seek help for alcohol or drug misuse, compulsive eating, or other addictive behaviors can be challenging. Discover when to hold an intervention and how to make it successful.