Living a sober life during rehab is easier because you have all the support and tools needed to get through each day. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not suggesting recovery is easy, but I wonder: Once you leave rehab, what’s it like? Imagine a world in which you can focus your energy on positive things—like enjoying [...]
The time has come when you decide you’re sick and tired of being ‘sick and tired.’ You’ve had enough of the “wild side” of life, and you want to make a life for yourself with meaning and direction—free from the shackles of substance abuse. Today is a great day! Congratulations. The opportunity to recover is [...]
You did great! Everyone—especially you, is very proud of you. You made a commitment to get into an arduous recovery process, and you accomplished that. You toughed it out even when it got tougher, when all you really wanted to do was simply quit and get back to your old ways. It would have been [...]
Partial Hospitalization has been a growing concept for the past 20 years. Used in a variety of therapeutic environments, it is an application meant to satisfy both mental patients and substance abuse patients. Here’s the way it works. Since no two people are exactly the same, the path to recovery needs to vary as well. [...]
Continue to do the same thing, the same way— over and over— expecting different results: that is the definition of insanity. But it’s also been the basis of our drug policy. Let me explain the gravity of our loss. The number of drug prisoners in the U.S. is greater than the number of people behind [...]
“Drug addiction and jail.” They always seem to find a place in one sentence. But is jail the right place for drug addicts? Can we continue to push the problem away in the absence of proper treatment? Let’s take a look. Drug addicts commit crimes. There is no argument over that fact. Whether the crimes [...]
Why are prescription drugs killing people? Aren’t they supposed to make people feel better, heal faster, and balance out? How did they become public enemy #1? I thought heroin, cocaine, and crack were the most dangerous drugs? To determine what drug is dangerous, we must first decide what makes a drug dangerous. Is the danger [...]
On Memorial Day, remember what you went through starting the recovery from addiction. Remember the wounds that have healed and the relationships that have been recovered. While many Americans may be celebrating Memorial Day this weekend by drinking and partying, remember what it really stands for: For tragedies and sacrifices that we have experienced [...]
Addiction is one of the most difficult things to understand, especially from the perspective of the addict. Let’s talk about addiction from the perspective of the family. For a caring family member, the multitudes of questions can be overwhelming: Is it possible to fix an addict? How long does it take? If it didn’t work [...]
