Reset or Rebound? Making Dry January Healthier than a Fad Diet. Dry January is a time of year designated for individuals to stop drinking (abstain from) alcohol for the entire month. Believed to have originated in 2013 by a UK…
Families of active substance abusers experience a wide range of emotions. It is difficult enough for them to watch a loved one (user) spiral down with their substance abuse. What makes it even more challenging is seeing their attempts to help and support the user being ignored. They can put in a tremendous effort to change the course of their addiction, only to be thwarted and dismissed. Change, as baffling as it may seem, is resisted.
Control is an illusion. So often, we hear from family members the many ways they have tried to get the substance user to change, to stop, to make the right choices. They pour out the alcohol, engineer social situations that…
You Did Not Cause It! Families in substance use recovery with a loved one have three important tasks they need to navigate in their journey, both as a family and as an individual. We have to learn to adjust our…
You Cannot Cure A Loved Ones Substance Abuse Problem Substance use disorder is a disease, and only the user can choose whether or not to heal. Healing is possible, even if the disease can’t be cured. To heal, we need…
It’s the Middle Part That Stinks! Difficulties in Leaving Unhealthy Relationships There are times when individuals find themselves in a destructive relationship. A part of them realizes it is harmful, while another part desires to stay in it. From the…