What Is Addiction, Anyway? First, a brief science summary: A brain that is hijacked by substance use disorder (SUD) seeks to protect the use of substances (or the behavior – process addiction). A person who suffers with this disorder will develop defense mechanisms – what most people call “denial” – in order to keep people away from identifying the truth...[ read more ]
What To Do When Your Family Member Comes Home From Substance Abuse Treatment Welcoming a family member home after substance abuse** treatment is an emotionally charged time. Family members are usually excited, encouraged, and hopeful. They are also usually hesitant, guarded, and uncertain. Use my 6-point checklist below to help guide your decisions and interactions in the early days and...[ read more ]
Asking for Feedback I recently “put myself out there” in terms of (gulp) asking for feedback. This.is.not.easy for.me. I am a perfectionist in (perpetual) recovery. I struggle daily with remembering that done is better than perfect. To give an illustration of the burden this has been on me, I began 873 journals as a child and teen and never made...[ read more ]
Show Me The Money Money is not talked about nearly enough in the recovery community. That’s unfortunate; it is one of the areas that can have a significant impact on the quality of sobriety, happiness, and personal growth and integrity. It’s common for persons with the a substance use disorder** to have had a damaged, dishonest, and dangerous relationship with...[ read more ]
3 Talking Points To Help Your Kid Understand Substance Abuse It's complicated living with people who have a substance use disorder (SUD). To be honest, it doesn't get less complicated when that person is in recovery. It gets even more challenging with young family members who are able to understand and observe the patterns of behavior that go with a...[ read more ]
