Government scrubs substance-abuse data but doesn’t tell researchers
What if the government decided to withhold the data it gathers on an insidious mental illness that affects nearly one in ten Americans and did not bother to tell researchers it had done so? It...
View ArticleCan codependency kill?
I have a friend who says her codependency will kill her before her alcoholism. I am so codependent that when I do, I’m afraid someone else’s life will flash before my eyes. I am completely consumed by...
View ArticleHow my depression nearly killed my sobriety
This month I celebrate 17 years of sobriety. Let me say that again. This month I celebrate 17 years of sobriety. I can’t believe I just said that because it seems so impossible and sounds so weird...
View ArticleDrug treatment: How many times will you go to go to rehab before you realize...
This is going to make some people mad. I’m going to say it anyway. Why do addicts and alcoholics go to rehab over and over and over if it doesn’t work for them? If you had cancer and you did 10 rounds...
View ArticleTop 5 comebacks when asked why I don’t drink alcohol
For some reason, people want to know why I don’t drink. If you offered me Brussels sprouts and I said “no thanks” and you said, “are you sure I can’t get you some Brussels sprouts?” and I said, “No...
View ArticleSix rules I follow to avoid depression during the holidays
Yesterday, as I was sitting on the front porch I was smacked upside the head by a Hallmark moment. An SUV with license plates from another state pulled in the driveway of the family across the street....
View Article4 reasons why addicts should not trust doctors
One Last month I went to the emergency room with tightness in my chest and shortness of breath. I answered a bunch of questions about my medical history, told them about my depression and bipolar, the...
View ArticleHow private are a drug addict’s treatment records?
The confidentiality of alcohol and drug abuse patient records is under the government’s microscope. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – SAMHSA – has filed notice of...
View ArticleA recovered alcoholic asks: If I take antidepressants, am I still sober?
I am a recovered alcoholic. I also have bipolar II, which can manifest in depression. I am what they call “dual-diagnosed” – or “twice blessed” as those of us in recovery often quip. I was about 7...
View ArticleAddiction, recovery and sex
When I was new in recovery I memorized and learned the 12-Steps. Then, at a meeting I heard someone mention the 13th Step. What!? There’s another step I have to do? I asked what the 13th Step was....
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