A ROCKY ROAD TO JOY
I was filthy and smelled horrible. I caught wind of myself occasionally and was repulsed. I was destitute and ashamed. I was living on an apartment building roof top in Manhattan...
Relapse Warning Signs
Relapse is more than just not using alcohol or drugs. It is the progressive process of becoming so dysfunctional in recovery that self-medication with alcohol or drugs seems like a reasonable...
Ketamine: The Many Faces of the Chameleon Drug
Because of its many faces, Ketamine has been called the “chameleon drug.” Now, this popular club drug has reappeared on the streets, as a tool for law enforcement.
Elijah McClain was a...
Setting Boundaries: Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself
As anyone who cares about an addict knows, these relationships can be very difficult. The basic challenge for loved ones of addicts of any kind is to continue to care without...
Addiction: It’s Not a Crime, It’s a Chronic Disease
We’ve all read the headlines.
Drugs reportedly found strapped under woman’s vehicle
Vehicle search uncovers pot, coke, heroin, and meth
Jail inmate dies of suspected overdose
Inmate dies of dehydration in holding cell while detoxing...
DRUG CULTURE AND THE CULTURE OF RECOVERY
Historically, the field of substance use treatment focuses on cultures based on language, ethnicity, race, and national origin, with little or no attention to an individual’s drug culture. In turn, this...
SLY STONE’S FALL FROM GRACE
Before withdrawing into the inner-city slums, Sylvester Stone had been a transformative musical legend. With his Family Stone, he turned Max Yasgur’s farm into a dance party, traded rock for funk,...
RECOVERY FROM ALCOHOL ABUSE PAVED THE WAY FOR CANCER SURVIVAL
“New Beginnings Are Often Disguised as Painful Endings” ~ Lao Tzu
WHOA
The lump on my throat popped out when I raised my head to the water streaming down on me in the...
Women’s Addiction Needs Are Different
Addiction is addiction – doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman, right? Wrong, very wrong.
Women are the fastest growing segment of substance abusers in the country. Women who abuse...
IT’S ALL ABOUT SPIRITUALITY
After more than fifty eight years of continuous sobriety, it still bothers me when I’m attending a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous and I hear someone start talking about “the spiritual part...
