Author name: Stephanie Ballard PhD, LPCC, CADC

A gaming addiction can affect a person's physical and mental health, personal relationships, and work or school. A person who has a gaming addiction will continue to play despite the negative consequences it causes. Excessive gaming, whether played online or not, can lead to isolation, social anxiety, and depression. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently

"We can all help prevent suicide. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)." September is national suicide prevention month. Sadly, it can be difficult for a person who suffers

Most teens have cell phones with unlimited availability to the Internet. There are dozens of social media websites and apps that can be downloaded to cell phones. Social media allows a person to accept requests from followers or friends, which provides access to the person's profile, photos, and posts. For most people, this is a

Recovery is a life-long journey and it takes a lot of hard work and determination to stay substance-free. Before you enter a treatment program, you must first detox to eliminate all toxins from your body through a medically supervised detox program. Addiction causes many physical and mental changes and your body becomes physically dependent on

When a person is addicted, he or she does not suffer alone. Addiction is a family disease and puts a huge strain on family members. Fortunately, there are ways a family can heal. Here are 8 ways the family can heal during treatment: Attend family therapy and counseling. Participate in family therapy and counseling during

Some people abuse benzodiazepines (benzos), such as Xanax, Klonopin, and Ativan to self-medicate instead of getting treatment for an underlying mental health condition. This offers temporary relief rather than a long-term solution for mental health management and therapy. People self-medicate as an immediate fix to cope with stress, anxiety disorders, depression, or other mental health