First Three Steps of NA | AA From a Science Perspective
Sometimes re-framing the first three steps of NA | AA from a science perspective can help those in early sobriety who are seeking recovery through a 12 step program. It can help because they can better understand and appreciate why all of the dogged willpower and determination they’d exerted to control how much they drank…
Read MoreThe Brain Can Change
The brain can change – truly! One of the most encouraging things about all of the new brain and addiction-related research is learning we can actually change and heal neural networks and thereby change and repair our brains. This can be especially helpful to addicts/alcoholics and their families and friends because addiction is a brain…
Read MoreRaising the Bottom – Helping a Loved One Seek Recovery
Raising the bottom – it’s true – we don’t have to let a person “hit bottom.” There are healthy ways we can intervene to help a loved one raise their bottom. Why is this important? Addiction is a developmental disease and the earlier its progression is interrupted, the better. Raising the Bottom – Helping a…
Read MoreSecondhand Drinking | Drugging – Codependency Connection & the Health Consequences Thereof
Understanding the secondhand drinking | drugging – codependency connection offers an opportunity to reframe a confusing subject. In this reframing, we find opportunities to better help those coping with a loved one’s drinking | drugging behaviors. Secondhand Drinking | Drugging – Codependency Connection Explained The term “codependent” is often used in the world of addiction…
Read MoreSlips and Relapses – Family Members Have Them, Too
Slips and Relapses – family members of someone with a severe alcohol use disorder (aka alcoholic or person with alcoholism) have them, too. This is something we often don’t realize – generally because we don’t understand the dance of the family disease of addiction. So often in the world of addiction treatment and recovery, the…
Read MoreAn Unsent Letter to Dad: the Impact of Secondhand Drinking on Children
Secondhand drinking – it’s as real as secondhand smoke. Its impact can be devastating to a child. The Impacts of Secondhand Drinking I’d like to share the words of a high school girl who wrote a letter to her alcoholic father, never mailed. It’s the rawness of her hurt, so many years into her life,…
Read MoreDUI – Staying Within Moderate Drinking Limits Does Not Mean You’re Good to Drive
DUI – just because a person stays within “normal” – also known as “moderate” or “low-risk” – drinking limits does not make that person safe to drive. Getting a DUI is still a possibility. ___________________ You may know or have read that “moderate” or “low-risk” drinking limits are defined as: no more than 7 standard…
Read MoreBrain Development and Underage Drinking
Brain Development and Underage Drinking – understanding the connection is critical to helping teens make healthy decisions about drinking – for their brains’ sake. For anyone working to reduce underage drinking, one of the keys to helping coalitions, parents, and young people better understand the “reasons” is to share the new science — the science-based…
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