Living with Addiction
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The Challenges to Having a Holiday that Nourishes your Soul
The Challenges to Having a Holiday in Recovery One of my twitter followers suggested I write about designing a holiday […] -
The Tools for Having Holidays that Nourishes Your Soul
In Part One we discussed many breakdowns reported to me by clients which can ruin the holidays. Now we will […] -
Interview With Eating Disorder Expert
It is my belief that humanity is just getting started when it comes to understanding eating disorders. They are often […] -
Rules vs. Boundaries
If you struggle with binge eating, it’s likely that you’ve tried over and over again to implement rules around food […] -
Confessions of a Very Human Recovery Coach
In a world filled with experts and people posing as wisdom keepers, I know myself simply as a woman amongst […] -
How to Avoid Self-Sabotage
Self-sabotage is a pattern that many people struggle with, particularly when it comes to food and body. However, when you […] -
Trusting Yourself with Food
One of the best ways to sustain your disordered eating recovery is to learn how to trust yourself with food. […] -
You Need to Value Your Mental Health Over Your Ideal Body
When you struggle with food, body, and disordered eating, it’s often because your intention to change or overcome certain patterns […] -
Recovery by Typewriter: How Writing Supports Recovery
In the field of recovery, the methods and supports are as numerous as stars in the sky. What I have […] -
What Drives Your Decisions?
Most of us suffer from inadequacy, which stems from fear. This is why you constantly feel like you need to “prove yourself” or “fix yourself.” […] -
What Role Does Your DNA Have on Your Mental Health?
From a purely scientific perspective, we are the sum of many biological functions and the expression of our DNA. Our […] -
Domestic Violence and the Link to Addiction
Our story is often our greatest teacher, as life weaves what we are meant to learn into our existence with […] -
Are You Addicted to the Monkey Mind?
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to read, especially if it’s a book about recovery. And if […] -
What’s Trending in Teen Drug Use? Examining the CDC’s Latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Data released on adolescent drug use shows teens are using less illicit drugs than in the past. -
The Fight for Equality: A Sit Down With Recovery Advocate Brooke Feldman
Brooke M Feldman, a social justice activist in long-term recovery, is on a mission to ensure wellness and recovery resources are accessible to everyone. -
The Impact of Negative Addiction Language: An Interview With Temple University’s Jillian Bauer-Reese
Addiction language - words like addict, or alcoholic - has significant implications on our access to recovery services, as well as society’s perception of us […] -
Rehab Red Flags: What to Avoid in Treatment Programs
If you’re realizing that you need to go to treatment, then of course you want to choose your rehab wisely. But what should you look […] -
On Stem Cell Usage for ‘Alcoholics’ and Whether We’re Ever ‘Recovered’
A study on using stem cells to reduce alcohol intake recently came out, but what would that mean for someone who is living with alcoholism? -
Behind Closed Doors: 5 Methods Teens Use to Mask the Smell of Marijuana
It may be hard to believe the stench of marijuana could go undetected, but teens have a knack for finding ways to cleverly cover their […] -
How Better Sleep Helps Your Chances for Successful Recovery
The use of alcohol and drugs is one of the most common ways that sleep patterns get disrupted and insomnia, or an inability to have […] -
The Current State of Substance Use Disorder Treatment: My Interview With Joe Schrank
I recently spoke to Joe Schrank about the current state of substance use disorder treatment and his view that it is inherently flawed. -
Fact vs. TV Fiction: What to Expect From a Real Intervention
Here's what experts had to say about signs that signify it's time to bring in a professional, what to expect, and how to prepare for […] -
Reflecting on Dry January: Insight, Hindsight, and Clarity
There are too many “signs” and nuances of alcoholism to cover in one story, but as far as Dry January goes, a good place to […] -
Self-Care for Loved Ones: The Antidote to Codependency
Letting addicts get away with manipulating us is an enabling stance on our part – and it results in their failure to thrive, almost without […] -
Alternative Therapies: Talking With an Experienced Intuitive About the Energetics of Addiction and Healing
In speaking with Sarah Renee, an experienced intuitive, I inquired about what she sees in people’s energy field while they are struggling with addiction or […] -
Making it to 2018: How to Help a Person Who OD’d or Drank Way Too Much
It can be hard to tell if someone has overdosed and even tougher to know what to do if you are certain they’re having a […] -
Overcoming Addiction: My Journey From Prison to Practicing Lawyer and Advocate
I’m a lawyer and an entrepreneur, and I have an amazing life. It took a lot of work, pain, and discipline to get here, but […] -
Supporting an Addicted Friend or Family Member During the Holidays
For an addicted person, the pressures of the holiday season can cause long-dormant behaviors to re-emerge, as people often return to old habits during times […] -
Setting and Keeping Boundaries
Boundary-setting is required when there is danger of someone overstepping the limits of acceptable behavior. And this can only occur if it is allowed. -
Are You Ready for Treatment? My Enlightening Conversation With an Interventionist
In speaking with Britton Turkett, founder of Active Recovery Network, I learned that each person has their own path and that readiness level, for some, […] -
Music for Mental Fitness: Mood Control
Music therapy offers a way out of addiction into recovery, a pathway through an emotional continuum of mood music facilitated by a board-certified music therapist. -
Should You Smoke Weed With Your Kid – Even if They’re 18?
