The following is a guest post by Carolyn Hughes, a freelance writer with special interest in alcohol issues. Carolyn is currently writing The Hurt Healer, a novel based on her own experiences of abuse and alcoholism, and lives in Northern Ireland with her husband and their two daughters. She celebrates 13 years sobriety and says, “My… Continue Reading
Monthly Archives: June 2012
Recovery Information and Help for Young People
Recovery specifically targeting young people? Most definitely! We often think of addiction (whether to drugs or alcohol) as an older person’s disease. Yet, young people, ages 18-20, have the highest rate of alcoholism in the U.S. [U.S. Surgeon General, 2007 "Call to Action..."]. Of those who were diagnosed as having the brain disease of alcoholism, nearly half… Continue Reading
Is it alcoholism? – How can you tell?
Fear of the labels, alcoholism and alcoholic, often keeps people from looking at their drinking patterns. Yet more often than not, the real problem is alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse can lead to alcoholism, but in and of itself, it is not alcoholism. Here’s information that can help. There’s a common belief that drinking is either… Continue Reading
Sayings to Help Reframe Your Thinking
Whatever it takes to reframe your thinking can be of help in early recovery (or in any situation, for that matter). Sometimes it’s a photograph or song or something someone says that jolts you to really think for a moment and perhaps even declare, “Oh my gosh… there is another way.” To that end, I’m… Continue Reading
Adult Children of Alcoholics – Interview With Rita Malie
Insights for those wanting to better understand the concept of adult children of alcoholics. The following is my interview with award-winning author, Rita Malie, whose most recent novel is titled: Supreme Sacrifice: A Woman’s Journey From The Bondage of Guilt to the Freedom of Forgiveness. I’ve so enjoyed getting to know Rita and following her work. She is… Continue Reading
PTSD From the Family Members’ Perspective – June is PTSD Awareness Month
PTSD affects the entire family. Last week I ran this post, “PTSD Awareness Month – June 2012,” in which I shared HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ press release quote, announcing PTSD Awareness Month, “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder affects 1 in 29 Americans, from our country’s service men and women to abused children and survivors of rape, domestic violence… Continue Reading
Addiction Treatment – What to Look For
Making sense of addiction treatment (whether its for drugs or alcohol or both or for a co-occurring disorder), which is having both an addiction and a mental illness, is daunting to say the least. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has created a terrific resource to help people determine what they should look for… Continue Reading
Alcohol-Induced Memory Blackouts Explained
Blackouts. Alcohol-induced memory blackouts. You may have heard one or both terms, but what do they mean? As an example, if you’ve ever found yourself in a bizarre argument with something who’s been drinking heavily or been on the receiving end of their behaviors too hurtful to rationalize and then felt even more betrayed the… Continue Reading