In 2014, The Institute for Addiction Study recognized and included ten addictions to behaviors with dopamine-releasing substances to include in the Periodic Table of the Intoxicants. Due to the problems presented by individuals that met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) criteria for an addiction, these ten behaviors were added: gambling, media, relationships, codependency, performance,…
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As a board member of Virginia Association of Addiction Professionals, Craig James showed his support by attending the 2019 Annual Meeting & Training at The Holiday Inn Oceanside, Virginia Beach on March 15th. He and Cyndi Turner attended Cynthia Moreno’s Conflict Resolution and Linda Handcock’s JUUL and Vapes: New Technology Impacting Nicotine & Marijuana Addiction.Cyndi and Craig…
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March 12, 2019 Craig James, LCSW, LSATP, MAC was part of a panel discussion with Michelle Mullaley, Ph.D. and Dr. Erika Shilling, PhD, therapists and co-owner of Bridges Therapy and Wellness Center, Suzie Bartel, co-founder of Ryan Bartel Foundation, and Rachel Bailey, parenting specialist. The event hosted and sponsored by Fusion Academy Loudoun, centered around…
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Congratulations to SMART Recovery® for celebrating its 25thanniversary this year. SMART Recovery started back in 1994 and was founded by Joe Gerstein and Tom Horvath. It was established as an alternative path to recovery, utilizing principles of self-empowerment, based on motivational and cognitive therapies. What is Smart Recovery? SMART Recovery stands for Self-Management and Recovery…
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“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” – Jalal Ad-Din Rumi, Persian poet & mystic Are you ready to do something about your drinking? The following Stages of Change model can be very helpful in determining where you are with your…
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Over the years mindfulness has become more common in our society. There are apps to guide us through the practice and it is even being integrated in schools to help teach kids how to manage emotions and stress. But what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the practice of being both aware of the present and simultaneously…
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Do any of these sound like you during the winter months? Have a depressed mood more days than not Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed Increase in appetite, especially for carbohydrates Increased sleep Loss of energy or increased fatigue despite extra sleep Increase in restlessness or slowed movements Feeling worthless or…
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We have recently heard news of high profile celebrities completing suicide. As tragic and eye opening as such news is, this psychiatrist’s opinion is that the discussion has been superficial and speculative. It also, rather unsatisfyingly, concludes by only offering up the national suicide hotline. What appears to missing from the discussions is not the…
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You’ve heard it from friends, family, relatives, neighbors, other parents, teachers and you’ve possible said it yourself: “My kid is smart.” But what does smart mean? What is it? How do you quantify it? Depending on the context in which it is used, Merriam–Webster defines smart as an adjective, verb, and a noun; i.e. bright, knowledgeable, witty, clever.…
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Over the counter medications (OTC’s): many of us have relied on them for day-to-day ailments. Be it for coughs, colds, headaches, fever, minor sprains, allergies, or aches and pains, we’ve all found ourselves meandering into our local pharmacy seeking relief from these minor but pesky symptoms. In fact, studies have revealed that around $116 Billion…
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