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Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles is participating in Recovery Month 2009, in part, with articles about recovery during the month of September. Most individuals suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction begin their recovery with alcohol and drug treatment. So it is our pleasure to help bring awareness to the general public about the benefits of recovery to individuals, their families, and everyone with whom they interact.

Though they may have recovered, a new study confirms that alcoholics may still face social difficulties recognizing emotions. A Boston-based study, funded in part by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, has found that after recovery, the brains of people suffering from alcoholism still process things differently, which may lead to difficulties recognizing emotions in others.

Alcoholics in recovery did not register strong responses when shown images of people displaying positive or negative emotions the way the others did. Researchers performed a number of cognitive tests on the patients, including showing them pictures of faces with different expressions. Patients without a history of alcoholism had different responses based on whether the picture showed a positive, negative or neutral expression. In those with a history of alcoholism, however, researchers saw no such differences.

The next step in this research is to look at differences in how men and women who have suffered from alcoholism respond to emotions. While the data has not yet been fully analyzed, it appeared that female alcoholics who had recovered showed a stronger response to emotions than their male counterparts. Gender is a very important factor that interacts with personal history of alcoholism.

While the problems presented here do not appear reversible, they could likely help people involved with the treatment of alcoholics. It’s important to understand where someone’s coming from and what type of challenges they’re having, in order to teach them how to cope.

For more info:
Recovered Alcoholics Still Face Difficulties Recognizing Emotions
Study: Recovered Alcoholics Still Face Difficulties Recognizing Emotions – ABC News

Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles begins emotional recovery efforts with addiction counseling in alcohol and drug detox. If you or a loved one is seeking alcohol and drug treatment, please call us now at 888-777-8565 or contact us here.

Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.