How to Help an Addict

Should I choose a residential or outpatient program? What is the right length of stay for an individual in treatment? How will you know when they are ready to discharge? Is coming home post treatment the right answer? These are all questions that families ask as they are trying to help an addict you care […]

Codependency Defined

Am I a Codependent? So often this is the question loved ones of addicts and alcoholics have to ask themselves.  Before we go too far lets first define what codependency is.  Merriam-Webster defines codependency in the following way: a psychological condition or a relationship in which a person is controlled or manipulated by another who […]

Funny Thing Happened on the Way Home From Rehab

As I write this, I’m sitting on a plane as I return home from taking a client to treatment after an intervention.  This person began the process of recovery from heroin addiction last night as they checked into a treatment center.  In the row of seats behind me is a man who I have to […]

Forgiveness in Addiction

Forgiveness in addiction can be one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome, both for the addict and those close to them.  As addicts we feel wronged by those close to us and the world at large.  There is always someone to blame and a reason to stay angry.  By holding onto these resentments we […]

What do I do now?

I think my loved one might have an addiction problem. What do I do now? This is question that we all dread to ask ourselves.  Whether you think you may be addicted or are the loved one of a possibleaddict/alcoholic the answer can be terrifying.  There is a stigma attached to addiction.  We live in a society that […]

Dealing with an Addict in Your Home – The Illusion of Control

Codependency is a disease every bit as insidious and subtle as addiction.  In my work with families who have addicted loved ones I see varying levels of enabling within the family system.  But one things is constant, there is always enabling present when there is an active addiction within a family system. The family will […]