Tag: Features

Advent: Deepening Our Commitment to Recovery

Haven’t we struggled through the dark in our addictions and now live inside truth’s illumination? So why not spend these weeks in spiritual reflection and renewing our commitment to recovery? Advent, from the Latin, adventus — “a coming” — is, for Christians, the season celebrating Jesus Christ’s impending birth and his second coming after his death. The liturgical… Continue reading Advent: Deepening Our Commitment to Recovery

The Other White Powder: My Addiction to Sugar

In that first meeting I went to for my sugar addiction, I heard others admit to doing the same things I did. Sneaking. Lying. Throwing food in the bin to halt a binge only to come back later and fish it out to eat. It was right in front of my face but I couldn’t… Continue reading The Other White Powder: My Addiction to Sugar

American Overdose: An Interview with Chris McGreal

In American Overdose, McGreal lays bare the shady behavior of greedy pharmaceutical executives, duplicitous lobbyists, and crooked doctors who helped to perpetuate the worst drug epidemic in American history. Shortly after I woke yesterday morning [on November 29, 2018] I went to the New York Times website, where I saw a report indicating that drug… Continue reading American Overdose: An Interview with Chris McGreal

5 Helpful Tips for Staying Sober During the Holidays

The truth is that sometimes, the holidays can just be tough. But you don’t have to go in blindly. Follow these basic tips and you can have a wonderful and happy sober holiday season. For some people, the holidays are a joyful time that is looked forward to all year long. For others, this isn’t… Continue reading 5 Helpful Tips for Staying Sober During the Holidays

Homeless in Sobriety

One friend found my homeless sober alcoholic life fascinating. She wanted to know if I smelled, where I went to the bathroom, and what I did all day. Once she even asked if I had a Big Book. From approximately 1 p.m. on June 5th, 2018 until around 11 a.m. September 5th, 2018, my three… Continue reading Homeless in Sobriety

My Experience with Gabapentin Withdrawal

My gabapentin withdrawal symptoms included vertigo from the moment I woke up until about midday, hot flashes that rivaled menopause, daily migraines, and what I prefer to just call intestinal distress. I started taking gabapentin (generic form of Neurontin) in September 2017, a couple of weeks after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico (where I live).… Continue reading My Experience with Gabapentin Withdrawal

8 Essential Books on Addiction and Recovery

Addiction recovery books have been fundamental to my recovery from substance use disorder, codependency, mental illness, and complex PTSD. “Not every story has a happy ending … but the discoveries of science, the teachings of the heart, and the revelations of the soul all assure us that no human being is ever beyond redemption. The… Continue reading 8 Essential Books on Addiction and Recovery

How to Recognize and Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal Affective Disorder is much more than just the winter blues. Frank*, 55, has been living with bipolar disorder since he was 18. Over the decades he’s noticed that his condition is the most difficult to manage when fall gives way to winter. “As soon as it starts getting dark I feel it coming,” he… Continue reading How to Recognize and Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Fighting the Drug War in Budget Motels and Prisons

On paper, Nicole’s job is to deliver opioid overdose prevention supplies and make referrals, but in reality, she is a health care worker, mental health counselor, legal advisor, social worker, confidant and more. Every morning Nicole Reynolds sits down at her kitchen table with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and a phone… Continue reading Fighting the Drug War in Budget Motels and Prisons

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