Let’s talk about Reinforcement
People spend a lot of time trying to change behaviors. Everything from changing your diet, exercising more, spending less, and changing your substance use is behavior change. In many ways, we’re so used to trying to change our behaviors that we don’t focus on the basics anymore. We just want to change better and faster! […]
The Willingness to Change
If you or someone you love is considering making a behavior change, you may want to spend some time thinking about the concept of willingness. It’s something you’ve likely heard before, the idea of being willing to change or willing to engage in something that is difficult. The dictionary definition of willingness is the state […]
Finding Your True North
If you’ve ever used a compass, you know that the little metal pointer inside is always pointing north. This is how people throughout time have been able to find their way through the wilderness. If you know where north is, you can orient yourself and get where you want to go. Even in the most […]
This is Your Brain on Drugs
For many people, there is an iconic commercial from the 1980’s about the influence of drugs on your brain. A man holds an egg, which is meant to represent your brain, has a hot skillet, which represents drugs, and he cracks the egg into the pan, which begins to sizzle and cook as he says […]
Holiday Planning and Coping
The holidays are back! And, just like every year, they can be alive with joy, friends and family, and a whole slew of issues to navigate. Conversations about politics, too much time with extended family, endless holiday parties and constant advertisements for drinks and jolly times, can make the holidays a difficult time for everyone. […]
5 Tools Parents Can Use to Help Their Children (and Themselves!)
Being a parent is hard under the best circumstances. Being a parent of a child who is using substances can feel like you’re being forced to run a marathon with a lead vest on! It can feel like you’re all alone and have to juggle everything in your own life while at the same time […]
Is CBD Oil the Next Anti-anxiety Medication?
CBD is everywhere! Athletes are using it and touting it’s ability to help them recover after competitions and practice, and are using it in place of ibuoprofren. In New York City, you can find it in most local pharmacies, herbal supplement aisles, and vape shops. Bars and restaurants are even adding it to cocktails! CBD […]
Can Our Words Impact Change?
Human language is an amazing thing. We humans have become the top of the food chain mainly because we can communicate effectively enough to work together efficiently. We accomplish much of this work through our use of language. In an effort to be efficient however, we have created many language-based “short-cuts” and words end up […]
What to Do When You’ve Forgotten Who You Are
When I think about who I want to be in the world, I have a pretty clear sense of what that looks like. I want to be helpful to those around me. I want to stand for something that is important not just to me, but to many people. I want to be a good […]
Behaviors Make Sense (Even the Dumb Ones)
You know the story … you hear about a person who has messed up, again. Everyone starts talking about it. “Why are they so dumb?” “Didn’t they know this was going to happen?” “I just can’t understand why they keep doing this?” Our instinct is to immediately jump on the person for the choices they […]
