Americans are addicted to legal and illegal drugs and by drugs I mean pharmaceutical drugs. Pharmaceutical companies are the most profitable industry in the world. Marcia Angell, M.D. first woman editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine reports that in 2002 the $35.9 billion the top drug companies earned were greater than the profits of
P.T.S.D. Kills – And Love Heals. Post-traumatic stress disorder kills, and love can certainly heal. We at home can only imagine what traumatic experiences led to the expression on this soldiers face. What isn’t so easily seen is how this soldier will cope over the long-term with the pain he’s carrying, or which loved ones in his
“Narcotic painkillers have become among the most widely prescribed drugs in the nation.”* As an addiction counselor I know it’s a huge problem. I see clients in my office that innocently begin using pain medication like vicodin for a root canal or another type of surgery and then develop a dependency problem. But, I see
Sugar lights up the pleasure centers in the brain like the 4th of July. It seems we humans can become addicted to anything that makes us feel good. And, sugar feels GOOD. “Princeton Univeristy and University of Florida researchers have found that sugar-binging rats show signs of opiatelike withdrawal when their sugar is taken away-including chattering
I remember when I quit smoking. I was 30. I’d been “trying” to quit for 2 years. Trying is like deciding, but not taking action. Actual change requires action. We humans like to be comfortable. We like the familiar. Change represents the unknown. Who will I be as a non-smoker, non-drinker, recovering drug user, or
Michael Jackson died from addiction a few years ago. All that incredible talent subsumed by an addiction fed by his doctors. Which is not to say Michael wasn’t responsible for his own decisions. He also died because no one in his circle could say “no” to him. Certainly his doctor was unable to say “no.” Jackson
Are all Americans addicted? Of course not. However, there are many that are “addictive.” Meaning they have what I call “Lite” addictions. These normal Americans do a little shopping when stressed, work compulsively when anxious, or drink a couple glasses of wine a night to relax. In my book Intentional JOY: How to Turn Stress,
“Americans are addicted to being something they’re not. They’re addicted to things,” says Oprah. How addictive are we? Brad made an appointment for counseling with me by explaining that he was addicted to shopping, fast food & internet porn. I thought – wow – he’s so American. If you have ever been so stressed