Abusive behavior is a complex dance that controls your every move.  Are you lavished with love one minute and raged at the next? Do you feel you’re on shifting sands all the time. On one side you want to be loved […]

Relationships can be particularly difficult these days because the norms we might once have had, seem to be gone. We don’t have role models among our leaders to guide us the way we have, say, traffic rules for the […]

Quitting alcohol seemed unnecessary when I decided to do it. After all, I am not an alcoholic, I would have said. I have always had a stop button. Alcohol was not my problem. I stopped swallowing at one-and-a-half […]

You may think that only soldiers at war experience Post Traumatic Stress symptoms, but that is far from the truth. Parents and children of alcoholics and substance users also experience recurring trauma that […]

In recovery we talk about letting go and detaching, but we don’t often add that detachment empowers. How can it empower when it seems the very opposite? It doesn’t seem to make sense. For loved ones and family […]

Yoga recovery is a tool that works in many ways to enhance recovery from whatever ails you. Do you know what it is? Yoga is one of six major schools of thought in Hinduism.  There are different yoga disciplines, […]

There are two parties in the addiction blame game. Those suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) or Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), and their friends, family, and loved ones. Family and friends can be verbally b […]

Joseph Campbell, who was my professor in college, used to tell us to follow your bliss. The whole idea was lost on me all those years ago. I didn’t even know what bliss might look like, so how could I follow it. […]

What is a narcissist, you might ask. Are you controlled by one? Narcissists are the most confusing (and dangerous) people on earth. If they are toxic or malignant narcissists, they take control and rob you of […]

Unrequited family love happens a lot. We hear a lot of stories about people who feel they’re being destroyed by loved ones who just…don’t act loving. What is that about? When people you love make you feel horri […]

Did you know when it comes to alcohol math girls may not be safe at any level of drinking?  It’s biology. Girls are impaired after one drink and drunk after two. Alcohol affects the behavior of your boys, of […]

Addict’s moms suffer from the stigma of having children who aren’t perfect. Time to separate fact from fiction about parenting and children who become addicted to substances and alcohol. Here are nine myths that […]

A decade ago some experts were concerned that calling addiction a disease would both stigmatize it further and prevent people from seeking help. Why? If it’s a disease, you’re not responsible for it. It is what […]

Recovery fails, but not because of the addicts. But don’t call people with Substance or Alcohol Use Disorders addicts. After twenty years of seeing millions of families devastated by the ravages of addiction and […]

Shame seems to be at the heart of all addictions. We experience shame over the wounds of our early childhood traumas, our seemingly inherent weaknesses, inability to stop our disruptive life behaviors, and the […]

Why do active and recovering substances users often run away from loved ones trying to “Save” them? The truth is, no one feels good when they feel bullied and managed. Caring doesn’t feel like love when it comes […]

Every family member has a role. When you learn about family roles, you can be astonished. Are you the storyteller, the caretaker, the moody one? Some family members take on the difficult tasks. Some are considered […]

Are you wondering if you need a measles shot if you’re an adult? Do you know if you had one long ago? Are babies or other vulnerable people who can’t have the shot in your life? You need to consider what might […]

I was one of those hated moms, and it’s a confusing phenomenon. My only wish was to love, help and guide my children through their teen and college years, but they saw me as interfering, controlling, and a l […]

Your call to action when depressed: Reach Out. It can save your life.
Tens of thousands of people perish in the US every year from suicide and despair related to substance and alcohol use. When substances don’t […]