Announcing CMC:Foundation For Change
We are inspired! We are hopeful! We are happy to announce a new non-profit venture, the CMC: Foundation for Change, the latest step in our passionate commitment to providing help and hope to people who are struggling with substance use problems, and to those who love them. We feel incredibly lucky to have spent […]
CMC’s Holiday Wishes
Our holiday wishes… If you are one of our clients, we hope you will continue to bravely take on making changes in your life, whatever they may be. We hope you see yourself clearly…for all the inherent goodness in you and that you find compassion for the parts of you that struggle. Thank you for […]
Listening Through the Holidays
As the holidays approach, many people find themselves facing tricky or down right difficult interpersonal situations. Maybe you are worried about your brother and get mad at him for always getting drunk at the family Christmas party. Maybe you are worried about a friend, who you know is trying to stay sober and is facing […]
Listening to Resolve Conflicts
We all have difficulty at times communicating in our close relationships, with our children, parents, partners, siblings and friends. When substances are involved, communication breaks down even more, leaving conflict high and the potential to connect and plan for change low. At these times arguments, mandates, and ultimatums can be the norm, when compromise, collaboration […]
Finding a Treatment that “Fits”
The addiction treatment field, and specifically inpatient programs (or rehabs), have been in the press a lot lately. In the last decade programs have opened, closed, merged into large conglomerates and many have been noted for unethical practices that take advantage of people who use substances and their families. The opioid crisis in this country […]
Don’t I Need to Just Confront the Problem?
When someone you love is using substances or engaging in a host of other risky behaviors, it’s natural to feel afraid, angry, betrayed, ashamed, and confused. It’s also normal to find yourself expressing these emotions by yelling, lecturing, shutting down, and maybe even throwing a few things. The problem with this approach? Confronting someone in […]
Don’t Take it Personally!
If you are a family member of someone with a substance problem, you have probably heard suggestions that include distancing yourself, using tough love, or detaching until your loved one bottoms out and decides to change. On one hand, given how awful you feel (e.g., constantly angry, tired, scared), these recommendations can make a lot […]
What to Look For in a Treatment Program
We currently live in a country where the attitude and swirl around substance use issues is very intense. Our country has long stigmatized the problem of addiction and most people develop their ideas about the struggle based on TV shows and anecdotal stories they hear in school, at work, and in the press. The recent […]
Behavioral Strategies for Coping with Stress
Ever wonder why it’s so hard to change a behavior? Maybe you really want to quit smoking, or drinking, or overeating and you have a long list of reasons why changing feels like an important thing to do (“I’ll be healthier”, “my wife won’t be angry at me when I come home”, “I’ll be more […]
The Importance of Parental Alignment: Getting Together to Help Your Child
Whatever the constellation of parental figures involved – two-parent couples, divorced parents, step-parents, single parents, extended family – nothing is more important and perhaps nothing is harder to achieve than cooperation. Your ability to influence your child’s behaviors depends on consistency between the adults involved. Imagine trying to work for two bosses who don’t agree […]