It’s probably safe to say that parents of both adult children and teenagers are trying to figure out how serious an offense it is or […] -
Chiropractic Care and Addiction: What Are the Recovery Benefits of an Aligned Spine?
In our society, it’s common to treat pain with pharmaceuticals, which has led to our current opioid epidemic. Get to the source of the problem, […] -
This Play About Recovery is Being Celebrated Internationally – Which is a Shame.
People, Places, and Things may be drawing a celebrity crowd, but it’s also propagating stigma. -
Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Dilemma of Addiction
Learning how to set and maintain self-respectful boundaries is the best thing families can do when dealing with an addicted person. -
The Evolution of Anonymity in 12 Step Fellowships: Does it Still Serve a Purpose?
Does the application of 12 Step anonymity have a place in the wider addiction recovery movement today, given our advocacy and need to fight the […] -
The Secret to Stopping Addiction in Your Family – Forever
My choice to remain in recovery is entirely up to me and no one else. The moment I decide to stop practicing holistically healthy self-care […] -
Why Your Teen May Think Pot is No Big Deal
With nearly 60 percent of high school seniors reporting marijuana is safe, it is evident they don’t fully understand the repercussions of the drug. -
Opioid Abuse: A Crisis and a Challenge
Every day, more than 90 Americans die after overdosing on opioids, a total of 33,000 lives lost to this drug in 2015 alone. -
September is Recovery Month: What’s New in Recovery News?
Recovery Month is a good time to check out some new developments happening in the addiction and recovery field. -
What Every Parent Needs to Know About Teen Opioid Abuse
As a parent, it's your job to make sure your teen understands the dangers of opiate abuse and understands how quickly one can become addicted. -
Why Healing Underlying Core Issues is Key to Addiction Recovery
Mental-level work helps people notice their automatic negative thoughts and then change their thought patterns - and ultimately, their behaviors - for the better. -
The Importance of Respectful Recovery Dialogue at Work
The impacts of addiction and recovery are woven into the fabric of our company culture and DNA. Our colleagues and their families are struggling. -
10 Things You Need to Know About Dual Diagnosis Treatment
If we can treat those underlying core issues - addressing what's causing the depression, anxiety, self-loathing, and so forth - there’s no need to self-medicate […] -
Family Addiction: Transformation and Healing Are Possible
The change began when they finally reached out for help for themselves – that’s when they started to see their family heal and transform. -
Why Your Workplace Should Support Substance Abuse Treatment
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) serve a variety of mental health and social needs, but they mainly support employees who need help with substance abuse issues. -
A New Slant on Addiction: A Twisted Form of Self-Care?
