Dr. Patrick Carnes' Book Club

My love of books really started with meeting Peggy Vikingson, our new librarian in the fourth grade. She had me read Stephen Meader’s Guns for the Saratoga, an adventure story about revolutionary times. It was my first adult book and I was surprised at how I loved it. Soon the whole Meader series was read and my relationship with Mrs. Vikingson blossomed into a lifetime friendship. It was a relationship I desperately needed. She guided my reading—and my life—through the eighth grade.

Reading voraciously was not well appreciated at home and the butt of family jokes and concerns about “living in the real world.” Truly I was the poster child for that research we are all familiar with about kids raised in traumatic circumstances. Those who find deep attachment outside the family can find the resilience to overcome the obstacles mounted in front of them. Mrs. Vikingson was one of the relationships that saved me. And the vehicle we had was talking about books. Those conversations led to talking about everything else. Even today I have some self-consciousness about how much I love to read and think about the writing of others. Some times the twenty some books I will have written by the end of this year seem presumptuous. The idea of inhabiting the world of the written world at times still presents echoes of those family rules about being “too educated.”

Some years back I took the risk of recording my thoughts of books not directly related to clinical matters. And we published them. People seemed to enjoy the comments which resulted in letters and some friendships. The staff suggested a monthly book club built around my response to recent books and how they might inform clinicians and be helpful to recovering people. I have agreed to try this format and look forward to the venture. However, I may periodically have to banish some ghosts of the past into their appropriate corners of residence.

Visit http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com/dr-carnes-bookclub.html or call 1-888-574-HOPE (4673) for more information.

Sexual addiction or normal sexual behavior?

Problematic sexual behavior does not necessarily mean that you are a sex addict. There are many other conditions and problems which can cause sexual behavior to get out of control. You might wonder if you have a sexual addiction when you actually have normal behavior. It may take some soul searching and professional help to decide if sex addiction is really the problem.

Sexual addiction comes in many different forms. There is no single type of behavior or even amount of behavior that will indicate you are a sexual addict. The problem is much more complex than can be explained in a few words and if you have been living the life of a sex addict, you know how difficult it is to describe what you are experiencing.

Three basic things to consider when you define sexual addiction are:

- Do I have a sense that I have lost control over whether or not I engage in my specific out-of-control sexual behavior?

- Am I experiencing significant consequences because of my specific out-of-control sexual behavior?

- Do I feel like I am constantly thinking about my specific out-of-control sexual behavior, even when I don't want to?

It is these three "hallmarks" that help to define the boundaries of sexual addiction and compulsivity. The range of behaviors can include masturbation and pornography through sexual exploitation of others. If the three questions are answered "yes," then you may want to seek further help to begin to sort out the complexities of your sexual behavior and find out for certain if sexual addiction is the best descriptor of your problem.

Visit http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com/ or call 1-888-574-HOPE (4673) for more information.

You may also visit http://www.sexhelp.com/addiction_tests.cfm for online assessments.

Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services in Hattiesburg, Mississippi is known as one of the nation’s most comprehensive treatment campuses. For over twenty five years Pine Grove has offered a continuum of services ranging from outpatient to inpatient and residential treatment for adults, children and adolescents suffering from psychiatric and addictive diseases. Specialized services include the treatment of addictions, eating disorders, and professionals struggling with interpersonal difficulties. The Pine Grove Mission is to be a leader in healing and changing lives by providing the highest quality behavioral health services.

Solutions: Outpatient Opioid Addiction Treatment Program

Pine Grove Outpatient Services provides a new approach to the treatment of opioid addiction. This approach is comprehensive and is designed to address the main components of the disease of addiction: medical, psychological, social, and spiritual.

The program is designed for individuals 18 years and older who exhibit symptoms of physical addiction, psychological addiction, or individuals who are unable to interrupt drug use without professional assistance.

The program consists of two phases. The primary phase (Phase I) lasts for 12 weeks, with 2 groups per week. The aftercare phase (Phase II) lasts from 6 to 9 months, with one group that meets once every two weeks.

Visit http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com/ or call 1-888-574-HOPE (4673) for more information.

Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services in Hattiesburg, Mississippi is known as one of the nation’s most comprehensive treatment campuses. For over twenty five years Pine Grove has offered a continuum of services ranging from outpatient to inpatient and residential treatment for adults, children and adolescents suffering from psychiatric and addictive diseases. Specialized services include the treatment of addictions, eating disorders, and professionals struggling with interpersonal difficulties. The Pine Grove Mission is to be a leader in healing and changing lives by providing the highest quality behavioral health services.

Sexual Addiction Risk Assessment (SARA)

The Sexual Addiction Risk Assessment has been developed to help you better understand your behaviors. The assessment consists of 88 questions, which will take approximately 25 minutes to finish. You can then print out your results immediately. You will be provided with a detailed, personalized 23-page report to help you determine the best course of action for you.

Visit www.sexhelp.com to begin the SAST assessment.

Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services in Hattiesburg, Mississippi is known as one of the nation’s most comprehensive treatment campuses. For over twenty five years Pine Grove has offered a continuum of services ranging from outpatient to inpatient and residential treatment for adults, children and adolescents suffering from psychiatric and addictive diseases. Specialized services include the treatment of addictions, eating disorders, and professionals struggling with interpersonal difficulties. The Pine Grove Mission is to be a leader in healing and changing lives by providing the highest quality behavioral health services.

Visit www.pinegrovetreatment.com or call 1-888-574-HOPE (4673) for more information.

The Body Battle: Finding Harmony with Self and Food

The Body Battle is a three-day workshop designed for males and females ages 18 and older who suffer from disordered eating and are trapped in the cycle of body hate and low selfesteem. This didactic and experiential workshop is specifically for those who are struggling with repeated self-destructive attempts to manage their relationship with themselves and food. Participants will acquire information and participate in expressive therapy modalities which will lay a foundation to begin to accept oneself on the road to recovery.

The Workshop is desgined to help:

- Understand the many faces of disordered eating
- Learn how family of origin dynamics are re-enacted
- Face messages of internalized shame
- Learn about boundaries in relationships
- Discover self through safe release of emotions
- Identify how loss/grief/trauma has impacted your life
- Recognize harsh internal messages
- Learn to love yourself and live with compassion

Visit www.pinegrovetreatment.com or call 1-888-574-HOPE (4673) for more information.

Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services in Hattiesburg, Mississippi is known as one of the nation’s most comprehensive treatment campuses. For over twenty five years Pine Grove has offered a continuum of services ranging from outpatient to inpatient and residential treatment for adults, children and adolescents suffering from psychiatric and addictive diseases. Specialized services include the treatment of addictions, eating disorders, and professionals struggling with interpersonal difficulties. The Pine Grove Mission is to be a leader in healing and changing lives by providing the highest quality behavioral health services.