Dr. Mate explains the excitement of addiction

Addiction is one of the most perplexing and challenging of human habits. Why do some people become addicted to drugs, to alcohol, to gambling, to sexual activity, to tobacco, to overspending? And why is it that we seek such destructive ways to comfort ourselves?

And why is it so difficult to stop these habits, even as they threaten our health, jeopardize our relationships and corrode our spirits?

For more than 10 years Gabor Mate, M.D., was been the staff physician at the Portland Hotel, a residence and harm reduction facility in Vancouver, British Columbia. His patients are challenged by life-threatening drug addictions, mental illness, Hepatitis C or HIV -- and in many cases all four. In this video, he shares how the brain develops and why and how the drugs of abuse offer so much vitality and excitement, even to our detriment.Countering prevailing notions of addiction as either a genetic disease or an individual moral failure, Maté presents an eloquent case that addiction – all addiction – is in fact a case of human development gone askew, the importance of a non-stressed nurturing parent and the reality of trans-generational trauma.

He is the author of the bestselling books Scattered Minds, When the Body Says No: The Hidden Cost of Stress and now In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts - Close Encounters With Addiction.

Watch his lecture here; it is long but fascinating:

Options to medications for attention deficit & hyperactivity

Alternative treatments are no longer on the fringe.

I've been preaching non-drug options for children who have problems with attention and hyperactivity for years, so I'm really glad to see the brand new book, Non-Drug Treatments for ADHD: New Options for Kids, Adults, and Clinicians by Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. Gerbarg, plus information on  diet, vitamins, and nutrients as well as mind-body practices.

Drawing on stories and anecdotes from their own clinical practice, these two physicians address the questions that are particularly important to those dealing with ADHD. Early chapters provide information about diagnostic issues and the scientific foundation for understanding the known causes of ADHD, as well as how different treatments may work and why. Multiple contributing causes of ADHD exist—genetic, nutritional, chemical, psychological, trauma-based, and environmental—and the authors explain how treatments need to be strategically combined and tailored to patients’ unique needs and sensitivities.

Later chapters present integrative strategies that combine the best practices of psychological treatments with herbs, nutrients, cognitive enhancers, mind–body practices, and brain stimulation. Throughout, the authors draw on the work of talented clinicians, yoga therapists, and teachers who have found creative, effective approaches to helping their clients who struggle with attentional problems. 

Book excerpt here. 

Audio discussion about essential concepts regarding the effects of stress, and methods to reduce stress with authors here.

Complex systems: we are all connected

Ecologist Eric Berlow doesn't feel overwhelmed when faced with complex systems. He knows that more information can lead to a better, simpler solution. He illustrates the tips and tricks for breaking down big issues, which is applicable not only to U.S. strategy in Afghanistan (in this video) but it is also information that can apply to most "complicated" ideas -- including the way that we are interconnected.

 

Tarot inspirations are byproduct of Tarot class

Ginny's Tarot bag.

It’s always wonderful when a teacher inspires her students enough to take the next step.

Our monthly Tarot classes last year at Lake House Health & Learning Center have been a joy to teach, with receptive students coming from Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee to learn how the symbolic images of the Tarot are an amazing tool for personal growth.

Virginia Nuorala, a craftswoman and needle worker, came in one day with pretty purple drawstring bags to hold the deck of cards.  She keeps alert for interesting fabrics for her distinct bags which she custom embroiders your name or other pertinent words or phrases. Since then she’s fashioned roll-up Tarot mats which have placement blocks for a simple card layout; a third idea was birthed when she designed and made mats for work with the pendulum, which many people have found another helpful tool to discern subconscious wishes.

You can find her products at the Anything’s Possible shop at 237 Main St., Racine, where I’ll be doing a program on “Introduction To Tarot: How to Navigate 2012” from 5 to 7 p.m. See more details here.

My regular Tarot class, Tarot For Self Discovery, begins on Jan. 14 and continues the second Saturday morning of each month at Lake House Health & Learning Center. Details are here.

Tracy Bernhardt, another class member, had fun recently when she made a batch of Tarot cookies for a women-only Tarot party at a friend’s home. Tracy, who is a talented soap maker and craftswoman at Labyrinth Herbals who writes an occasional craft column for the Caledonia Patch, ordered edible printed wafer papers from an artist on Etsy and put them on frosted sugar cookies.

Tracy happened across the artist’s work about two months ago, first seeing sugared replications of the Old Maid game cards, which made her think of Tarot cards.  “I asked her if she'd make me some Tarot wafer papers and she did,” says Tracy. “It was a special order, but I think she liked how they turned out and is planning to list them in her Etsy store.”

At the party, a friend brought the deck that with images similar  to the sugar wafer pictures. Everyone drew a card and then ate the corresponding cookie.

Classes bring from six to 12 people from all walks of life to learn about the Tarot. It is not about fortune telling. Instead, we look at the images in the cards and ponder how they apply to our lives, wishes and goals – and we always have the responsibility to make our own choices. Participants have explored every topic imaginable – relationships, parenting, career change, weight loss and more. I refer my students to many Tarot books and sites depending on their interest with art, history, symbolic interpretations or psychology. One book that I frequently recommend is The Tarot: Methods, Mastery and More by Cynthia Giles.

One thing is for sure – Tarot is a great way to stimulate creativity! And that's what it's all about.

Tracy's Tarot cookies.