Untreated Mental Illness May Repeatedly Trigger Relapse to Substance Use
It’s not uncommon to find that individuals suffering with substance addictions also often have other mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety. It’s not always clear which came first, but...
Stigmatizing Language- Changing the Way We Talk About Substance Use
On the initiative of a graduate social work intern, McLean is looking closely at the language used to talk and write about addiction.
Jessica Lareau, a graduate social work intern in the Center...
The Public Anguish of Eric Clapton
Drugs were a part of the 70’s scene, symbolic of rebellion, individualism, and the culture of the times. While legendary guitarist Eric Clapton is recognized for his role in influencing the...
The Twelve First Steps
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
~The First Step of AA’s 12 Steps
My name is Sue and I am an alcoholic. I started drinking in my...
Groups in Residential Treatment and IOP – What is their purpose?
Anyone who has been in an alcohol and drug rehab and/or has attended IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program) sessions know that there are regularly scheduled and mandatory ‘groups.’ These can be run...
Legal Intervention In Alcohol Related Illnesses And Cannabis Induced Psychosis
Legal Intervention In Alcohol: Lost sometimes amidst the opioid epidemic dominated news over the last several years, we note the steady increase in deaths related to alcohol and the rise in...
Acknowledge the Elephant- Support a Grieving Mom
After losing my son Matt a few years ago, I felt like I had inherited the elephant. You know the one I'm talking about- the elephant in the room that no one will...
The Drug War’s Censorship Weapon
As the war against drugs weaponizes criminality and incarceration, its censorship weapon continues to repress critical and privileged information from the masses. In this article, we will explore how rampant censorship...
Handling Emotional Pain In Addiction Recovery
Those of us who work in the addiction field will often explain to clients battling various addictions, “you need to learn to hold onto your emotional pain and move forward despite...
The Fire Extinguisher Relapse Prevention Technique
In my 30 years of working with addiction in various levels of care and treatment modalities, I have seen clients who continually relapse even after numerous treatment attempts and continually fail...
