Early Trauma Can Change a Child’s Brain

Prevent Addiction _ Brain Development Age 5-20

Early trauma can change a child’s brain. These brain changes can alter the physical and emotional health of that child across their lifetime. Seriously. And why might readers of BreakingTheCycles.com be interested in this topic? Because trauma – also referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) –  is often at the root of alcohol and…

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The Boundaries We Keep

The boundaries we keep and the kinds of boundaries we make can return our lives to sanity. That’s a bold statement to be sure. Yet it’s the only thing that can help someone coping with a loved one’s drinking take back their life — their physical and emotional health and the quality of life they…

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Key Information About Alcoholism

alcoholism and secondhand drinking

How many times has your loved one promised to stop or cut down their drinking only to relapse – again? How many times have they looked you straight in the eye and said, “No,” when you ask if they’ve been drinking? How many times have they driven, ruined a family gathering or hurt your feelings deeply…

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Communication in Families with Alcohol Use Disorder

Communication in families with alcohol use disorder can feel like a minefield of misunderstandings. It’s just about impossible to say what you really want to say because that would be taking a stand against drinking behaviors. And we feel paralyzed just considering doing something like that. Think about it. Can you imagine telling someone who…

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Help Families Navigate a Loved One’s 1st Year of Recovery

Help Families Navigate the 1st Year of Recovery

Help families navigate a loved one’s 1st year of recovery from addiction is critical to family members’ health and well-being. Just because their loved one started recovery is not going to take care of what happened to them.  Why is this so important to understand? Nearly 100 million Americans and hundreds of millions more worldwide…

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Honor Veterans Support Their Mental Health

honoring our veterans by supporting their mental health.

One of the most important ways we can honor our veterans this Veterans Day is to support their mental health. And I mean SUPPORT as in doing the same kinds of things we do to SUPPORT a person’s physical health. We don’t question or shame or expect speedy results when a person seeks help and…

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Drinking More During Covid | 6 Things to Know

Drinking more during Covid-19 is in the news a great deal, lately. And understandably. Staying at home, maintaining social distancing, only leaving one’s home for fresh air and essentials…. Working at home, children at home 24/7 under their own stress of online schooling and missing their friends…. Lost jobs, lost investment portfolio gains, lost health…

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