An Interview with Cathy Taughinbaugh, TreatmentTalk.org, on her new ebook, Embrace the New Life
“Embrace the New Life,” is the latest ebook by Cathy Taughinbaugh, founder of TreatmentTalk. She is a former teacher and mother of a crystal meth addict who has been in recovery for over 5 years. Cathy writes on addiction, recovery and treatment at Treatment Talk.org, and accepted my invitation to talk about her work and her new ebook, “Embrace the New Life.” in this interview.
LF. Please introduce yourself to our readers.
CT. I am a former teacher and founder of Treatment Talk, which is a blog and website for sharing and support of addiction, recovery and treatment. I recently wrote an ebook, Embrace the New Life.
LF. Tell us about your blog, cathytaughinbaugh.com and why you started it.
CT. Five years ago, when I realized my daughter was a crystal meth addict, I was unfamiliar and overwhelmed with the drug and alcohol treatment process. I was not familiar with rehab, intervention, treatment plans or anything else that would be of help to her. As luck would have it, I had a friend who was a therapist and referred me to an addiction counselor who gave us some options for treatment and helped my daughter start on her road to recovery.
I started Treatment Talk with the hope of sharing and supporting other parents and family members who have addiction in their family and want to get help. Spreading awareness of the problem is also a goal and my hope is that Treatment Talk, as well as other sites, will inform and help to prevent substance abuse and addiction in teens and young adults.
LF. You’ve recently written an ebook, Embrace the New Life. Tell us about it.
CT. Embrace the New Life is a short ebook I wrote describing my recovery from being excessively focused on my daughter’s situation. After having this experience, I wanted to look at myself and my role in my daughter’s addiction.
In the book I discuss ways that have helped me let go and focus on my life. For example I started with yoga and meditation that are both wonderful ways to refocus energy and go inside. Exercise plays an important role in keeping us healthy, as does daily writing which has helped me release my thoughts and pent up emotions. Support groups and daily reading of inspirational books can be a source of comfort and, a way to learn from the wisdom of others who have had similar experiences.
LF. What inspired you to write it?
CT. I was inspired to write the book because I had been on a journey these past years rediscovering who I am, and how I can be happy regardless of what other family members in my life are doing or not doing. I realized that recently I do feel that I have let go, or detached with love, as they say, although it is an ongoing everyday process. I wanted to share what has worked for me and hope that the book would help other parents or family members in their efforts to emotionally let go of their children’s issues.
LF. At this stage, what are the top 3 things you’ve learned about addiction and/or codependency that have helped you in your own recovery?
CT.
• Addiction is a disease of the brain that is chronic and life changing. There are no guarantees with treatment, but many have found recovery and have gone on to live rewarding lives.
• I did not cause, can’t control, and can’t cure another person’s addiction. Everyone needs to be responsible for their own life.
• I can move forward with my life and live a life of joy, despite what others are doing or not doing.
LF. What advice do you have for other parents of drug addicts/alcoholics who are just coming to terms with the diagnosis or suspicion of their son or daughter’s substance abuse?
CT. I would recommend seeking outside help. Parents as well as any family member are often so close and have often been hurt by the situation. This can make it difficult to be objective and make the best choices. If a son or daughter is under 18, I would be especially proactive in seeking in home or residential treatment immediately. Do not assume that this is a phase that your child is going through. Experimentation is a gamble. Your child’s experimentation may lead to substance abuse and go on to become a full addiction.
My experience has been that it was beneficial for my daughter to be in a new environment with new people for treatment to have the best results, but everyone needs to make the decision that is best for their family.
In addition, if a child has become addicted and is going to treatment, do not expect results in a short amount of time. My daughter was in treatment and sober living for approximately one year and that, I believe is one of the reasons that she is doing well today.
LF. What projects are you working on, now?
CT. My blog and website continue to keep my very busy, but I am also working on a new book that is a list of activities that are creative, fun, healthy and spiritual that are options to drugs and alcohol.
LF. What do you do when you’re not writing or blogging?
CT. When I am not blogging or writing I enjoy yoga, tennis and have started running again for some aerobic exercise. I love to travel with my husband and spend time with my children. Reading, walking my Boston Terrier, Nellie and gardening are other activities that I enjoy.
Thank you, Cathy, for this interview!
Cathy can be reached at TreatmentTalk@sbcglobal.net.
Lisa Frederiksen
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