Triggers as Reminders

Triggers as Reminders

Recovery is a lifelong process, fraught with many twists and turns. A friend who has been sober from alcohol for two and a half years told me a story yesterday that brought this point home. She had just renewed her Costco membership and went there for the first time...
Addiction, Family, and Recovery

Addiction, Family, and Recovery

As a clinician, when first meeting a patient I am very interested to learn about their family and relationships. For some, sadly, they may have exhausted all ties to family and their relationships may be slim to non-existent. In other scenarios, the person in active...
Why Do I Need To Change?

Why Do I Need To Change?

I am NOT the problem! Our family is NOT the problem, it’s he/she who is actively bringing addiction into this family! They Are the Active Substance User. It’s Not My Problem, Right? One of the most significant challenges families encounter is that they do not believe...
The Link Between COVID-19 and Relapse

The Link Between COVID-19 and Relapse

With many Americans working from home for the foreseeable future, it is easier than ever to hide addictions. Even when we go back to the workplace, there will be physical barriers and limited use of common areas that reduce direct personal contact. The Overlooked...
Exercise and Addiction Recovery

Exercise and Addiction Recovery

In my experience, many patients with various substance use disorders have found exercise to be beneficial to their healing and recovery. This can be especially true for those that are in early recovery and are experiencing some post-acute withdrawal symptoms, more...