Blogs

Real people sharing real stories about their experience with substance abuse and mental health.

The Insanity of a Family Disease

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.

We Aren’t A Glum Lot

By: Lisa Blomgren, Alumni Coordinator The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous states, “we aren’t a glum lot,” and “if newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they…

It Is The Courage To Continue That Counts

By: Jack H., Transformations Alumnus Hi I’m Jack and I am an alcoholic!!! It took me 40 years to even have a hint that I may have a drinking problem….

I had a Black Dog: His Name Was Depression

By: Lisa Blomgren, Alumni Coordinator As a dog owner, I know the importance of training a dog, trying to understand its ways, giving it grace when it acts out, and…

All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter

By: Mike Murphy, Manager of Alumni Services If you’re like me, you hear things like “You seem so much happier” or “Life seems to be treating you pretty well, nowadays!”…

5 Things Should Know About Depression

Depression is a common mental health disorder that affects many different people. Although most people have heard of depression and have a general understanding of what it is, there are…

4 Common Types of Depression

“Is depression a mental illness?” is a commonly asked question. To be clear, depression is an illness that will affect as many as one in ten Americans at some point…

The Many Benefits of Sober Curiosity

You don’t need to have experienced the scourge of addiction personally to understand that it creates severe problems in the world today. All studies have shown that substance use disorders…

Helping & Supporting A Loved One with Bipolar Disorder

As reported by the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 4.4% of U.S. adults experience bipolar disorder at some time in their lives. This severe mental health condition causes…

Identifying Ambien and Ambien Addiction in Loved Ones

As many as 50% of American adults experience insomnia symptoms, and up to 15% live with chronic insomnia disorder. Although there are several treatment options, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, doctors often prescribe medications…