What is loneliness: Why is it so bad now?
Bear Psychology podcast
What is loneliness: Why is it so bad now? In the age of technology, we are more connected than ever, so why do many people still struggle with loneliness? First, let’s define loneliness. Loneliness is need of human connection but not being able to have it. It is a subjective experience and is not the consequence of being physically alone. If you feel lonely, you are lonely. Loneliness occurs when someone perceives their relationships as not fulfilling their social needs. Dr. Andrew Wister from Simon Fraser University believes social media may be partly fueling...
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Setting Yourself Up for Success
Bear Psychology podcast
Setting Yourself Up for Success “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit” – Will Durant The year 2020 is upon us and it marks the end of the decade. Millions of New Year’s resolutions will be made; however, the success rate shows we just don’t know how to stick with them. We want to share with you the psychology behind starting new habits, changing old habits, and staying motivated. Think of this as your toolkit for setting yourself up for success – not just in January, but every day! Making behavioral changes: Habits are...
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Holiday Stress and Overspending
Bear Psychology podcast
Holidays can be a stressful time of year. There is pressure to make the perfect dinner, give a great gift, spend time with family members you don’t see frequently, and plan fun family festivities. All of this can leave you feeling stressed, depressed, lonely, fatigued, and underappreciated. The holiday blues is a term that accurately describes the mixture of unpleasant emotions one feels over the course of a seemingly joyous time. Not only can the holidays leave you feeling depleted, you may also be left with an depleted bank account. All too often families feel the need to impress one...
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What is Happiness: How to Pursue it
Bear Psychology podcast
Happiness is something many of us strive for using all the wrong approaches. We distract ourselves looking for the next big excitement, numb ourselves so we won’t feel emotional pain, seek pleasure in purchases, chase status in position or gaining influence or power and treat ourselves with food that we are not hungry for. Anyone who has achieved fame, fortune, status eventually recognizes that more things and more fame do not create any sense of lasting happiness. So what is happiness and does it make any sense to chase it down? I have certainly...
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Addictions: What we can do
Bear Psychology podcast
What is Addiction? Did you know that in the United States alone, people ages 12 and older abuse or are addicted to nicotine, alcohol, or other drugs? The percentage among the Canadian population is similar. Addiction is a disease that’s usually chronic in nature. It affects how the brain and body function, and it’s characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use even in the face of harmful consequences. Addiction causes changes in the brain, which can be long-lasting and lead to harmful behaviours. Drug addiction is also characterised as a relapsing...
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Healing Relationship Wounds
Bear Psychology podcast
Core Relational Blueprints Are Affected by Traumatic Events Have you noticed that traumatic events, like a physical injury, emotional threat, the loss of a loved one, or a life crisis, can often awaken or enhance your sense of fear, anger, isolation, or helplessness? , an expert in the field of Adult Attachment Theory and Models, trauma resolution, and integrative healing techniques explained that you develop an attachment style in your earliest years which follows you through life, replaying in your intimate relationships, from your lovers to your children to your work relationships....
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Healing-From-Childhood-Trauma
Bear Psychology podcast
Dr. Anna Baranowsky completed an interview with Ande Anderson from , a company that focuses on personal and spiritual growth. The gifts of your traumatic past interview is part of a program called Healing from Childhood Trauma.
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Suicide: Prevention & Help
Bear Psychology podcast
Every day around the world, one suicide attempt is reported every 40 seconds. Sadly, there is a to suicide, especially in the wake of high-profile deaths. For example, the back-to-back deaths of world-renowned celebrities Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain was not only shocking, but also had a trigger affect on others who experience suicidal thoughts. In fact, when a public tragedy takes place—especially a high-profile suicide—the risk for deaths by accidents, suicides, and murders in the public along with a rise in depression, anxiety, and aggression. From the...
