One Year Anniversary!

     I would just like to announce my one year anniversary today, the 13th of November, to be free of the mind-numbing effects of alcohol. A lot has changed in the past year and I am very thankful to God and my support network for seeing me through the rough patches. My wife, Robin and I have been married almost two years now and she has been by my side throughout the whole ordeal! Thanks babe! You have truly been a blessing to me and I thank God every day for sending you to me!

     We took our first motorcycle trip last May to the Grand Canyon, down to Carlsbad Cavern, and then back to Pryor,OK. All of it on the seat of our Harley tri-glide.

It was AWESOME! Roswell, NM, Impact Crater, the Petrified forest and painted desert were just some of the stops we made during the trip.

Of course, The Big Texan in Amarillo, TX, was another must-do on the trip.

Also, the Blue Hole of Santa Rosa, NM was as interesting and mysterious as the other major destinations in and of itself!

     Just an FYI, the reasoning for the decision to abstain from alcohol was not of my own volition, but rather a natural consequence of the Mayes County justice system. An in-treatment stay for 30 days was required and I wound up in Battle Creek, MI, at a place called "A Forever Recovery". This place is truly awesome for those serious about getting clean and sober. AFR uses "Moral Reconation Therapy", (MRT), as their base for recovery and they boast the highest long-term recovery rate in the nation. I highly recommend it to any one serious about getting sober and staying that way. They are still contacting me and checking up a year later.
   

Edgar Poe

During my time with Mr. Poe, he proposed to me the intimate nature of writing and that there is

actually a “philosophy of composition”. The well-crafted lyrics, similes, alliterations, and allusions known mechanically by educators are just the tip of the proverbial ice-berg because it is how these “words” and ideas are artfully constructed and shared that make a difference.....

The Trouble With Psychosis....

Alcohol misuse and drug misuse can trigger a psychotic episode.

A person can also experience a psychotic episode if they suddenly stop drinking alcohol or taking drugs after

using them for a long time. This is known as withdrawal.

It's also possible to experience psychosis after drinking large amounts of alcohol or if you're high on drugs.
Drugs known to trigger psychotic episodes include:

• cocaine
• amphetamine (speed)
• methamphetamine (crystal meth)
• mephedrone (MCAT or miaow)
• MDMA (ecstasy)
• cannabis
• LSD (acid)
• psilocybins (magic mushrooms)
• ketamine
  

In rare situations, psychosis can also occur as a side effect of some types of medication, or as a result of an overdose of that medication.
For example, levodopa, a medication that's used to treat Parkinson's disease, can sometimes cause psychotic episodes. However, any medicine that acts on the brain can cause psychosis with an overdose.
Read more at My Addicted Mind.com

Reference:

Psychosis - Causes, (2014), Causes of psychosis. Retrieved from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Psychosis/Pages/Causes.aspx

Psychological Profiling - Aileen Wuornos

 "Wuornos was psychotic and disorganized"....

Aileen Wuornos is widely considered to be America's first female serial killer and not just your typical black widow fem fatale. She was a professed lesbian who also confessed to killing seven men over a

period of several years. She was an interesting, at the same time, scary individual. So fascinating in fact was she that she captivated the human psyche to a point of unimaginable crimes and several movies and books have been written about her. Some believe she was a stone-cold killer, while others saw her as a person who was victimized so often during her tragic life that her only alternative was to fight back.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik9pZhIFPaY

Read more about addiction and recovery at My Addicted Mind.Com

Is it Biological or Cognitive-Behavioral

The issue at hand is whether biological factors or cognitive-behavioral elements are underlying causes of

major depressive disorders (MDD) witnessed today in mental health clinics across the world.
The position and perspective of this author is that the chief cause of MDD seen in clinical practice today is cognitive-behavioral.

Childhood trauma, chronic stress, and anxiety all alter chemical pathways in the human brain which leads to a decrease in key neurotransmitter levels. This in turn correlates to a major depressive episode in later life. These facts are irrefutable and independent of any hypothesized “genetic” predisposition or hereditary component.

