Continuing to use is a direct path to problems while a life in recovery is full of new opportunities. Things that I couldn’t imagine doing when I was using are now my reality.
Continue readingAddiction is a Response to Trauma: My Halloween Story
I don’t know how a trauma in my family a few generations back might show up in my life, that is until I recently passed up buying a pumpkin. I stood in front of a beautiful pumpkin at a farm stand. It was marked half price and I stood in front of it, frozen, unable to decide if I wanted to buy it. I walked away from that pumpkin feeling sick to my stomach.
Continue readingHow I loved and Lost an Alcoholic
I think conducting a formal intervention is a very important part of dealing with a loved one’s addiction. We don’t know if they are going to recover, but by doing an intervention and by sticking with the intervention process for several months, families can be assured that they tried everything they could to help.
Continue readingThe Myth of Hitting Rock Bottom
Our goal with an intervention is to help someone see the consequences of their substance use, to shine a light on something that they are missing. We want to help them choose recovery at a point before rock bottom.
Continue readingBattling Addiction and Mental Health Issues
To determine how to help someone, it is necessary to hear the stories of the people around them. To find the right facility for a person in need, we need to know whether the issue is an addiction or a mental health problem or both.
Continue readingAftercare: Reintegrating the Family
Returning home, after treatment, is where the rubber meets the road in recovery. Most treatment facilities have family programs where clinicians begin working with the family as soon as the patient checks in. This can be key to long-term success, for both the patient and the family.
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