When we can try to understand what is really behind the decision to be in active addiction of any kind, it might give us some […] -
Why Do People Drink and Drive? The Answers Are Pretty Jarring…
I’d like to think that, since I was always a “smart girl” - one of those social “high-bottom,” drinkers - I would have known better […] -
A Toxic Mixture: Alcohol and Adolescents
According to the CDC, alcohol alone is responsible for 88,000 deaths, and approximately 4,400 of those deaths are young people. -
Dual Diagnosis and Co-Occurring Conditions
The most common mental illness diagnoses that accompany a diagnosis of substance abuse include depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. -
Tough Call: How to Find the Red Flags in Your College Drinking
The reason these signs are called red flags and not pink, cuddly bunnies is because the preoccupation and the consequences aren’t fun. They’re exhausting. -
The Pain of Addiction in the Family: How Counseling Can Help
Sara didn’t understand that she was exhibiting codependent behaviors by putting other people’s needs and wants ahead of her own on a fairly consistent basis. […] -
The Truth About Alcohol and Pregnancy
There is some debate about the necessity for total abstinence, so a look at the current state of the debate is warranted. -
Experts Weigh-In on the Dangers of an Adolescent’s First Toke
A 10-year study is set to track the effects of trying marijuana. Instead of waiting, experts weigh-in to see if we might be able to […] -
Common Sense Ways to Stay Friends With a Victim
We often struggle with what to say to victims, how much time to spend with them, and how to continue being their friend. -
Mixing Alcohol and Medications
Prescription painkillers and a number of other common medications are sometimes consumed with alcohol, causing potentially dangerous interactions. -
A Story of Transformation: From Addiction and Eating Disorders to Health and Wellness Coach
Five years ago, my reality was a life rife with addiction, a life-long eating disorder, and cripplingly low self-esteem. -
Helping an Addict Choose Recovery
In addiction, the person with the problem often does not recognize the severity of their problem and they are reluctant to address it. -
Cross-Tolerance Can Lead to Dangerous Dosing
Unfortunately, many drug and alcohol users are not aware of the potential for cross-tolerance and the deadly risks it entails. -
Top 3 Substances Students Use to Aid in Studying
Each waking minute is met with a plea for energy, improved focus and concentration. When coffee doesn’t produce the desired study effect, students may turn […] -
Intertwining Food and Substance Abuse Issues
If you are someone who is struggling with food, I invite you to think of it as a feedback mechanism. It shows you when […] -
Smoking Research: 2016 News Updates
With this year’s Great American Smokeout approaching, now is a good time to review the research reported in 2016 regarding smoking and cessation. -
Codependent or Loving? Part I
Individuals and families who operate from love, not codependency, have the courage to be honest with one another. -
Spotlight on Crisis Text Line
Trained counselors at The Crisis Textline support millions of young people who find themselves facing some of their toughest, darkest, and most dangerous moments. -
3 Dangerous New Teen Drug Trends
Drug fads can particularly be difficult for parents to keep up with, as the drug “hype” today may not be the drug “craze” tomorrow. -
Addiction and Codependency: Top 10 Reasons to Stop Enabling the Addict You Love (Part II)
This week, in Part Two of this countdown, we're unveiling the top five reasons you should stop enabling the addict you love. -
Addiction and Codependency: Top 10 Reasons to Stop Enabling the Addict You Love (Part I)
Over the years of helping those affected by addiction, it’s become obvious that in order for sustainable change to happen, the behaviors of the loved […] -
Chronic Pain Management with Addiction: It’s a Tightrope Act (Part II)
Even though pseudoaddiction looks like addiction, it is actually caused by an undertreated or mistreated chronic pain condition. However, the treatment plan for pseudoaddiction and […] -
How We Found Our Way From Addiction to Recovery
We were on a Boulder mountain trail hiking when my daughter finally admitted she was using crystal meth. I was devastated. -
Chronic Pain Management with Addiction: It’s a Tightrope Act
People in pain have come to expect instant relief - they want it and they want it now - but when pain medications are used […] -
Cues and Cravings: How Science Can Help You Break the Link
Science may be inching closer to the truth about cues and cravings - a truth that might help set addicts free from the grip of […] -
7 Ways Parents Can Help Move Their Child Away From Substance Use
How should parents best deal with a child's drug or alcohol abuse? And what approach should you take in talking to your child? -
You’re Worthless: I Can’t Believe You Can’t Resist the Brownies – You’re a Total Failure
Within the confines of my own mind, I had created a war zone - a never-ending battle that revolved around food and dieting. -
Is My Child Just Experimenting?
Addressing a potential drug problem as early as possible gives teens and young adults the best chance of avoiding long-term substance use. -
Are You Self-Medicating?
What is the best way to treat a co-occurring mental health disorder with addiction? -
How Addiction Affects Families and How Families Can Help
Addiction impacts everyone it comes in contact with, but family members undoubtedly bear the brunt. -
“Almost Alcoholic”: Do You Fit the Profile?
Does your drinking pattern place you squarely in the category of drinkers who are labeled “almost" alcoholics? -
The Spiritual Warrior: A Life Without Armor
The Spiritual Warrior is disciplined, committed and focused! -
Forgiveness – Part II Cultivating Forgiveness
Are you ready for a new way to think about forgiveness and, perhaps, even find the willingness and courage to consider moving forward in your […] -
Who’s in Charge: You or Your Addiction?
