Switch Your Fix: Substituting New Vices for Old Ones
By: Michael Kellermann, Transformations Alumni Coordinator When I first made the decision to give up alcohol and other substances, I was not aware at the time that I am a creature of habit, someone with an extremely addictive personality. Having thought of myself as a “normal” person apart from the excessive drinking and drug use, I truly believed my alcoholism was simply that – an addiction to alcohol and drugs. In treatment, I changed my diet, spending my allotted $75 a week on solely nutritious foods. I committed to a daily exercise regimen on top of that, running around the [...]
Veterans Day: Honoring All Who Served
By: Matt Hirsch, President, Transformations Treatment Center I grew up learning the meaning of this day from my parents and school teachers. It's a day that my wife and I now teach our children about. We explain the importance of thanking those who served in our military and why we honor the men and women who made incredible sacrifices in order to fight for our country and freedom, all while leaving their own families to protect ours. For many of us, those men and women are our loved ones who we embrace and hold close once back home. We count [...]
High Holiday Transformations: A Therapist’s Reflections
Jacqueline Greer, MSW, MSc Outpatient Adjunct Therapist The Jewish New Year, or “High Holidays” is a period uniquely designated for reflection and spiritual renewal. In just a few days, individuals in Jewish communities across the globe will come together for a day of prayer and self-examination. A day designated for assessing where one stands in meeting his or her spiritual, moral, and personal goals, and taking stock in which areas could use re-focusing. Each year as sit to chart my own personal High Holiday resolutions, I tend to grow frustrated in discovering, yet again, that my list resembles the one [...]
The Insanity of a Family Disease
By Keith Berger, Coordinator of Family Integrated Services During my twenty-five year career in substance abuse treatment, I’ve frequently heard family members (and clients) insist that "Alcohol isn't his/her/my problem - drugs are!" and "Alcoholism isn't his/her/my problem - addiction is!" as if the same principles of recovery from chemical dependency don't apply to any dysfunctional situation where alcohol either isn't present or isn't present enough to be identified as the primary drug-of-choice. When I hear this, I usually ask them to consider three things: 1) Alcohol is a mood-and-mind altering chemical, therefore it is a drug 2) Alcoholism is [...]
Living Active Recovery
Why do people relapse after leaving treatment? Throughout my years as a substance use disorder recovery activist and interventionist, I’ve helped scores of people enter treatment. And while these folks flourished in a highly-structured setting, some struggled shortly after reentering the real world. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By understanding and applying these 3 principles, you can keep your recovery strong. Accept that Recovery Is Present Tense, Not Past Tense. If you have children, you know they are little eating machines. When mine were young, it felt like right after my wife cleared away the breakfast dishes, [...]
The Correlation Between Depression and Substance Abuse
According to the NIMH, as of 2014, almost 8 million people in the United States had a mental illness (like depression) along with a substance abuse problem. Depression is a prevalent problem in the United States. Compounded by substance abuse issues, it's more severe of a problem. This article helps to uncover the correlation between depression and substance abuse. This includes how the two relate to one another in a dual diagnosis, statistics, what treatment options are available, and how to get help. Depression and Substance Abuse It is common for those with depression to have a substance abuse [...]