They say, “Money Can’t Buy You Happiness”, well I’m adding recovery to that adage. I know, I know, many people will say different things about money buying the ability to achieve happiness. And still more people will say money can buy a better treatment center for recovery. I recognize all those variations, but it has been my personal and professional experience that both happiness and recovery come from within, regardless of how much money you have.

Tough love is an expression that usually refers to loved ones drawing a line in the sand that says enough is enough with someone in their lives. Most of the times it is used to describe taking a hard stand with loved ones addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. It usually means cutting all ties with […]

I have often used the expression “Stop digging the hole” to clients and leaders when they try to defend a losing cause just because they could not admit there was a better way or choice. In other words, you cannot climb out of the hole until you stop digging it, and to climb out you […]

The question about addictions and whether it is a disease and/or symptom relief has been the topic of debate for as long as I can remember. Is it important to know the difference? I believe it is. I know this is a very controversial subject due to all the various research, recovery models, recovery communities […]

Last week’s blog was about defining a traumatic event. This week we delve into what trauma resolution may look like. I’ve been asked many times in my groups, “How do I know if my past trauma is resolved or not?”.  The only way for me to answer this question would be from my personal journey. […]

This blog is meant only to define what a traumatic or life event is and not the complete picture of how these events impact our mental health. It will also not address whether your past events are resolved or unresolved. I will address over the next couple of blogs the complete picture of how past […]

I would be remiss not to post the dangers of rushing to resolve your past traumas/life events. This is especially true for severe traumatic events like abuse or war. I always stress the importance of finding an experienced therapist and this topic is one of the main reasons. To take on years of past trauma […]

I do not pretend to be a deeply religious person, but the bible quote of “Pride goeth before destruction, and the haughty spirit before the fall” resonates with me. The definition of pride has two vastly different meanings. The quote refers to the meaning of an inflated self-worth as opposed to taking pride in an […]

In the addiction recovery world, the two words that often are not enough to ease the pain with loved ones are “I’m sorry”. So, why is that? Well, the obvious answer is simple, your loved ones have heard it a million times throughout your active addiction and multiple relapses, and it just doesn’t cut it […]

Symptoms of a mental health problem are just that, symptoms. Symptoms such as depression, anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, self-harm, suicidal thoughts/gestures, hopelessness, and many more are the result of a deeper problem. These symptoms many times lead to people using substances or alcohol, or having eating problems, violent outbursts, suicide attempts, and other unhealthy ways to […]

I have been saying to my clients and friends for years to never confuse something being simple with being easy. So, what the heck am I talking about anyway? It is simple, we spend our entire lives cluttering up our mental health with debris from our pasts. It’s time to start the cleanup, which will […]

I think it is important to note that as we internally grow our circle of friends gets smaller. Our choice in mates grows slimmer. Our impulsive desire to go out seems to diminish. At least that is what I have experienced as I continue the journey toward inner peace and contentment. It almost sounds like […]