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Understanding Self-Compassion
Bear Psychology podcast
This episode discusses a key facet of recovery: self-compassion. Joining Dr. Baranowksy is guest speaker Frank Pasquil who offers practical self-help videos to aid in healing with trauma. For more information on his work or to access these free resources, go to his website: Dr. Anna and Frank have collaborated before with an entertaining video about shaking to release stress, which you can find on our youtube channel here: The best method for building your self-compassion is practice! Whether it is meditation, yoga, inner self-talk or self-inquiry, there is no one method that instantly leads...
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Relationships and Attachment - What does it mean?
Bear Psychology podcast
Have you ever felt yourself leaning away from relationships when things are hard? This tendency to pull away from partners, spouses, and friends leads to severe isolation which is a gateway to depression, anxiety and stress. This episode discusses how important it is to lean in towards relationships in life as they are a buffer against mental health issues. It is important to choose better, more meaningful interactions with people and to engage in socialization even when it is a by-product of another activity such as learning to lift weights or attending a yoga class. There is kindness in the...
info_outlineDid you know that in the United States alone, 40 million people ages 12 and older abuse or are addicted to nicotine, alcohol, or other drugs? The percentage among the Canadian population is similar.
Addiction is a disease that’s usually chronic in nature. It affects how the brain and body function, and it’s characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use even in the face of harmful consequences.
Addiction causes changes in the brain, which can be long-lasting and lead to harmful behaviours. Drug addiction is also characterised as a relapsing disease where people return to drug use after trying to stop.
What are the Symptoms and Causes of Addiction?
One of the leading causes of substance abuse stems from an unhealthy way to manage your emotions. Addiction can begin when you acquire the wrong tools to cope with the emotional and/or physical pain that you might feel during a particular moment in your life. Everyone needs to bond and connect, and often it’s a lack of genuine personal connections with others that creates a dependency on substances that bring relief.
The primary symptom of addiction is the recurrent use of a substance or engaging in an activity that leads to impairment or distress. Some symptoms include:
- Using a substance or engaging in an activity for longer periods or in larger quantities than intended.
- Wanting to stop but unable to do so.
- Dedicating too much time to pursuing the substance or activity.
- Strong cravings.
- Disrupting your obligations at work, school, or home.
- Continued use of the substance or activity despite problems.
Experts agree that you must show signs of at least two symptoms to be considered addicted. How severe your condition is depends on the number of symptoms you show. Two to three symptoms typically indicates a mild condition, while four to five symptoms mean a moderate disorder, and six or more symptoms is considered a severe case of addiction.
Fortunately, addiction can be treated. However, treating addiction is not simple. Since addiction is a chronic disease, it’s not possible to simply stop using drugs for a few days and be cured. Most people require long-term or repeated care to recover fully from addiction and stop using entirely.
Effective treatment for addiction will help you stop using drugs, stay off drugs for the rest of your life, and allow you to be productive at home, at work, and in society.
There are several ways to treat addiction including the use of medication, behavioural counseling, medical devices used to treat withdrawal symptoms or deliver skills training, and evaluation and treatment for mental health issues like depression and anxiety that can cause addiction.
For example, medical professionals have been prescribing drugs to treat addictions for many years. Buprenorphine and naloxone (Suboxone) are most commonly prescribed to treat opioid addiction as it helps alleviate withdrawal symptoms and cravings, without the same “high” or associated psychosocial effects of using illegal opioids.
However, some medical experts believe ancient plant medicines can treat addiction even better than pharmaceutical drugs. For instance, Ayahuasca is a psychotropic plant medicine blend that comes from the Amazon and has been used by native Amazonian tribes for centuries for a variety of medicinal and spiritual purposes.
Ibogaine is another plant-based medicine that some experts believe is very effective for treating addiction. Ibogaine is a psychoactive alkaloid that occurs naturally in the West African shrub iboga. In small doses, it’s a mild stimulant, but in larger doses, it induces a profound psychedelic state, which can be useful for interrupting addictions and even more efficient for breaking destructive habits and behaviour patterns.
Those who support the use of plant-based medicines to treat addictions believe it’s a better alternative because it frees the addict from drugs of all kinds instead of prescribing a legal drug to replace the illicit one.