Alcohol By Volume (ABV) and “Proof” Explained

Alcohol By Volume (ABV) can be very difficult to determine. (Another term you often hear related to ABV is “proof.”) But it’s an important concept to understand in order to stay in control of one’s drinking, which is why I have updated my 2011 post on this topic. I’m updating this post because one of…

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Fears for Children When Divorcing an Alcoholic

The thought of divorcing an alcoholic * is terrifying for so many reasons, but when one has children, it can be paralyzing. Time and again I receive phone calls and emails from spouses expressing fears like these: “I am terrified to divorce because my children aren’t safe with him/her they drink.”  “He drinks and drives…

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Why Addicts | Alcoholics Lie, Cheat, Steal

Lisa Frederiksen explains Why Addicts | Alcoholics Lie, Cheat and Steal

Why addicts | alcoholics lie, cheat, steal from those they love the most – WHY? why? WHY?!?*% – becomes one of the many pressing questions that swirl through the minds of those who love them.  At first loved ones are baffled and question themselves, wracking their brains to replay conversations and actions taken, “Maybe I…

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Choosing to Forgive an Alcoholic

Choosing to forgive an alcoholic… Depending on how long you’ve been living and/or coping with a loved one’s alcoholism, this can be one of the most difficult concepts to grasp, let alone embrace – choosing to forgive your alcoholic. I’d repeatedly been told that alcoholism was like any other disease, and I wanted to (and…

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How Do You Trust an Addict | Alcoholic

Lisa Frederiksen shares simplified brain research to explain addiction, treatment, recovery

So how do you learn to trust an addict | alcoholic? [And by the way, there is new language to talk about a person with a severe alcohol or other drug use disorder (what we used to refer to as an addict | alcoholic), as well as alcoholism or drug addiction. Please click here to…

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5 Reasons People Relapse After Years of Sobriety

Addiction relapse explained by Lisa Frederiksen

This post was first written in 2014, but the 5 reasons people relapse after years of sobriety are still important to understand. So I updated with current information in 2020. I was driven to write this post after receiving phone calls and emails following the news of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death and an outpouring of…

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