Cayla Clark Shares Her Story of Alcohol Addiction Recovery
It is my great pleasure to introduce Cayla Clark – today’s Face of Recovery, who has graciously agreed to share her story of her alcohol addiction and the recovery journey she’s taken. Why share? There is a great deal of confusion, stigma, shame and discrimination surrounding addiction and addiction treatment and recovery. Yet those who have the…
Read MoreEven Dogs Experience Secondhand Drinking
In a post I wrote for another website, I shared Budweiser’s 2014 drink responsibly PSA titled, “Friends are Waiting.” If you’ve watched this 1 minute PSA – along with the more than 22 million others who’ve viewed it on YouTube – you can appreciate how heartwarming it is. But as I shared in my other…
Read MoreAdverse Childhood Experiences – Dr. Nadine Burke Harris Revolutionizing Pediatric Medicine
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris’s TEDMED Talk on how childhood trauma – Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) – affects health across a lifetime is remarkable. I urge readers of this blog to view her 15 minute video because childhood trauma is one of the key risk factors for developing a substance use disorder. Revolutionizing Pediatric Medicine to Recognize…
Read MoreStephanie Brenner – Sharing Her Story of Heroin Addiction Recovery
It is my great pleasure to introduce Stephanie Brenner – today’s Face of Recovery, who has graciously agreed to share her story of her heroin addiction and the recovery journey she’s taken. Why share? There is a great deal of confusion, stigma, shame and discrimination surrounding addiction and addiction treatment and recovery. Yet those who have the…
Read MoreHealing a Broken Heart | Carolyn Hughes
When your heart is broken — whether it’s over the death of a loved one, a failed relationship, an abusive partner, or a family member’s substance misuse — your depths of sadness and despair, perhaps even anger, and of course, hurt, often overshadow any thoughts of hope, let alone possibilities of actually healing your broken…
Read MoreChildren of Alcoholics Need Our Help
Unless you’ve been a child in a home with untreated, unhealthily discussed alcohol (or drug) misuse or addiction, it’s difficult to image what it’s like to be a child in such a home. Devastating. Scary. Shame-filled. Life-robbing. Lonely. Isolating. It’s a set-up for a “rest of your life” that NONE of us would ever wish…
Read MoreAddiction is a Treatable Brain Disease – Really!
The Senate’s unanimous confirmation of Michael Botticelli as the Director of the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy is a milestone to celebrate. Whether you personally struggle with the disease of addiction or you are a family member trying to help a loved one who is, Mr. Botticelli’s appointment is proof positive that addiction is a…
Read MoreWhen Caring Too Much is Bad | Darlene Lancer
Caring too much? Is it even possible when worried about a loved one’s drinking or drug use and what that loved one is doing to themselves and others? Here to help us understand this dynamic and what to do about it is Darlene Lancer, author of Codependency for Dummies and Conquering Shame and Codependency: 8 Steps to Freeing the…
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