A Shift in Understanding Can Someone Change
Having a family member struggle with substances can be physically draining, emotionally exhausting and downright confusing. It can kick up a bunch of emotions that can be really crushing: shame,
All About Sleep
You know that unbelievably frustrating feeling … you’re in bed, lying there awake, just waiting for sleep to come, and yet it feels like it never will. So, you toss
Finding the Balance between Acceptance and Change
Have you ever struggled with wanting to change something in your life that is painful or difficult to face? Are there things in your past that you regret
It’s Time to Quit Smoking, For Real!
Last week, the US government issued a statement that it’s time to stop vaping because of the health risks associated with it. This warning stems from
Get Rid of Black-and-White Thinking
Good Omens, a show on Amazon Prime, is an adaptation of the book by the same name by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman. In both the
Ride that Wave with Urge Surfing
Confession time … I love bagels. As a native New Yorker, it’s in my DNA to be pulled towards them. Unfortunately, it’s also in my DNA to metabolize
The World is an Unhappy Place, or So We May Think
Have you seen that old movie, Pollyanna? It was about a young girl named Pollyanna who moved to a stodgy old town to live with her
Blame, Shame and Stigma are Hurting Families
We all know that substance use disorders can exact a terrible emotional and physical toll on the person struggling. A person overusing substances can suffer lower quality of life, impaired
Re-Thinking Communication
Human beings are social creatures; we are wired to communicate with each other for survival, for companionship, and for progress. After practicing this skill for all of human history, talking
Change is Hard!
If you are trying to change a habit, like drinking too much, eating too much, or taking too many pain pills, you have probably realized that changing behavior patterns is
Let’s talk about Reinforcement
People spend a lot of time trying to change behaviors. Everything from changing your diet, exercising more, spending less, and changing your substance use is behavior change. In many ways,
How to Help When Someone You Love has PTSD
If your loved one is trying to change their relationship to substances while at the same time managing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) it can be difficult to understand