Life inside the penitentiary is extremely hard. The violence and deprivation warp your whole view; you see a total disregard for basic human life firsthand. But the after-effects can be even worse.
Tag: Features
How to Stay Sober Through a Parent's Illness
I won’t lie, the urge to fix from the outside is constant. The helplessness is overwhelming, the grief indescribable.
I Don’t Always Feel Better After a 12-Step Meeting
Why would someone continue to go to something that they don’t always like and don’t feel immediate relief from? I’m playing the long game.
Meth 2.0: How Marijuana Legalization Set the Stage for a Newer, Stronger Methamphetamine
When people think of methamphetamine, they think of the old-fashioned meth lab and they’re not aware of the dangerous, highly addictive meth that we’re dealing with now.
Lying, Manipulating, and Sleeping Around: Sex Addiction and Recovery
I was fine labeling myself a hedonist, a kinkster, or a playboy, but to actually admit that I couldn’t control my destructive behavior took years, even decades.
5 Movies That Will Make You Glad to Be Sober
If I’m watching a movie that makes me glad I’m sober, it’s better than meds. Here are 5 recent favorites, all based on true stories about alcohol, drugs, crime, and consequences.
Staying Sober Through a Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: My Story
Two incredibly painful paths have made my life better: a design for living from the program, and a new reverence for life from cancer. Both brought me closer to my higher power.
Losing Nanny: The Collateral Damage of Addiction
I can’t help but wonder what could’ve been if my mom’s addiction didn’t suck up and spit out every relationship and person it touched.
A Safe Place to Use Drugs: Lessons from Europe's Supervised Consumption Sites
“People are always against harm reduction programs at first. But once they see the results, their views change.” – Frederick Bernard, Liege Chief Commissioner of Police
5 Ways That Methadone Maintenance Treatment Changed My Life
When you’re an IV drug addict, you risk overdose, HIV, endocarditis and other infections, amputations, abscesses, and more. When I was stable on methadone and stopped using, these risks just disappeared.