A few days ago, I had to have a tough conversation with the kids. I had to explain that most likely Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the usual festive gathering, filled with the laughter of our huge Italian family. Their reluctance and immediate imaginative solutions warmed my heart but also ignited the reality of this ... Read More
Featured in Alumni
Adapting to a Change of Plans this Holiday Season Without Sacrificing Sobriety
Alumni Outlook: Surviving the Holidays 2020
Entering recovery means you are setting yourself up for a lot of ‘firsts’. Some are amazing and fill you with gratitude, others are difficult and cause a lot of fear. Your first winter holiday season in recovery will usually gear towards the difficult side. Throw in the monkey wrench that is Covid-19 and we have a set ... Read More
Achieving Happiness While Living with Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders
Navigating through my unrelenting drug/alcohol addiction has been quite a daunting task, but not nearly as intimidating as facing my co-occurring PTSD, anxiety, and depression disorders. Before getting sober, I never really considered the glaring symptoms of my untreated mental health disorders. Looking back to try and ... Read More
How to Excel at the Work from Home Rhythm in Recovery
When the idea of working from first came about, I’d be lying if I said my inner alcoholic, single mom self wasn’t super excited. Thoughts of sleeping in late, never leaving my pajamas, and snacking all day flooded my thoughts. The truth is, I never actually thought about the reality of being isolated at home all day. ... Read More
How Alumni Family Helps Each Other Overcome Addiction
When I was first prompted to write an article on this topic, excited would be an understatement for how I felt. When I look back and think about the people who have influenced my recovery, a flood of emotions consumes me for the better. I have truly been graced with an army of amazing, unconditional, graceful, and ... Read More
The Power of Words: How to Handle and Respond to Ignorant Comments About Addiction
Words have the power to make or break us. Kind words can make us feel on top of the world, while hurtful words can destroy our self-esteem and take us down a dark path. Words have the power to shift our perception of the world. As a content writer, I understand the importance of the language I use. The words we use can ... Read More
How to Recognize Signs of Trauma in Children of Addicted Parents
Regardless of age, we are always influenced by our parents. These influences are not solely the genetic factors inherited from our biological parents, but also their behaviors, habits, morals, and communication skills we learn from our caregivers. Life with an alcoholic and/or drug addicts and be unpredictable, ... Read More
Helping Kids Cultivate Empathy About Mental Health Conditions
Cultivating empathy? This idea can be a complex situation if you believe empathy is an innate, fixed trait that some people are born with and others lack. However, empathy is not an all-or-nothing concept. In fact, it would be fair to say that empathy isn’t a trait that unfolds automatically in every situation. More ... Read More