You are an addict. You are physically and/or psychologically enslaved to the use of a substance or a behavior that […] -
The Gift of Uncertainty
When we are certain of something, we often stop exploring or asking questions, leaving us comfortable in our own rigid beliefs and unreceptive to change. -
New Year, New You: How to Go from Powerless to Empowered
For those in the early stages of recovery, the start of a new year often makes it challenging to commit to a goal of sobriety, […] -
Hiding In Front of Me
We often think that wearing masks - covering up or hiding who we really are - is a way to keep others at bay. In […] -
Substance Abuse in the Mature Adult
We hear a lot about the addiction epidemic and how it is affecting young people, but we now have an equally dangerous substance abuse epidemic […] -
Alcohol and Your Health: When are You at Risk?
The use of alcohol as a social activity, as well as the norms regarding its consumption, have always been subject to self-imposed societal restrictions. -
How Pets Ease the Stress of Recovery
The use of alcohol as a social activity, as well as the norms regarding its consumption, have always been subject to self-imposed societal restrictions. -
Buzzed at Work: The Effects of Alcohol and Drug Use on Workplace Performance
It's not only dangerous to drink on the job, you're also subjecting yourself to a much greater risk for accident and injury. -
Seniors and Substance Abuse: The Invisible Epidemic
Believe it or not, the abuse of alcohol in combination with prescribed and over-the-counter drugs is one of the fastest growing problems facing seniors today. -
Family History and Addiction Risk: What You Need to Know to Beat the Odds
Your risk for developing an addiction is greater if a hereditary factor is present, but what are your specific risks? And can you do anything […] -
Functional Addiction: Are You Living a Double Life?
Functional addicts, for all intents and purposes, display the outward appearance and ability to maintain a “normal” life, despite increased substance abuse. Sooner or later, […] -
Control Freak: How to Stop Trying to Change Your World and Change Yourself Instead
For many, a lack of control increases anxiety; becoming a “control freak” is one way addicts attempt to reduce the burden of that anxiety. -
Pain Management in Recovery
As long as recovering patients remember their primary purpose – to stay sober and carry the message – they should be able to cautiously navigate […] -
The Gift of Aversion Therapy: How I Purged My Way to Sobriety
My greatest hope was my greatest fear; that the aversion therapy would work and I would never want to drink again. -
Road to Recovery: Discipline or Act of Grace?
Be humble and flow with whatever circumstance you encounter, taking responsibility when you should and shedding responsibility when grace is guiding the way. -
How to Stop Cravings: 7 Tips from an Expert
What would it take to start amping up your craving for recovery? Now, that would be a craving worth yearning for. -
Liar, Liar: How to Break Free from Habitual Lying
Lies seem to serve the same purpose as the addictive substance itself – they provide an escape from difficulty and unpleasantness. -
We Know Yoga Helps People in Recovery… But How?
"Inversions—or going upside down—help people see the world in a different way, which is exactly what they’re trying to do if they’re in recovery." -
Take What You Need and Leave the Rest
“The day I recognized that holding out a hand was much more powerful than pointing a finger, everything changed.” -
Use the 12 Traditions to Improve Your Relationships
Do I focus on my partner’s defects to feel better about myself, and to avoid seeing and changing my own defects? -
What is the Secret to Reducing Self-Criticism?
The secret to reducing self-criticism lies in understanding how to interpret what your Inner Critic is really trying to express. -
The Lighthouse: What is the Purpose for Your Recovery?
Identifying a purpose for your recovery can help you stick with the process, no matter how difficult it becomes. -
Trauma and Addiction: 7 Reasons Your Habit Makes Perfect Sense
Addictions often help reduce the sensation of overwhelm that post-trauma changes create. -
Coloring Outside the Lines of Forgiveness
The saying in AA “our secrets keep us sick” holds true for many, but what if we are not ready to scrape the scab off […] -
Top 5 Reasons You Should Keep Going to 12-Step Meetings
Meetings are the place where joy is multiplied and pain divided, where a Higher Power is most likely to be found and experienced. -
The Heart of Forgiveness
It is quite possible, if you are open to a process that involves acceptance of human frailty and imperfections, to forgive yourself. -
Treating All of You: Hybrid Psychotherapy When You Have a Dual Diagnosis
"I was self-medicating my shame about leading a double life. I felt helpless, hopeless, out of control again with alcohol..." -
Eating Disorders and Pregnancy: Does Your Body Feel Like a Wonderland?
