My friend is married to a man who’s addicted…and his addiction has grown by leaps and bounds over the last year. He constantly lies about his drug use, blows their savings, and disappears for entire weekends. He has created pure chaos in their home, but my friend can’t seem to realize that their tumultuous situation is because of his substance abuse. She confided in me that their marriage has been on the rocks for years now, and no matter how much time and effort she puts into it, it never seems to get better.

Due to the global pandemic, services and care centers have become less accessible to individuals recovering from substance and behavioral addiction. Rehabilitation centers have limited the number of admissions and some clinics have even shut down to prevent the spread of the virus. This has caused significant disruption to the daily routines of those recovering from addiction; many families may be unsure of how to support their loved ones. Some medical professionals and institutions have adopted telemedicine as a treatment method during these times…

You’ve made the decision to seek inpatient treatment for your chemical dependency. You’re investing time, money, and trust; you want to get the most out of it.
But rehab can be a scary place when you first arrive; making new friends is one of the best ways to squash that fear. We all want to feel like we’re part of the group, right?

o many people are suffering in silence from a drug or alcohol addiction. You might have been one of them. You know the pain and internal conflict that comes along with having an addiction.
The best way to get people help for their addiction is to destigmatize the disease. They need to know it isn’t their fault, that there’s hope – and they need to hear it from people who have lived through it.
Recovery can be a personal, private process. But there is so much power in sharing your story, for yourself and for others.
Question is, where do you start?

I will never forget the day I learned how to let go of justified anger. I had just gotten sober and attended an AA meeting, where they were reading out of 12 Steps and 12 Traditions. I was listening but not fully until I heard these words from Step 6, “Self Righteous anger can be very enjoyable.” In a perverse way we allow people to annoy us because it brings a comfortable feeling of superiority. We proclaim our own righteousness by criticizing them instead of taking the time to help them understand why and how they’ve annoyed us. I sat up straight and dove into the reading eager to learn more about it.

When someone in your family is struggling with addiction, it can be complicated, exhausting, and confusing. You must find a delicate balance between being supportive and protecting your own boundaries. Navigating through this environment is often times draining and most families have questions. If you are experiencing problematic substance use in your family, there is support for you. It is important to realize that drug and alcohol use can affect the entire family and it’s wise for family members to get help as well. Below are a few common questions shared by family members of those with problematic substance use issues.