For over 4 centuries now, humans have studied the brain and the hippocampus; sources state that the name comes from the Greek word hippo, which means “horse” and kampo, which means “monster” – as the hippocampus is shaped similar to a seahorse. A part of the limbic system, the hippocampus is symmetrical and comes in […]
Author Archives: Alta Loma
When we’re actively abusing substances, we surround ourselves with people that perpetuate the lifestyle we’re leading. We begin spending more time with other people who like to drink or use drugs, and it becomes harder to spend time with our loved ones who perhaps don’t partake in these activities. Over time, we become distant from […]
You’re walking through the grocery store, not paying attention to much else besides the list that’s in your hand. Your browsing through the aisle, trying to find a specific ingredient for a recipe that you planned to make – and then suddenly you were overcome with feelings of panic. Your mind starts racing, and for […]
We often talk about mental health and the importance of maintaining a healthy psychological state of mind, but there’s another important side to the story: emotional wellbeing. It plays a part in the bigger picture of mental health, but it’s still a crucial aspect of healing that deserves special attention. Selfgrowth.com, a website that publishes […]
Traditional cigarettes are used by more than 34 million Americans – and tobacco continues to remain a staple addiction amongst those recovering from other substances. The rise of e-cigarettes, a battery powered device that converts liquid nicotine into a mist or vapor to be inhaled], has been deemed as a healthy alternative to smoking traditional […]
A common buzzword in mental health, lifestyle and addiction recovery platforms, “self-care” has become increasingly popular over the past year – but what exactly does it mean? While everyone could technically define self-care in their own way, Habits for Wellbeing, a website that publishes content related to mental, physical and spiritual wellness, highlights what self-care […]
We hear of unfortunate cases all of the time; in the news, on social media, through friends and family – it’s devastating, and it happens more than we’d like to admit. Substances have a way of affecting a region in the brain that’s responsible for executive functioning (such as critical thinking skills, assessing consequences of […]
In 2016, researchers published a study in the journal Addiction Recovery & Theory that explored individuals’ recovery journeys. The outcomes of their study revealed that those in addiction recovery go through some incredibly changes, especially when it comes to their social identity – and it makes sense, because the people and groups we associate ourselves […]
In the world of addiction recovery, it becomes an intense, complex dialogue when people begin discussing what constitutes as dependence versus addiction. It’s a rather highly debated topic – because some would say that they’re one in the same. If we turn to highly qualified resources, such as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), […]
Mental health is an incredibly important part of our holistic wellbeing, yet many of us neglect this aspect of healing because we can’t physically see it. The way we think, feel and behave all provide incredibly telling signs as to the state of our mental health, which is defined by the U.S. Department of Health […]