Most people in recovery are extremely motivated to do whatever it takes to stay sober, be healthy, and feel better, at least at first.…

The best treatment is the one you get the most from. It’s not the treatment center that has the best staff, or the one…

As you move through your addiction and maintain sobriety, you have likely noticed the complicated and multifaceted nature of your recovery. Your addiction likely…

"Never, never, never give up!" – Winston Churchill  Plan your course of action and stick with it. My talk today is not about taking…

Defining Co-occurring Disorders  Co-occurring disorders refers to an individual having one or more substance abuse disorders and one or more psychiatric disorders. The mental…

Whenever you go through a hardship or a difficulty there are several important considerations. The first, is the devastating nature of the actual event,…

“Burdens shared are easier to bear.” Jesse Jackson  A Troubled Beginning  Because co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders are complex, treatment must be…

Difficulties come in all forms and shapes and are inevitable. However, the size of the difficulty, in my opinion, is largely determined by your…

“Don't give up at half time. Concentrate on winning the second half.” Paul Bryant  In the sport of football, each game has four quarters…

When you lie, cheat, or deceive someone, trust is broken. The quality of the relationship is damaged and the way they see you going…

Compromised Integrity Living with an addiction in an addicted lifestyle compromises integrity and changes your direction in life. What had been important to you…

Making progress in recovery is important. Over the years, I developed a saying that sets forth reasonable expectations. “I am doing a few simple…

Abstaining from alcohol and drugs is challenging for many reasons. Temptation can come from within a person and include such things as a longing…

We use the term happiness to describe a wide range of positive emotions that include contentment and joy. To be happy is not just…

Out of Control  Addiction is often out of control when the decision is made to enter recovery. Life has become unmanageable, affecting numerous areas.…

Never Give Up Today, I’d like to comment on two competing forces that direct and regulate decisions in life. The first is this: Push…

Life is like hockey—you are going to get bumped. Someone on your own team will blindly run into with little concern and no apology.…

Someone recently told me to take some time off. For me, the daily grind has a way of piling up unimportant pieces and polluting…

Many who struggle with co-occurring depression and substance use disorders carry a mindset of negativity, pessimism, and hopelessness. This becomes one of the primary…

Treatment of co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders often involves using counseling and medication. Studies continue to reveal that using medication and counseling…

Years ago, I had a finger that began to throb. It turned pink and ugly and was highly sensitive to even the slightest bump.…

Many clients describe a constant avalanche of thoughts that rush into their minds. For those with substance use and mental health disorders there is…

When people are overwhelmed and frustrated, friends and family are often understanding and supportive, at least at first. Soon after, as some recovery progress…

I met a man the other day who was back in treatment again for the 15th time because of his methamphetamine disorder. After so…

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Commonly Attributed to Winston Churchill  When the decision to enter recovery is made, the addiction is…

I Can’t Decide  When making decisions you might notice you are more unsure, insecure, and hesitant than you want to be. Being filled with…

Looking back over past behavior has some value, I suppose. The consequences of past behavior tell me I need to change, and hope tells…

What is Perfectionism?  Perfectionists aspire to achieve, but do not allow themselves to make mistakes. They search for imperfections or weaknesses in themselves and…

I run mental health therapy and psychoeducation groups at a residential treatment center for men. From time to time I’ll take a $100 dollar…

“Burdens shared are easier to bear.” Jesse Jackson | By the time he was 13, Marcus had bounced in and through a dozen homes, if that’s what you called them, a pattern which was to continue throughout his 42 years. He was smoking...

“You were designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.” – Zig Ziglar | The seven wonders of the ancient world were astounding man-made displays of human ingenuity and creativity in engineering, art...

“Never, never, never give up!” – Winston Churchill | This blog is not about taking vitamins, I promise. However, I do take vitamins every morning and have done so for the past 10 years. I never miss, yet every now and then, I stare mindlessly...

“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” – J.K. Rowling | Ronnie celebrated his 40th birthday in jail a few weeks before entering the residential treatment program where I met him...

Over the years, I’ve noticed that people often want approval and affirmation. They want it, yet rarely receive it or believe it when it finally arrives. Jim would be an example of that. This 35-year-old man...

“You hit home runs not by chance but by preparation.” – Roger Maris | Do the thing you need to do or get yourself ready to do the thing you need to do. If you need to go to treatment, then go to treatment. If you need to finish school...

You’ve got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, and don’t mess with Mister In-Between. – Johnny Mercer | “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” was written by Johnny Mercer and the music...

“If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster.” – Clint Eastwood | This evening we’re celebrating my granddaughter’s seventh birthday. It will be a small family gathering at an outdoor amphitheater performance of...

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw |The confusing influence of addiction is often referred to as “cunning, baffling, and powerful"...

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt | People in recovery often have a distorted view of themselves. They may see themselves as inadequate and unacceptable. Some of this thinking...

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Commonly Attributed to Winston Churchill | When the decision to enter recovery is made, the addiction is often out of control. Something has to change or nothing...

“The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.” – Hubert H. Humphrey | I am involved in several intensive outpatient programs (IOP) that provide treatment and support for those with serious or critical...

“I was going to buy a copy of “The Power of Positive Thinking,” and then I thought: what good would that do?” – Ronnie Shakes | Thoughts bombard us all day long like the steady stream of uninteresting commercial messages...

“Don’t give up at half time. Concentrate on winning the second half.” – Paul Bryant | In the sport of football, each game has four quarters with a 12 minute break between the two halves. This break has the not-so-clever, intuitively obvious...

