“Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof and instant coffee, to unemployment insurance and library cards, to absinthe and good-hearted landlords, to music and warm bodies and contraceptives... and to the 'good life', whatever it is and wherever it happens to be.” - Hunter S. Thompson If any ... Read More
Addiction’s Feedback Loop…
...Shame & Self Loathing Feed Addiction feeds Shame & Self Loathing feed... Many of the mental health disorders that lead to substance abuse and addiction can be, at least in part, the result of great trauma such as abandonment, neglect, physical, mental or sexual abuse. As a result of that kind of deep ... Read More
Write a Letter To Yourself
What encouragement would you give to your future sober self? For sober inspiration that tells your true story, writing a letter to yourself is a great start. The journey to a sober lifestyle can be challenging, but sober inspiration can make each mental mile feel a little easier. You're uniquely qualified to ... Read More
Never Underestimate Your Opponent
“There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.” Sun Tzu, Chinese Military Strategist On your road to recovery there will be both ups and downs that will make you question your way. The downs can be very low. You could feel hopeless. You might feel like you haven’t moved forward one inch. ... Read More
Addicted with an Unsupportive Family
There are all kinds of families out there. As society gets more comfortable with gender and sexuality stereotypes bending and breaking, we see many different ways to define “family”. It’s great because there are so many people out there who have been abandoned by family, or whose relationships have deteriorated with ... Read More
How to Fight Loneliness, Smile All The Time
There’s this Wilco song called “How to Fight Loneliness”. Jeff Tweedy, the lead singer strums his guitar and pours the lyrics out. “How to fight loneliness, smile all the time, shine your teeth to meaningless, and sharpen them with lies”. I take this song to be one of bitterness. Tweedy is positing that the only way ... Read More
Jenny and The Inevitability of Her Addiction
It doesn’t matter what kind of abuse it is, abusive relationships and addiction to drugs or alcohol often go hand in hand, both for the abused and the abuser. It’s a cultural caricature - the alcoholic father who is also physically, sexually, or emotionally abusive. Like Jenny’s dad in the film, Forrest Gump, a ... Read More
It’s Time We Understand that Addicts are People Too
Our society has an incredible bias against people who are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. The stigma permeates through pop culture, politics, and everyday life. If we want to make drug addiction a thing of the past, let's start by reducing this stigma. The Crow My first exposure to heroin was via a 1994 ... Read More
