Mental Health Blog

Compulsive gambling, or gambling addiction, is an impulse control disorder with features similar to other addictive disorders. However, it’s without involving the use of an intoxicating drug. Gambling addiction in South FL is on the rise.  It can occur in…

Those who experience an urge to gamble, even though they’re aware of the negative consequences and/or have a desire to stop, are struggling with a gambling addiction.  Problem gambling occurs when harm happens either to the gambler or others, rather…

Occurring in many forms, but most commonly; lotteries, casinos, bookmaking, card rooms, and bingo, gambling is defined as betting something of value when the outcome is uncertain. Compulsive gambling or gambling addiction is characterized as an impulse control disorder. It…

The tendency to behave in excessively caretaking or overly passive ways that negatively impact one’s relationships and their quality of life is known as codependency.  With other behavioral habits such as denial, low self-esteem, excessive compliance, and/or control patterns, codependency…

Developed by Marsha M. Linehan, a psychology researcher at the University of Washington, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a system of therapy used to treat those struggling with borderline personality disorder (BPD). There are a number of dialectical behavior therapy…

Established by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a program that has evolved into a common form of complementary medicine with the ability to address a variety of problems since its inception…

The process of discontinuing the practice of inhaling a smokeable substance is smoking cessation.  Generally, it is helpful in treating those suffering from tobacco addiction. However, smoking cessation programs help people stop using due to the development of strong physical…

A continuous disturbance of personality function in a person by depth and variability of moods is borderline personality disorder (BPD).  The co-existence of extreme, abnormal moods have been evident in writing from authors such as Homer, dating back as far…

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) is a neurobehavioral developmental disorder. It’s often identifiable by poor attention, distractibility, and impulsive behaviors of an individual.  The use of stimulants to aid in this disorder date back to the late 1930s….

Yoga was originally developed as a healthy alternative to deal with stress and works by focusing on treating the mind and body simultaneously in an effect to achieve a union of body, mind, and spirit.    Throughout the years, yoga has…

Used to describe the co-morbid (pertaining to a disease or other pathological process that occurs simultaneously with another) condition of a person suffering from both a mental illness and a substance abuse problem is known as dual diagnosis.  In cases…

Coined in the mid-1970s after being used in a working group finding presented to the Committee of Reactive Disorders, the term posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) became formally recognized in 1980. Fortunately, there is help for those living with post traumatic stress…

Characterized by invasive thoughts that lead to uneasiness, suspicion, fear, or worry combined with repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing anxiety is the disorder known as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  Diagnosed just as often as asthma and diabetes and ranked as the…

A mental disorder characterized by low self-esteem combined with an all-encompassing low mood. Additionally, a loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities is another characteristic of major depressive disorder (MDD). Fortunately, there are effective major depressive disorder treatments available for…

Named after the tobacco plant Nicotiana tabacum (after French ambassador to Portugal, Jean Nicot de Villemain), the introduction of nicotine dates all the way back to the late 1500s.  First isolated by German chemists Posselt & Reimann in 1828 and…

Stemming from Latin roots, meditate means to ponder.  Having been practiced for well over thousands of years now, meditation was initially meant to help deepen the understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life.  Today, a number of meditation…

Of fairly recent origin, the term Bipolar Disorder refers to the cycling between high and low episodes. And, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing a category of mood disorders defineable by the existence of one or more abnormal energy level increase…

Adolescence is tough. Teenagers are going through hormonal changes, and also have to navigate the increasingly difficult social circles while feeling painfully self-aware and uncomfortable in their own skins. It is extremely common for teens to feel unhappy at times….

On drugs and the brain: In the following article, we will attempt to explain the physical effect that chemical dependency to drugs has on the brain, and why both detox and treatment is often necessary in order to counteract those…

Even though the dangers of adolescent alcohol abuse are common knowledge, adults too often turn a blind eye to alcohol consumption by teenagers. In reality, there are many dangerous effects of alcohol use in teens, and alcohol remains the greatest…