If you love someone who is struggling with a substance use disorder, you already know the ways in which drugs and alcohol can turn a person’s life upside down and make it difficult for them to deal with even the most mundane parts of their day. They are probably underperforming at work or school; they...Read More
For many people who have experienced hurtful relationships—including relationships that have led to trauma that might underlie a substance use disorder—going back and re-experiencing those relationships probably sounds like a terrible idea. These negative experiences were bad enough the first time. What could possibly be productive about revisiting them? Revisiting Through Experiential Therapy The answer,...Read More
Sometimes, we know exactly what we need to do. But we might be afraid to do it. Fear can bring us to a standstill—keeping us from doing the thing we need to do. It is a common—and frustrating—cycle. A Dangerous Cycle It’s likely you have experienced this sort of cycle in your own life in...Read More
Wise Words “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” So said Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father, inventor, and coiner of pithy phrases. Ol’ Ben is on to something here when it comes to substance use disorders. If you’re making excuses for why you aren’t getting help for your problem, odds...Read More
Winter Weather The winter months can be challenging for everyone, especially when weather conditions force us to spend more time indoors, and everything from driving to work to getting the kids bundled up to catch the school bus can feel more difficult. Add the significant stress of the holiday season to those feelings of cabin...Read More
Narratives Do you have some favorite stories about your life that you like to tell? Maybe you like to relive a moment of athletic triumph from high school. Perhaps you like to recount the time you met a celebrity in an elevator and got to talk to her for 12 floors. Or maybe you love...Read More
Think about a brand new computer. It comes from the factory set up to accomplish certain tasks. The user can adjust how the machine approaches those tasks (and even change the tasks themselves) by changing something about the computer. You could, for example, add new software—the programs of instructions that allow computers to provide everything...Read More
Forging a PathImagine that you are standing on one side of an enormous field. You need to get all the way across to reach your destination—and later, you will need to return to where you are now. There are no sidewalks in sight. So you just start walking across.Now imagine that you walk across this...Read More
Coming to terms with the fact that someone in your life has a substance use disorder is difficult, to say the least. And the need to find your loved one an appropriate place to get help only adds to the stress and upheaval. In fact, it may seem impossible to make such an important choice.Making...Read More
Marketing Ploys Increasingly, marketing professionals want to encourage you to try their products in ways other than traditional advertising. For example, a company might pay to ensure that the beloved characters on a given television show drink a certain soft drink or drive a certain kind of car. The industry name for this technique is...Read More
