Let us begin with definitions:
Sanctuary: A place of refuge, safety, protection and asylum; a holy, consecrated spot
The notion of sanctuary dates back to ancient times. Many civilizations provided the persecuted with impunity if they reached a recognized sanctuary. Western culture later adopted this concept where during times of battle, troops could retreat to the nearest [...]

Addictive use of the Internet is a new clinical phenomenon that many practitioners are unaware of, and subsequently unprepared to treat. Some therapists are unfamiliar with the Internet itself, making its seduction difficult to understand. Other times, its impact on the individual’s life is minimized, since many practitioners fail to recognize the legitimacy of the [...]

In the wake of the much-publicized tragedy for Tiger Woods and his family, the subject of sexual addiction is banter for talk show hosts, news commentators, comics and bloggers: “Is there such a thing as sexual addiction?” “What is the ‘treatment’ the renowned golfer is receiving?”
Mr. Woods’s misfortune may do for sexual addiction what Magic [...]

Most in the public only view the term “addiction” in terms of illicit drugs and alcohol, but the recent spate of celebrity deaths connected to prescription drug abuse has begun to raise the public awareness of addiction to drugs other than illicit ones. Even so, the public and policymakers remain largely unaware of what makes [...]

We at Patient Support International opened our first Smokers Treatment Center in 1989 and have since evolved into a full-scale residential treatment team for tobacco addiction. We have been involved in the treatment process of over 6,000 patients, many of whom were in recovery for alcohol, cocaine, opiates and prescription drugs. Queens University conducted a [...]

It has been difficult to watch treatment centers allow smoking clients to continue their devastating addiction while in treatment. Some clients, juveniles and adults, first started to smoke while in treatment.  Special smoking areas (e. g. “butt huts” and “smoking pits” etc.) are set up and become the place where the “action” is.  Clients want [...]

As clinicians working in the field of addiction, we become familiar with patterns of relapse. Identifying those circumstances or behaviors that lead to relapse is critical in the recovery process.
An important part of therapy is to help the addict identify the circumstances that may trigger a relapse, and ultimately to assist him or her in [...]

Problem gamblers use deceit and lies as freely as racing forms, lotto tickets, or other gambling paraphernalia.  A person in the grasp of a gambling disorder uses a tremendous amount of secrecy and manipulation to squander any available financial resources, so much so, that their families often feel as though their “money is on fire”.  [...]

According to research published in Pain Physician Journal as recently as 2006, 90 percent of people in the US receiving treatment for pain management were prescribed opiate medication. Of that number 9 to 41 percent had opiate abuse/addiction problems. The research also stated that 16 percent of pain management patients experienced illicit drug use along [...]

While most of us experience sex as a pleasurable experience with few negative consequences, Sex Addicts are more likely to define their sexual exploits as driven, secretive and shameful, rather than fun, playful or intimate. Sex (and Love) addicts repetitively engage the pursuit of sex, romantic intensity and the sex act itself, much like the [...]