Addiction – Depression — Navigating the Holidays and Celebrations

Addiction – depression — for those who grapple with either or both, the holidays and celebrations can feel overwhelming. The following is a guest post by Sarah “Pink” Welch, an Addiction Specialist, founder of H.O.P.E.S. Life Coaching, blogger and co-creator of the Blog Talk Radio Program, The Lemonade Stand. As Sarah describes her work, “Life…

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Shame: The Core of Addiction and Codependency

Shame is a crippling emotion for codependents and addict | alcoholics.  It is at the core of their role in the family disease of addiction, and it is what can keep them from getting the help they need to change their lives. The following is a guest post by Darlene Lancer, a Licensed Marriage and…

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Addiction a Brain Disease? But How?

Addiction a brain disease? “No way,” or some variation thereof, is the typical reaction, I hear. Followed by something along the lines of, “Cancer is a disease. All they have to do is put down the bottle [or stop using the drug]!” Recent Research Identifies Why/How Addiction is a Brain Disease Thanks in large part…

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Addiction Impacts Lives of Millions and Costs Billions

Addiction is so deeply shrouded in secrecy, discrimination and shame in America [and I cite America for the sake of the statistics used, however similar realities exist around the world] that the lives of over one-half the population are affected and the economic costs exceed one-half trillion dollars. It was for this reason that I…

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The War on Drugs – Rethinking the Approach

The War on Drugs – is it time to rethink our approach? The following is a guest post by Kalen Smith, who writes on behalf of drug-rehab.org, a nonprofit substance abuse referral and resource center. Kalen has been writing about drug abuse and addiction for the past five years and can be reached at kalens9112@gmail.com.…

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So What is Codependency?

Codependency – so what is it? This was a very difficult concept for me to grasp. And for the longest time (like almost 4 decades as of 2003), I didn’t even try because I didn’t think it had anything to do with me. But for those of you who’ve read my latest book, 10th Anniversary…

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“ADDICTION” – Poem by Erik Zack

The following is a poem and guest post by Erik Zack, who has had his own negative experiences and outcomes as a consequence of addict-related behavior, including time in jail where he completed a drug education program. Erik is now working hard on his recovery from heroin addiction and wanted to share his poem as…

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Who Really Pays the Price of Addiction?

Addiction – who really pays the price? The following is a guest post by Carolyn Hughes, a freelance writer with special interest in alcohol issues. Carolyn is currently writing The Hurt Healer, a novel based on her own experiences of abuse and alcoholism, and lives in Northern Ireland with her husband and their two daughters. She…

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