Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder Marked by intense outbursts of anger, impulsiveness, periods of depression and anxiety, and deep-seated fear of abandonment, borderline personality disorder (BPD) can distort how you perceive yourself and the people around you. Individuals with BPD tend to see life and other people through a filter of binary, black and white, or good and bad thinking that can damage your relationships and cause you to suddenly distance yourself from loved ones. It feels like going through life with third-degree burns; everything is hot and painful to touch. Recog ..read more

By Bobby Shriver Society today is becoming more familiar with the reality of relationship trauma. With its increasing exposure on TV, podcasts, blogs, and other media, more people are understanding the impact of trauma in relationships. They are also gathering the courage to speak up about it and learning how to heal. But as this awareness has grown more ubiquitous, one aspect is still often overlooked: relationship trauma for men.  When it comes to trauma in relationships, men can be just as affected as women. When it comes to trauma in relationships, men can be just as affected as wom ..read more

By Melissa Riddle Chalos It may seem culturally counterintuitive, but physically, emotionally — in every way that counts, really — drinking and sex make really dysfunctional bedfellows. Alcohol promises more freedom than it can deliver, and when these alcohol-fueled situations lead to sexual activity, inhibition becomes impulsive and even risky. Alcohol promises more freedom than it can deliver, and when these alcohol-fueled situations lead to sexual activity, inhibition becomes impulsive and even risky. It’s not rocket science that drinking can lead to some poor choices, but there is scienc ..read more

By Stephanie O’Brian, Ed. S., LPC We live in a world infused with sex. It is nearly impossible to turn on the television and not be inundated with sexual images. Yet despite things of sexual nature permeating so many facets of society, there are still areas which are so vastly unclear when it comes to all things sexual. Our culture is more informed and educated about sex than any other in human history, but are we empowered with all the knowledge we really need to know? Understanding Sex Addiction What is a sex addict? Is that even real? What is a sex offender? Are sex addiction and sexual off ..read more

By Anna McKenzie Studies have shown that sexual abuse can have a number of detrimental effects on survivors, including trauma, shame, depression, and negative health outcomes. There’s also evidence that survivors of childhood sexual abuse, a deeply traumatic experience, may have a higher tendency to develop compulsive sexual behaviors later in life. So can you develop sex addiction from trauma? How can trauma be resolved, and sex addiction overcome? What Is Sex Addiction? Addiction is characterized by a lack of control over certain behaviors despite negative consequences. Sex can provide a eup ..read more

by Debra Kaplan, MA, MBA, LPC, PACT-II, CSAT-S Intimacy is a cornerstone of a romantic relationship. Many describe intimacy as emotional closeness or sharing of our deepest personal feelings with our partner. Others describe intimacy as physical, sexual touch and affection. Few include finances in their descriptions of intimacy; open and honest conversations that partners have about their money beliefs and behaviors. If a romantic relationship is one of the most important emotional decisions we make in our lifetime, then it is also one of the most important financial decisions of our lives. Ye ..read more

By Alanna Hilbink When we start the conversation about sex addiction, some of the first questions often asked are, Is sex addiction real? And, Can a sex addiction be a mental health disorder? Sex addiction may be one of the most misunderstood, maligned, or even flatly denied addictions. However, compulsive sexual behavior disorder is recognized in the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases, and we at Gentle Path at The Meadows understand how compulsive sexual behavior impacts your life. After talking with clinical experts like our executive director Scott Davis, i ..read more

By Alanna Hilbink One tool regularly used in wellness treatment that is highly effective in assessing the amount of trauma we’ve experienced is the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) survey. This survey doesn’t treat mental health and isn’t a substitute for a professional evaluation, but it can help you to understand your past and present risk factors, and what your next steps can be. What Is the Adverse Childhood Experiences Survey? You may be wondering, What is the adverse childhood experiences survey? The quick answer is, it’s a brief series of questions designed to help you understand th ..read more

By Melissa Riddle Chalos The idea of sexual addiction lives almost squarely in the straightest of boxes. We assume it’s a guy who took pornography too far or gets caught acting out sexually, maybe someone whose wife or girlfriend has finally had enough and insisted he get help before she’s out the door. But sex addiction (aka hypersexuality) isn’t limited to heterosexual men. Not by a long shot.  In the gay community, where sex addiction is often mistaken for the norm, it can be difficult to know when there’s actually a problem. “Gay culture is sex obsessed,” writes Jay Sassieni in Urban ..read more

By Christa Banister If you’re struggling with addiction and taking the proactive measures needed to prioritize your treatment, you are making an important and significant move forward with your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Admitting you need help is a giant leap in the right direction. Now that you’ve decided that treatment is your next step, how do you pinpoint which facility will be the most beneficial? Should it be somewhere close to where you live, or does traveling for addiction treatment better suit your specific needs? Considering the investment of time and money recovery ..read more