Supporting Argument 1:
            In the research performed by Murrough, et al, and published in the 2011 September issue of the Journal of American Medical Association, (JAMA Psychiatry), there is empirical evidence to support the idea that an incidence of trauma at an early age produces neurobiological and behavioral alterations in the human body suggesting a developmental component in the cause of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with a high comorbity with MDD (Murrough, et al, 2011).
Supporting Argument 2:
            In another study by Dr. J. Hovens in 2012 and published in the Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, a longitudinal study of childhood trauma victims over a two year period resulted in high incidences of MDD with individuals who experienced “emotional neglect” and “psychological abuse” (Hovens, et al., 2012).

Supporting Argument 3:
            In a study by C. Cutrona in 2006, the effects of a contextual involvement for depression becomes clear. Within her research, Cutrona takes into account that a prolonged exposure to stress and anxiety within this context can also produce an “environment” (such as a neighborhood and threats of victimization) that leads to depression (Cutrona, 2006).
Supporting argument 4:
            In his article for the Psychological Bulletin in 2008, Edward Watkins gives the psychological community a link between the outcomes on depression and repetitive thought, or RT. This has to deal with self-esteem and whether or not our repetitive thoughts are “constructive” or “destructive” (Watkins, 2008). Destructive RT can have negative consequences and prolonged exposure can lead to MDD if not held in check.

John

References:
Cutrona, C. E., Wallace, G., & Wesner, K. A. (2006). Neighborhood characteristics

and depression: An examination of stress processes. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(4), 188–192.

Hovens, J., Giltay, E., Wiersma, J., Spinhoven, P., Penninx, J., & Zitman, F. (2012).

Impact of childhood life events and trauma on the course of depressive and anxiety disorders. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 126, 198-207

Murrough, J. Czermak, C., Henry, S., Nabulsi, N., Gallezot, J., et al. (2011) The

Effect of Early Trauma Exposure on Serotonin Type 1B Receptor Expression Revealed by Reduced Selective Radioligand Binding. JAMA Psychiatry, 68, (9), 892-900. Retrieved from Capella University Library, EBSCOhost http://web.b.ebscohost.com.library.capella.edu/ehost/command/detail?sid=9fc5a9ad-f6f5-48d1-8f8e-0a82655e27bd%40sessionmgr113&vid=23&hid=119

Watkins, E., (2008), Constructive and Unconstructive Repetitive Thought,

Psychological Bulletin, (134), (2), 163–206. Retrieved from Capella Library, EBSCOhost, http://web.a.ebscohost.com.library.capella.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=a0a19980-b2af-48d8-b2ca-d48eab7dfa2c%40sessionmgr4001&vid=7&hid=4201

 Visit us at My Addicted Mind.com for more info on causes of depression or substance abuse....

Links to Substance Abuse Through Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety, Depression, and Substance Abuse

Unless one is a practicing clinician, depression and substance abuse are not typically thought of as occurring together. Maybe this is because they are two separate diagnoses and people view them that way in the realm of disorders as well. On the other hand, many experts believe that depression can lead to substance abuse and vice-versa. This article will look at major depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, then contrast and compare similarities, as well as differences. Then it will look at how each of these disorders is linked to the other.

Read more about Anxiety, Depression, and Substance Abuse at http://myaddictedmind.com/anxietydepressionsubabuse.html

A Lesson On Ethics in Psychotherapy

The case history of the 17 year-old adolescent male involves delinquency and an apparent indifference (or

inability) by the parents to maintain any sort of stability in the household. The father is a prominent leader in the community with a wandering eye for the females. His accounts of public infidelity have driven a wedge between him and his wife over the years and he has distanced himself from his son as well. The mother did not want the divorce because of her religious upbringing, but could not take the public embarrassment and shame. She thus became more distant, despondent, and turned to alcohol to ease the pain. 

The child has been in and out of trouble since the age of 14 when he and some friends stole a car and crashed after a high-speed chase with law enforcement. The child has since had issues with substance abuse and larceny to support his heroin addiction.  The child is now in therapy as a result of the court’s pressure on the father and threat of admittance to a children’s psychiatric hospital.

At odds with the custodial parent’s wishes for the noncustodial parent not to be involved in the child’s therapy, the psychotherapist takes the position of “do no harm” to the client. (APA, 2010).  The therapist then speaks with the child to better understand his wishes concerning his mother’s involvement. The child is emotionally indifferent and could “care less” either way. However, the therapist believes that having both parents involved would promote beneficence for the child client. The therapist now needs to get answers to his questions from other colleagues.

Read more at My Addicted mind.Com