For this week’s consideration, we look at the daunting and almost incredible odds we face when trying to make significant changes in our lives. It can be, without a doubt, amazingly hard. Even identifying what’s going on can be difficult. As we try to understand why we feel unwell, sad, or angry, sometimes just recognizing […]
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” ~ Neale Donald Walsch One of the best parts of my “job” is bearing witness to people who have made spectacular changes in their life regarding their use of substances. The difference between what was then and who they didn’t even know existed at the time […]
“The power of peer-led recovery groups lies in the simple, profound act of one person helping another, which builds community, fosters hope, and changes lives.” ~ Dr. Keith Humphreys, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stamford University And the good news? According to group reports and general service offices, Alcoholics Anonymous alone accounts for 64,000 […]
First things first: it’s really nice to be writing again and connecting with you. I believe life is just better when we’re trying to help each other. It’s hard, you know? Things happen to everyone, sometimes. It’s not always clear why or how, but we have to make sense of it all. Feeling like you’re […]
Introduction Alcohol, while commonly consumed in social settings, can have profound and often detrimental effects on family dynamics and relationships. There are many feelings about the “identified patient” in the family and the family’s responsibilities in a very confusing and often overwhelming dynamics. We realize the concern is systemically far more reaching. In this blog […]
Someone once said, “We are not raising children; we are raising adults.” But…. how are they supposed to know what an adult would do? Modeling? Education? Environment? The Internet? Join me and my fellow panel member, Dr. Fred Muench on Thursday, April 18th, to discuss teens navigating substance use in the digital age. https://www.hastingsgov.org/home/news/screenagers-under-influence-april-18-7-9-pm
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” ~ Martin Luther King Jr. “A stitch in time saves nine.” ~ English Proverb.This classic proverb succinctly captures the essence of quick intervention – addressing a problem promptly can prevent it from becoming much larger […]
Weekly Quote: “It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald Contemplation: ~ So much talk about New Year’s Resolutions! It’s hard not to […]
Weekly Quote: “The mind and body are like parallel universes. Anything that happens in the mental universe must leave tracks in the physical one.” – Deepak Chopra Contemplation: ~ Our feelings and thoughts are intense because they are not just feelings and thoughts – we physically feel the issues we are experiencing. Yowzah…. A triggering event transpires and the amygdala takes […]
Weekly Quote: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” ~ Ambrose Redmoon (James Neil Hollingworth) Contemplation: ~ So what happens after validation? We know definitively that naming your feelings and owning them compassionately is a must……..but what then? How do we find the courage […]