You Deserve A Break! Suggestions for Daily Living
You Deserve a Break! Suggestions for Daily Living What about the mental health of the sober parent? Don’t they also suffer anxiety and depression, low self-esteem while trying to “control” the behavior of a child who is clearly out-of-control? Drug addiction affects the whole family; it alters the family dynamic. It can deteriorate a person’s…
Read MoreWould You Know How to Reverse An Overdose?
Whether a drug overdose is intentional (suicide) or unintentional, it’s still an overdose. The Centers for Disease Control defines an unintentional death as “when no harm is intended. Unintentional drug poisoning includes drug overdoses resulting from drug misuse, drug abuse and taking too much of a drug for MEDICAL reasons.” There have been approximately 100,000…
Read MoreLooking in the Rear View Mirror of My Son’s Addiction
Since your child was born, you have tried to be a “good-enough” parent. This obligation, skill set includes comforting and reducing his “boo-boos” to lessen the hurt. When the child was older, you could somewhat control his behavior, although it became harder, with a carrot. For example, if you mow the lawn, you can stay…
Read MoreLooking Beyond The Peephole of Addiction
There are many books about addiction. Some are written by mothers who give you a glance into their private world of what it’s like having a daughter who is NOT in recovery when the book begins such as if you love me: A mother’s journey through her daughter’s opioid addiction (Henry Holt: 2018) by Maureen…
Read More“People, Places, and Things” to Avoid During the Holidays
Families will be reuniting for the holidays soon. How will it be different after the Covoid pandemic? No longer isolated, how will this family time be different from last year? For the returning college student or the child leaving rehab, how will this visit play out? According to the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murphy,…
Read MoreHow Do You Find The Right Sober Living Home?
Transitional living or Sober Living Homes are very important after Inpatient Rehab when those with substance abuse disorders are very vulnerable to relapse. In order to ensure sobriety, the staff at a SLH holds its residents accountable for their sobriety goals; it’s a balance between structure and independence. Of course, many Inpatient Rehabs give recommendations…
Read MoreRead Between The Lines Of These “Emotional Growth Schools”
Eager for their child’s rehabilitation, many parents are hoodwinked by glossy brochures and the advice of educational consultants. I know I was. Therapeutic boarding schools spell R-E-L-I-E-F to a parent who feels she cannot control her child. In loco parentis sounds pretty good when your child no longer honors your requests. Why were we drawn…
Read MoreNational Suicide Prevention Month and National Recovery Month (September)are Intertwined
The Corona Virus attacks more than your lungs. It invades your psyche. Will you have a job? Can you support yourself and/or family? Will you continue to be isolated? How long will you have to live riddled with anxiety? According to cbs news.com, May 8, 2020, Serena Gordon’s article, addiction patients are relapsing and patients,…
Read MoreEnabling or Caring?
When I was growing up, the BIG “C” was whispered among my parents’ friends. It was as if that disease as well as less serious health concerns such as hysterectomies, were regarded as moral failings, not to be discussed. To be sick was to be weak Years later, the dreaded Cancer was talked about openly,…
Read MoreThe Second Drug Withdrawal Syndrome: PAWS
As the parent of a child with substance abuse disorder, you probably know what an acute withdrawal phase of an illicit drug is. Detoxing isn’t easy and should be monitored, especially if it is withdrawing from alcohol. Detoxing often has flu like symptoms: shaking, aches and pains and usually lasts four to ten days. Did…
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