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.

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The social effects of alcoholism

Social Effects of Alcoholism

“Alcohol is a very patient drug. It will wait for the alcoholic to pick it up one more time.”

Mercedes McCambridge, 19

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Kick Fear Out of the Driver’s Seat

For as long as I can remember, fear ran my life. As a child, I let fear stop me from making friends, getting outside of my comfort zone and raising my hand when I had a question in school. I let fear keep me from standing up for myself, even when I knew it was the right thing to do. I let fear keep me from trying a new hobby that I was secretly interested in or even applying for a job that I wanted. I let fear consume my life. My life was no longer based on what “Lisa wanted”, but instead it was a life based on what I thought others expected of me. Needless to say, it was exhausting.

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Switch Your Fix: Substituting New Vices for Old Ones

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.

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veterans in recovery

Veterans in Recovery; PTSD Among Our Heroes

Military service is a heroic act, and the men and women who have seen active service have truly put their lives on the line for others. Unfortunately, these veterans often face many struggles when they transition from military life back to civilian life

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Symptoms and sign of Schizophrenia

Symptoms & Signs of Schizophrenia

The only way to manage this illness is to identify it, diagnose it, and undergo professional and ongoing treatment. Schizophrenia affects millions of people in the U.S…

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We Are Both Victims and Victimizers

By: Jonathan Rios  M.S.  LMHC, Licensed Psychotherapist

We’ve all been victimized. This is a popular notion these days and it makes total sense. When we identify as an oppressed person who has undergone a tragedy or hardship it will often brin

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Caring For Those Who Contributed

When an NFL player retires from the game, the injuries and trauma sustained throughout their career are carried with them for the rest of their lives. Long after the cleats get hung up and the sound of cheering fades away, the physical and emotional

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Pain: A Good Excuse or Your Greatest Gift?

Sitting in a prison cell, I could use my time becoming bitter over the cards I was dealt. Or I could choose to become a better person. Having surrendered my life and will over to God, I decided to invest in learning how to be the man God intended me

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An In-Depth Analysis of Cross Addiction and Co-Occurring Addictions

By LYLE R. FRIED, CAP, ICADC, CHC

Cross addiction and co-addiction both complicate recovery from substance abuse disorder because they involve multiple addictions.

In this article, we’ll take a close look at the definition of cross addiction

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