Featured in Alumni

When I was prompted to write a blog on this topic, I smiled with reluctance as I reflected on this past year. Isolation is the fuel to the fire of depression and I am not immune to the hardships that have transpired this year. For those of us in recovery, the community is everything. I’ll speak for myself when I say ... Read More

Using drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with the stressors of life -- and especially work -- was my go-to reprieve for as long as I can remember. Eventually, drugs and alcohol exacerbated my stress and once I got sober, I couldn’t return to my old foes for relief. It took me years to realize that not all stress should ... Read More

Believe it or not, 2020 is coming to a close. I don’t know about you, but this year has felt like an eternity for me for obvious reasons. I look back at last January, when Kobe Bryant tragically died in that helicopter crash, and that feels like a lifetime ago. Here we are however, looking at a fresh new ... Read More

As we inch closer to the “most wonderful time of the year,” most of us are unsure how we will maintain the holiday family traditions that matter the most. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyday life as we know it. Vulnerable populations - including your older relatives - may not be able to gather with you for the ... Read More

2020 has been an interesting and difficult year for everyone. The pandemic started, and most of us believed it would only last a few weeks or months. Here we are - almost an entire year later - and it looks like we may be heading back into a shutdown just in time for the holidays. COVID-19, an election year, mental ... Read More

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

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

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