Holistic Care and Treatment

Mindfulness is intentionally paying attention, and being present in the moment with compassion, with acceptance, and without judgment. It is a practice to engage in for mind-body health, and an important part of the recovery process. Substance use alters the natural rhythms of the body and mindfulness can help bring you back in tune with…

Individuals with a substance use disorder are oftentimes in denial about their addiction for a period of time. Denial is a simple way to minimize and rationalize any problem at hand. It is a defense mechanism that shifts the blame away from the denier and hands it off to anyone available to accept the responsibility.…

Holistic lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, meditation, etc., have been shown to improve health and sometimes even reverse certain disorders. As opioid overdoses and fatalities become more commonplace, physicians and patients alike are turning to these alternative/integrative solutions for their medical problems. This is an important shift for mainstream medicine, as the focus has…

Dream Journal Volume XXXIIX / April 2016 Note From Dr B. The Ancient Greeks identified four Cardinal (pivotal) Virtues sustained in the face of difficulty: prudence (or wisdom over time), justice, courage, and temperance. Courage is sometimes equated with endurance, the ability to stand firm and immovable in the midst of danger, toils, and certain death.…

Trauma: a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems, usually for a long time; a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury; an emotional upset; an injury to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent -Merriam Webster Dictionary Many individuals…

The ongoing opioid overdose crisis has prompted the CDC to take action in the form of developing new guidelines for qualified prescribers. First and foremost, the CDC stresses that opioid therapy should be utilized only if all other treatment options have been exhausted. Opioids can vastly improve functionality and quality of life, but the benefits…

Dream Journal Volume XXXVI / February 2016 Note From Dr B. Hope is the driving force behind recovery. You can see it in the glowing smile of the elderly man who finally made it through a full year without a drink. You can feel it in the bouncing step of the middle-aged woman whose regular physical…

When you’re struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol and it’s mealtime, it’s all too easy to stop in at your favorite fast food place and pick up a burger, fries and a soda to go. But while that may be fine for an occasional treat, if you’re suffering from the disease of alcohol…

Substance-use exerts a large amount of physical stress on the human body. Drugs take precedence over basic necessities during active addiction, so health often falls by the wayside. Malnourishment, for example, causes the body to function improperly due to a lack of essential nutrients. Some drugs create the illusion of “fullness” so the body doesn’t…

Dream Journal Volume XXXVI / January 2016 Note From Dr B. The idea of making a “New Year’s Resolution” is appealing to individuals across the globe, but it also adds a great deal of pressure to the actions of the upcoming year. People oftentimes make unrealistic promises (ex. I will exercise every single day from now…