by Lisa Frederiksen Contrary to a common belief that “all kids drink” – at least at some point in their teens – Dover, New Hampshire’s Youth to Youth program took matters into their own hands. According to its website, Youth to Youth is “a comprehensive, peer-based youth empowerment program. Students in grades 6-12 are organized… Continue Reading
Monthly Archives: August 2008
So What is a Dual Diagnosis?
Dual diagnosis – what is it? One of the terms I’ve frequently heard in the various “recovery” circles I’ve encountered over the past five years is “dual diagnosis.” People would talk of their loved one or themselves as having a “dual diagnosis.” I was curious what that was about and learned that a person who… Continue Reading
Excessive Drinking, Not Alcoholism, May Lead To Most Alcohol-related Problems
Excessive Drinking is where it all starts – the chemical and structural brain changes and the behaviors that are hurtful to others. As you may have read in one of my previous blogs, “Alcohol Use/Abuse/Addiction – What’s the Difference?”, excessive drinking causes significant risk, harm and distress to the excessive drinker and to his or… Continue Reading
“Drink Like the French, Die Like the French”
Drink Like the French and you’ll be fine – or so the story goes… Likely you’ve heard or been told that one of the reasons Americans have so much difficulty with alcohol abuse and alcoholism is that they aren’t taught how to drink from an early age, like say, the French. The argument is that… Continue Reading
Alcohol Use | Abuse | Dependence (Alcoholism) – What’s the Difference?
Alcohol Use | Abuse | Dependence (Alcoholism) – we know use is not abuse but aren’t abuse and dependence (alcoholism) the same thing? For ages (like 35 years), I’d always viewed drinking as either alcoholic or normal. You can imagine my surprise when I learned there’s a third level / stage to drinking and that… Continue Reading
What’s In That Drink & the DUI Connection
What’s in that drink and the DUI connection… When I read that someone dies in America every 31 minutes in an alcohol-related vehicle crash (1), I was stunned. But then, when I thought about it, most of us don’t really know that different amounts of wine, beer and “distilled spirits” (gin, vodka, whiskey) all have… Continue Reading
This Site’s For You!
by Lisa Frederiksen “Why? – Why, if he loves me – why won’t he stop the drinking that is ruining our lives?” I was sure that if I could just find the answer, if I could just leverage his love for me, I could make him stop – at least limit his drinking to a… Continue Reading
Add Nothing
by Lisa Frederiksen If you happened to read the Short Cut to Sanity, “What Were You Thinking,” you may be asking yourself, “So how am I supposed to help my teen when all of their peers are drinking?” This website, Life at its best. Add nothing, is dedicated to helping teens enjoy life without alcohol.… Continue Reading