Counseling Experience or Counseling Academics: What Is the Mark of a Good Addiction Counselor?

January 21st, 2014 | Posted by Michael Taleff in Addiction | Addiction Discussions | Addiction Education | Counselor Education - (Comments Off on Counseling Experience or Counseling Academics: What Is the Mark of a Good Addiction Counselor?)

I just started another college semester this week, and in that very first class the discussion centered on what is really important in making a first-class addiction counselor. As discussion progressed, a student came to a conclusion, “ that experience seems to be the only way to really know counseling.” That’s not quite true. I …
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The Impact of Digital Technology on Sexual Addiction

January 20th, 2014 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Sex Addiction - (Comments Off on The Impact of Digital Technology on Sexual Addiction)
Rob Weiss Sex Addiction Expert

In today’s world the Internet is pretty much ubiquitous. Nearly everyone owns a computer, laptop, pad, smartphone, or whatever – all of which provide a level of interconnectivity and access that was almost unthinkable as little as ten years ago. Because of this, we now have endless opportunities for social interaction and almost limitless access …
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Using Drugs to Belong, Drinking to Manage Depression: Chiara de Blasio Tells Her Story of Substance Abuse

January 20th, 2014 | Posted by Tian Dayton in Addiction | Addiction Discussions | Alcohol Addiction | Drug Addiction | Marijuana Addiction - (Comments Off on Using Drugs to Belong, Drinking to Manage Depression: Chiara de Blasio Tells Her Story of Substance Abuse)

Nearly a million people have watched Chiara de Blasio describe her journey of recovery on YouTube since the video was released over the holidays last month. Chiara wanted to speak out to help all those who are suffering in silence. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 3.1 million Americans need …
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What Causes Sexual Addiction?

January 6th, 2014 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Sex Addiction - (Comments Off on What Causes Sexual Addiction?)

Lord knows we hear plenty about sexual addiction in the news – most often stories about politicians, actors, athletes, and just plain folks who are systematically ruining their lives with ongoing patterns of problematic sexual activity. Of course, for every scandal that makes the papers, tens of thousands of similar tales go unreported, known only …
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Sex and the Cycle of Addiction

December 18th, 2013 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Sex Addiction - (Comments Off on Sex and the Cycle of Addiction)
Rob Weiss Sex Addiction Expert

Addiction is characterized by an easily recognizable cycle. Essentially, the cycle is: being triggered (feeling emotional or physical discomfort); thinking about using as a way to ease the discomfort; preparing to use; actually using; pretending that using was OK (engaging in denial); and then feeling bad about using. The last stage, feeling bad, is the …
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Broken Rituals: Restoring Our Connection to Hope and Happiness Around the Holidays

December 11th, 2013 | Posted by Tian Dayton in ACoA | Addiction | Addiction Discussions | Relationships | Trauma - (Comments Off on Broken Rituals: Restoring Our Connection to Hope and Happiness Around the Holidays)

Who wants to be dark and dreary around the holidays? Everything around us suggests that this is a season of merriment, that holidays are meant to be a time of touching togetherness and affirming bonds of family and friends. But for those whose lives have been affected by living with addiction, this season can also …
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Sex Addiction: Signs and Symptoms in Men

December 2nd, 2013 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Sex Addiction - (Comments Off on Sex Addiction: Signs and Symptoms in Men)

Previous blogs have addressed the universal signs and symptoms of sexual addiction, as well as the female gender-specific signs of sexual addiction. As a brief reminder, the universal signs and symptoms of sexual addiction in both males and females are: Preoccupation: obsessing about sex, making the fantasy and pursuit of it the number one priority …
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I wrote in a previous blog about the universal signs and symptoms of sexual addiction, noting that all sex addicts display, in some form or fashion, the following: Preoccupation: obsessing about sex/romance, making the fantasy and pursuit of it the number one priority in life, etc. Loss of Control: inability to limit or curtail sexual/romantic …
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Typical Signs and Symptoms of Sexual Addiction

October 22nd, 2013 | Posted by Rob Weiss in Sex Addiction - (Comments Off on Typical Signs and Symptoms of Sexual Addiction)

For the most part, the core signs and symptoms of sexual addiction are the same regardless of age, race, gender, social history, and psychological underpinnings. And you can expect nearly all sex addicts to report, in some form, the following: Obsessive Sexual Fantasy and Preoccupation: Sex addicts obsess about sex. They spend hours, sometimes even …
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