Shauna Shepard, who works as a receptionist in the local health clinic, visited with me on my back porch. She shared why she drifted into substance abuse, and how she struggled to get — and remain — sober.
Tag: trauma
The Role of Trauma in Treating Addiction
People who have suffered trauma often need to address its lasting effects before they can get a handle on their substance use.
Forgive and Remember
Better to face the discomfort than continue to trudge along under a false impression that it’s not dormant inside, oblivious to the ticking of the time bomb that will eventually go off.
Failing
Would we be able to reach across the distance—and our failings—to touch each other, to smile?
The Five Pillars of Recovery from Trauma and Addiction
Believe in yourself. Tell yourself that you deserve happiness, joy, success, and a life free from the pain of trauma and addiction. You are worth your recovery.
Why cellphone videos of black people’s deaths should be considered sacred, like lynching photographs
Likening the fatal footage of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd to lynching photographs invites us to treat them more thoughtfully.
Treating the Growing Trauma of Family Separation
War, disasters, trafficking and immigration are tearing millions of children from their parents all around the world. A psychologist explores how to help them recover.
When Disaster Strikes: Opioid Use Spikes in the Wake of Hurricanes and Fires
For some people already struggling with opioid addiction, a natural disaster may cause a relapse – even an overdose.
Rehab Redemption: Faking It in the Fishbowl
As I shared my experience with the group, I knew that I should be expressing some kind of emotion, but the tears simply refused to come.
My Family Is My Greatest Disappointment
Even though my aunt knows I’ve scrubbed my stepmom from my life in an attempt to stop and reverse years of psychological abuse, manipulation, and mind fuckery, it’s a reality she refuses to accept.