by Christine Hammond on September 24, 2021
One of the hardest types of people to deal with is a narcissist in the middle of their addiction. They are completely exhausting. The combined selfishness of narcissism and addictive behavior is overpowering, relentless, callous, and frequently abusive. This destructive blend of arrogant thinking in that they are always right and that they do not… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on June 14, 2020
Helping your clients discern between an obsession and an addition can be quite a challenge. To an untrained eye, the two appear almost exactly the same, meaning a client may believe their behavior is obsessive when in reality it is actually addictive. The distinction between the two is very important, however, because it will determine what… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on June 13, 2020
Angel came into counseling knowing that something was wrong, but not knowing what it was. After being married to his wife for seven years he noticed she had become more secretive and distant. Money from their savings account was missing and unaccounted for, his wife would disappear frustrated and return weirdly happy, and she seemed… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on February 22, 2019
At first, Jacqueline found her partner’s behavior endearing. He would send her multiple text messages during the day including during work, he randomly appeared when she was out to lunch with friends, he started texting her friends as if he was their friend, and he constantly wanted to know where she was and who she… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 7, 2018
Angel came into counseling knowing that something was wrong but not knowing what it was. After being married for seven years, he noticed his wife became more secretive and distant. Money from their savings account was missing and unaccounted for, his wife would disappear frustrated and return weirdly happy, and she seemed to get angry… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 7, 2018
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
Addicts plus holidays usually equal disaster. This is because addicts have a tendency to divide family at a celebration, not unite. Relatives fall into one of three categories: those who see the addiction and have no tolerance, those who see the addiction and tolerate it, and those who don’t see the addiction at all. An… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on October 12, 2017
Ever wondered if a behavioral hospital might be a good idea? These facilities are designed to help: an out of control addict, an unusually intense manic episode, a desire and means to commit suicide, a severely abused victim, a troubled teen who threatens to harm others, an intense anger rage, a person hallucinating, or a… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on May 25, 2017
The path to healing after an abusive marriage is more like a winding mountain road than a straight line. Just when a person thinks they are moving forward, the road makes a sharp turn backward. Sometimes the best way to illustrate the journey is through a story. Here is Michelle’s route. After 25 years of… (more…)
by Christine Hammond on May 16, 2017
The road to recovery is paved first with good intentions then morphs into hard work, determination, resolve, and commitment. Good intentions can start the process but it is not enough to complete it. Imagine a stretch of highway on a flat road that is far easier to pave than it is to engineer a bridge… (more…)