It’s Hard to Relax and Have Fun!
Finding time to relax and have fun can be difficult at the best of times; family obligations, daily stresses, and managing your life can all get in the way. It can feel hard to find time for even short, enjoyable moments, like watching a favorite show or reading a magazine. It can feel especially hard […]
Medication Talk: Alcohol Medications with Dr. Alex Horowitz
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]In this new feature, we will discuss topics about medication and medical issues that come up when treating substance abuse. This month we are speaking with Alex Horowitz, MD. Dr. Horowitz is a […]
Understanding Change
Changing a habit is a difficult thing to do. Even with the best of intentions, actually making behavior changes that last can be a slow and laborious process. This process of change has been studied and broken down, and understanding how people change can be helpful in your personal change process. Change is rarely a […]
Why Is My Child Using Drugs?
“Why is my child using drugs and why won’t he stop”. This is a question we hear all the time from parents who are reaching out for help. And it is not uncommon for parents to feel a variety of negative emotions about their child’s choices. They can feel personally disrespected (“using drugs is not […]
Building Resilience Part II: How to Manage Your Emotions
Being resilient means being able to face adversity and cope well enough that you recover relatively quickly. In Part 1 of our resilience discussion in the March newsletter, we reviewed the ways that your perspective can actually mitigate some negative effects of stress. Now in Part 2, we’ll discuss the research that tells us about […]
The Dangers of Secrecy . . . For a Prince
Prince was a beloved, lauded musician who will be terribly missed. He was known for his great musical gifts and tremendous stage presence. And he was also known for being substance-free: it was commonly recognized that he did not allow drinking, smoking, or drug use by anyone in his home or work. And yet recent […]
Communication is Hard!
Communication is hard. And, it’s a really necessary part of our lives. How else are we expected to get what we want from someone else? Or to ask someone to change their behaviors? Or let someone know that you really like what they’ve just done? We need to communicate with others, and sometimes, we are […]
The Pain of Shame: A Special Note to Parents
Helping Through Self-Care: The Special Case of Shame Shame and Self-Compassion: Opposite Worlds If you are a parent of someone with a substance use problem you may find that you have a small nagging voice (which can sometimes be a loud thundering judgement) that tells you: “It’s me…my daughter’s struggles with substances are my fault.” […]
All About: Different Types of Support and Treatment
Let’s meet Doug. Doug has a wife and a young child, a dog, and a job in IT. Doug’s a responsible dad, an attentive husband, and he even just got a promotion at work. He’s never had any trouble with substances in the past, and would describe himself as a casual drinker. On the surface, […]
Trying to Help Does not Make you an Enabler!
There are many ideas about substance use problems that are meant to help people understand things better but often have the unintended consequence of making people feel worse about themselves and more confused. The concept of “enabling” is most definitely in this camp. In the newly revised edition of the 20 Minute Guide, we added […]
