The Sweitlow Scholarship Program In January 2017, Ventura Recovery Center invited people from all over the country to participate in an essay contest. Applicants were to write a 500-800 word essay about how addiction has affected them or their loved ones. The writer of the best essay wins $1000 to be used towards college tuitionRead more
Rest In Peace, Chester Bennington Chester Bennington, lead singer for Linkin Park, took his own life on July 21st, leaving his fans, friends and family in shock and disbelief. Yes, the lead singer for the wildly successful band was moody and haunted by a dark past. That much is starkly evident in his lyrics. Yes,Read more
Emotions can get the best of most of us. Who hasn’t “seen red” when angry, or felt great sadness. That’s just a part of living this life. For some, though, emotions can be overwhelming and seemingly uncontrollable. Whether hard-wired from birth or affected by trauma, these people feel emotional pain more strongly than others andRead more
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming, has been used to treat PTSD, anxiety, and other disorders caused by traumatic experiences. Robyn Blythe, LSCW and Clinical Director at Ventura Recovery Center, uses EMDR to help those struggling with drug addiction. She has found that by treating trauma, she can heal what is for many the underlyingRead more
The Brain Reacts to Drugs and Alcohol With long-term alcohol or drug abuse, the brain physically changes. The brain actually shrinks and its ability to process information is damaged. When this happens, the parts of the brain that regulate impulse control, stress management, and information processing can all be harmed. The limbic system is anRead more