Alcohol consumption among college students is a growing problem on campuses across the U.S. Recent reports from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA, 2007) indicate that over the last decade, the reported frequency of binge drinking — defined as five or more drinks in one two-hour sitting for a [...]

Myths have existed in our society since the dawn of time. The world is flat. Using leeches helps cure diseases. Sanitariums are the only cure for alcoholics. And the one that concerns this article most, college students in early sobriety need to take time off from college to be successful in their recovery. Until recently [...]

Viewers cannot turn on the television today without a story depicting pop icon Michael Jackson and his un-timely death.  It has brought to the forefront of everyone’s mind a reminder of the dangers of abusing prescription drugs. What parents may not realize is although overall teen drug use is down nationwide; prescription drug abuse is [...]

Soccer, baseball, swimming, track, dance, gymnastics, cheerleading, ice skating, community service, school, grades, college, SAT scores and the list goes on and on.  How much of the pressure to look a certain way, compete to be the best in school, sports and have the perfect body is driving the epidemic of eating disorders in our [...]

I spent an hour today with a young woman who had not harmed herself for eight weeks.  She had not harmed herself, that is, until today.
As we talked, she unwound tape from her forearms – tape she had wrapped around paperclips pressed tightly against her skin, hidden under the long sleeves of her sweatshirt.  She [...]