Women with eating disorders have higher rates of postpartum depression and are more likely to have problems breastfeeding. -
50 Shades of Vulnerable: The Art of Coming Clean About Recovery
To tell or not to tell, that is the question many professionals in recovery must explore, but the answer doesn’t always come easy. -
Why is Opiate Addiction So Hard to Treat?
Okay, I’ll admit it: I experience much difficulty treating opiate dependence. From heroin to OxyContin, opiate abuse is alive and flailing in this field. -
Compassion Fatigue: Is it Happening to Your Family?
Marsha's emotional spirit and physical health were beaten down by the seemingly hopeless addictions that plagued her husband and daughter. -
Use the 12 Traditions to Improve Your Relationship
Judgment comes from the head, mercy from the heart; judgment wounds, mercy heals; judgment separates, mercy unites. -
Sponsor, Recovery Coach or Professional Counselor: Which is Right for You?
There are a variety of options to help people in recovery find the additional support they may need. -
Do You Understand Your Addiction Rituals?
The act of rolling a joint is important to Danny’s usage, and the ritual itself fulfills a sort of creative urge for him. -
Are You Addicted to Chaos?
I often find my patients resisting letting go of the chaos and dysfunction that was part of their lives during their active addiction. Why? -
Renewable Energy: How to Renew Your Emotional and Spiritual Energy
Energy a little low? Here are some fresh ideas for emotional and spiritual energy renewal in the New Year. -
Why Rehab Worked: Lisa’s Journey to Sobriety
Many aspects of addiction are so forbidden that reaching for help becomes an exercise in overcoming the powerful taboos of shame and guilt. -
New Year’s Resolution : Should You Make One or Not?
Resolutions signify our commitment to make positive changes and improve our lives in the coming year. But, are they risky for people in recovery? -
What They Say vs. What the Big Book Really Says
AA newcomers receive so much advice “in the rooms.” What is someone's opinion, and what is actually from the Big Book? -
Why You Should Set Boundaries with Family During the Holidays
The most prevalent question that I am asked by families this time of year is, “do we need to make this holiday a dry event?” […] -
6 Essential Tips for Your First Sober Holiday Season
Are you part of the growing legion of sober men and women who will march into this holiday season for the first time? -
Do You Need Inspiration for a Hopeful Holiday Season?
Don’t predict and return to the negativity of the past. Decide to make a change for yourself with hope, forgiveness and empathy. -
Alcoholism, Family and the Miracle of Change
I remember the emotion that filled the room that day; whatever happened didn’t only affect my grandfather, it also affected me. -
The Miracle Question: What Does ‘Fully Healed’ Look Like for You?
Walking yourself through this process will bring to light the many ways – big and small – your life has been impacted by your illness. -
7 Tips for a Sober Holiday Party Season
The holidays are traditionally associated with over-indulgence. The season officially opens with a big turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. -
Deeply Wounded: Understanding Teens Who Self-Harm
Tears fall in the dark and sniffles echo in an empty room. Dark thoughts penetrate her mind. The blade lies close by... -
Grieving the Death of Addiction
Comparing the relationship with addiction to a death provides a concrete finality that addicts need in order to reach the stage of acceptance. -
Is DBT Effective for Treatment of Eating Disorders?
Dialectical-behavioral therapy is a problem-solving, but accepting approach – one that helps patients change, while accepting them for who they are. -
Love Yourself: The Great Compliment Experiment
I am here to tell you that criticizing yourself is not the yellow brick road to recovery. Praising yourself is. -
False Promises: Don’t Be Fooled by the Allure of Anticipation
Studies in neuroscience show that dopamine, previously thought of as the “pleasure chemical” is actually the “anticipation of pleasure” chemical. -
The Truth About Relapse: 5 Misconceptions Explained
There are many misconceptions about what a relapse is and what having a relapse actually means for your recovery. -
Boredom is a Threat, But You Don’t Have to Give in
Who isn’t tempted to use alcohol or drugs or engage in some compulsive, soothing behavior in the face of boredom? -
Why is Boredom a Threat to Recovery?
If you’re creative, you’re likely to find boredom unbearable. That dreadful feeling can be a trigger for drug and alcohol use. -
Riding the Wave: How to Manage Your Cravings
If we shift away from the narrative that a craving is “bad,” then we can invite an exploration of the function and meaning of the […] -
Why You Should Stop Calling Yourself Crazy
Is putting people in disabled categories what you think the goal of the mental health industry should be? -
Is Artistic Success a Risk Factor for Addiction?
At first glance it might seem that a performing artist who achieves significant success might reduce his risk factors for addiction...