Changing old patterns
Addiction and Learned Helplessness: How Are They Connected? If you or someone you care about is struggling with addiction, you may have noticed a pattern of hopelessness or feeling “stuck”—like no matter what they do, nothing seems to change. This emotional state is often described as learned helplessness. But is addiction a form of learned …
When someone you love is struggling—whether it’s with grief, anxiety, addiction, or life’s everyday stresses—the natural instinct is to help. For many of us, that means offering advice, solutions, or reassurance. But sometimes, the most powerful way to support someone is not through fixing—but through listening. At its heart, listening is about being present, offering …
Continue reading “Listening Without Giving Advice: How to Truly Support Someone You Care About”
Addiction is a complex, multifaceted issue that impacts millions of individuals and families worldwide. While genetics, environment, trauma, and peer influence all play a role, one often under-discussed yet critical factor is parenting. The way a child is raised—the emotional tone of the household, the boundaries set (or not set), the way love is …
Continue reading “How Bad Parenting Can Contribute to Addiction: A Hard Look at Root Causes”
When we hear the word “addict,” we often picture someone in a dark alley with a needle in their arm. But the truth is, addiction comes in many forms—and most of us are hooked on something, whether it’s food, work, exercise, social media, shopping, or a person! At its core, addiction is about losing control. …
Are certain people more likely to develop addictions in their lifetime, including to alcohol or drugs? Is there a definitive addictive personality or a set of characteristics that all addicts share? Many people believe they have an addictive personality, but at its core, what they often struggle with is an inability to self-regulate. Self-soothing/regulating means …
If you grew up in a home with a parent who misused alcohol, drugs, or who suffered from codependency themselves, you’re probably familiar with the feeling of never knowing what to expect from one day to the next. When one or both parents struggle with addiction, the home environment is unpredictable. Arguments, inconsistency, unreliability, …
Continue reading “Adult Children Of Addicts or Codependents – The Laundry List”
Typically when we think of addiction, we think of alcohol, drugs, sex, or gambling. Although not yet an official diagnosis, a more common, yet far less known form of addiction is an addiction to people. Research from 2016 suggested feelings of intense romantic love activate regions of the brain’s “reward system” — the same regions …
The intense love you feel with a narcissist or when you are in a trauma bond, isn’t actually love. It’s infatuation. It’s addiction. And it is because you are revisiting/reenacting something you went through in childhood from your primary care giver/s. Subconsciously, we keep revisiting what we know, what is familiar. No matter how painful …
How do you cope with whatever life throws at you? Coping is the ability to deal with difficult situations. Coping skills are the skills that we use to achieve this. It is, therefore, possible to describe a wide range of skills and activities as ‘coping skills’. It is also clear that some coping skills may …
Toxic shame is literally the opposite to Self-Worth. Toxic shame is a feeling deep down that we are worthless. It usually begins in childhood, when we are criticised by parents/caregivers, teachers or other adults (who we believe know better than we, as children, do). Normal shame is healthy. We begin to develop shame between …