About

Welcome to Breaking the Cycles. We’ve created this site to share 21st century brain and addiction-related research to change (and in some cases, simply start) the conversations about substance misuse, drug addiction, alcoholism, dual diagnosis (co-occurring disorders), underage drinking, concerns of and help for family members and friends, codependency, secondhand drinking/drugging and more.

The groups and individuals Breaking The Cycles (BTC) works with are varied and vast. They include medical school students, treatment center clients and their families, troops and military personnel, teachers and parents, middle school students, domestic violence professionals, family law attorneys, clinicians, college students and community organizations.

How can you add your voice? Comment on any one of our posts. You do not have to register nor leave an email address…please scroll through and share your thoughts, comments, information and/or experiences. We welcome cross-posts related to the issues raised on this blog. Simply complete the “Contact Us” form, and we’ll get back to you right away.

Why participate? Recall the early 1970s…many adults smoked cigarettes, we didn’t use bike helmets, infant car seats hadn’t been invented and we rarely used our seat belts. All of that changed drastically in just 20+ years — simply because people started talking about and sharing the new research and taking action as they gathered knowledge. (See Blog Topics to the right.)

MEET OUR TEAM

LISA FREDERIKSEN founded Breaking the Cycles – Changing the Conversations in August 2008, following more than 40 years of experience with family and friends’ alcohol abuse and alcoholism, including eight-plus years of research and recovery work unraveling the effects. The latter was triggered when one of her loved ones entered treatment for alcoholism. She was struck by the new brain and addiction-related research that was explaining the science behind alcoholism as a brain disease, the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and equally important, the impact of a loved one’s drinking on family members and friends (secondhand drinking/drugging – SHDD).  She decided to use her resources as a researcher and author of six previously published books to write, If You Loved Me, You’d Stop! What You Really Need to Know When Your Loved One Drinks Too Much, in order to share her findings with others and has since expanded her work to include drug addiction and mental illness (co-occurring disorders), as well. She has since incorporated that research, and continuously updates it here, at www.BreakingTheCycles.com, in her most recent book, Loved One In Treatment? Now What!, and her training, workshops, presentations on substance abuse and addiction-related issues, consulting work, and her work with Caroll Fowler, MA, MFT, developing/providing Continuing Care Plans (CCP’s) & Recovery Coaching Services. Lisa is a blogger for Decoder at The Partnership at DrugFree.org; Health Maven for the Alcoholism, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Communities for Wellsphere, and a Substance Abuse/Mental Illness MCLE provider for the California Bar Association.

CAROLL FOWLER, M.A., M.F.T., is one of our advisors and works with Lisa in developing/providing Continuing Care Plans (CCP’s) & Recovery Coaching Services. Caroll’s clinical expertise is in working with addicts and alcoholics in recovery, as well as families affected by the trauma of addiction. She has worked in the field of addiction for over twenty-five years and was the former Director of the Family Program at The Sequoia Center in Redwood City, CA, for seventeen years. Caroll presently facilitates the monthly Family Workshop and the weekly “What About Me?” Family Group meeting at the Sequoia Center and carries on a private practice working with individuals whose lives have been affected by addiction. Caroll is an invaluable resource / advisor to BreakingTheCycles.com and one of the experts called on to review the books and materials written by Lisa Frederiksen.

JESSICA SCOTT worked and now volunteers as our Editor and Marketing Outreach Coordinator.  A 2009 graduate from UC Berkeley and currently a student at American University School of Law in Washington, D.C., Jessica has been invaluable in helping to frame Breaking the Cycles.com’s message for young people – especially college students.

She helps develop handout messages, represents us at health fairs, conducts outreach to treatment centers and brings a young person’s perspective into her copy editing work, making the BTC message more effective. Jessica also worked as the copy editor for Loved One In Treatment? Now What!

IRENE E. YU worked and now volunteers as our Designer and Marketing Design Coordinator. A 2009 U.C. Berkeley graduate and currently working as a Junior Architect with Arcsine Architecture in Oakland, CA, Irene is equally instrumental in helping to frame Breaking the Cycles.com’s message for young people – especially college students.  She helps design marketing materials, represents us at health fairs, conducts outreach to atheletic directors and student coordinators and brings a young person’s perspective to BTC’s messages. Irene created the new logo for Breaking the Cycles.com and designed the book cover for Lisa’s latest book, Loved One In Treatment? Now What!