Posts in Escapism & Addiction
The Unwritten Roles & Unspoken Rules of Families that deal with Addiction 

As mentioned in the previous blog post, Addiction & The Ripple Effect that Recovery has on Families, substance use disorder is a disease that impacts the entire family system. Through my conversation with Rachel Evans, who is a family therapist for the Center for Recovering Families at The Council on Recovery here in Houston, we talked about the different ways that people within the system surrounding addiction adapt to maintain balance within the family unit.

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Addiction & The Ripple Effect that Recovery has on Families

When someone we love deals with addiction, there tends to be an aspect of wishful thinking that surrounds their recovery. We sometimes think to ourselves, “If this person just gets better, then everything else will fall into place”. No matter how desirable that outcome may be, addiction is not something that only affects the person with the substance use disorder, but the entire system that the person exists within.

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Understanding the Relationship Between Addiction and Mental Health

I have overheard the conversation of whether or not addiction is truly a disease or if it is a choice honestly too many times to count. The idea is that you have physical control over your ability to pick up a habit that can lead to addiction so therefore, it was the person's choice and the decisions that those people make following their addiction are a direct result of the initial choice that they made to engage in whatever habit they picked up. It sounds super simple.

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Teens and Video Games: Addiction or Connection?

Is how much time my teen plays video games a problem? Should I limit how long my kids have access to their XBOX? Do I need to buy them a top gaming PC? Is my son addicted to video games? Why are kids these days so obsessed with gaming?

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Busyness is a Form of Escapism

My nightly habit after work involves almost always working-out once the kids go to bed, and then pulling out the laptop for round 2 of work. There is usually something extra I need to do- case notes, prepare for sessions the next day, return emails, do a school assignment, etc. However, sometimes there isn’t even a need, it is a drive or compulsion.

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Why Addiction is Not a Disease

There is not a person alive that addiction does not touch. You, a friend, a colleague or a family member may be struggling with alcohol and drug use, or a compulsive coping mechanism. Because ultimately, that is what addiction is: a compulsive coping mechanism or pattern of behavior linked to emotional and psychological distress.

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