There is an old proverb that says: “Don’t cast your pearls before swine.” I grew up on a small family farm in Minnesota in the 1960’s. We had the usual assortment of amusing farm animals including cows, chickens, horses, cats, dogs, and of course...

A man came into my office some years back and his abrasive interactions with his wife, in my presence, caused me to ponder the reasons behind his aggressive and painfully degrading verbal comments. Communication is purposeful; meaning...

As a psychologist and substance use counselor it would stand to reason that I should be concerned with the attitudes, dispositions, emotions, mindset, and memories that all flavor our actions. When I speak to people in our group programs, I am...

I gave a presentation on Codependency to a small group last Saturday. The event was held in an elegantly appointed retreat house hidden away. From the back of the room, leaning across a granite countertop, eyes shining and fixed attentively, a...

Substance-use and resulting substance use disorders (SUD) are hazardous to your health and come at a staggering cost. Individuals with a SUD have more social, medical, physical, psychological, financial, relational, and occupational problems...

My simple definition of burnout is doing too much, with too little, for too long. And burnout is not just a scheduling problem. Stress and burnout are often made significantly worse by bitterness and resentment. “I’m the only one who works...

In order to help your clients navigate successful, long-term recovery, we’ve developed ten core principles of recovery. Like using a map, these principles help set good goals, avoid some mistakes, and dodge unnecessary problems. And of course...

Have you been busy lately? Do you ever get so stressed you become overwhelmed or paralyzed? Stress is the biological, emotional, behavioral, and social response to a real or imagined event. When anxiety and stress are low, motivation and...

A few days ago it came up in conversation that I was going to do a workshop on living a balanced life. The woman laughed when she heard it. “You! That ought to be good.” The not-so-subtle sarcasm in her voice revealed her disbelief that I...

It is not always easy to be self-assured and confident. Many people move through life with numerous doubts and insecurities. You may doubt yourself, others, or the world around you. Perhaps you look at certain situations and certain people with...

I met a man the other day who had over 50 driving after revocation citations. He had been in jail 37 times. He told me that some of the incarcerations were short – only a day or two – and others were 30, 60 or 90 days. Because of his...

Euphoric recall is a term used to describe the tendency to remember only the positive parts of past experiences while forgetting or minimizing the negative aspects, consequences, or difficulties associated with the same event. The incredible...

I am writing this on New Year’s Day and thinking about some goals for next year. We often judge ourselves on our intentions and judge other people according to their actions. Meaning, we have a higher standard for other people than we usually...

When recently giving gifts to family and friends, I noticed that “one size fits all” rarely fits at all. In finding resources for your treatment center, one size, one shape, and one dimension to manage one disorder, I’ve discovered doesn’t fit either. The...

Substance use and mental health disorders often combine into a destructive disorder that rapidly intensifies. The illness is pervasive and mean-spirited. It appears intent on first capturing its victims and then killing its captives. Although the client is...

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States and other countries, a day set aside to give thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. President George Washington proclaimed November 26, 1789 “as a day of...

It seems as though whenever you defeat one addiction, another vice, addiction, or bad habit is just around the corner. In recovery, cross addiction refers to trading one addiction for another. In cross addiction, a new addiction takes the place of a...

There have been a lot of monumental challenges in the treatment of co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. A client of mine in a residential treatment program for co-occurring disorders asked me the other day why I would want...

Journey to Recovery is a resource site for treatment centers, clinicians, and for those in need of help and healing. Our goal is to supply easy to use, user friendly, and inspiring recovery resources. In keeping with that goal, we have just...

Substance misuse and abuse can occur at any age, however the majority of those with substance use problems started using substances during adolescence and developed a substance use disorder by the age of 20-25. Because brain development...

If you were acting in a play, your behavior and lines would be directed by the script. In life, too, you are acting and speaking according to pre-written scripts. We often feel and act in strict accordance with how we see ourselves. If you see yourself...

Today, October 10, 2017 is World Mental Health Day. People in our country and around the world are acknowledging the stark reality that almost everyone is directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues. One in every five people in...

Co-occurring disorders (COD) are extraordinarily complex. To be effective, treatment programs and interventions must specifically target and treat both substance use and mental health disorders at the same time. The most effective treatment is...

People struggling with substance use disorders may have encountered various, traumatic experiences along the way. Some people who have experienced traumatic situations start using drugs and alcohol as a way to numb their feelings and cope...

Do you ever have difficult weeks where every walk seems uphill, every stroke of the paddle is upstream, and every ride is against the wind? I’m not much for complaining; it’s sort of embarrassing for me. I’m more likely to keep it to myself and...

As you move through your addiction and maintain sobriety, you have likely noticed the complicated and multifaceted nature of your recovery. Your addiction likely has negatively impacted your health, job, finances, reputation, self-esteem, and...

Substance use disorders are filled with denial, rationalizations, minimizations, and justifications. These are employed to reduce shame, suspiciousness, self-doubt, and feelings of inadequacy. The…

We live in a world that is easily and often offended. This is a hard concept because we have been trained to exaggerate our…

This is the second of a two-part series discussing the top ten elements of successful recovery. Each of these principles is an important aspect…

Substance abuse treatment is often a monumental decision that can make an enormous difference in the length and quality of your life. Once this…

Consequences tell me I need to change, but hope tells me I can change. Both are important. Let me tell you how it is.…

I have spent my whole life helping people change. Many people in recovery have become mired down in their own negative thinking. Likely your…

Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain during the Second World War, referred to his level of periodic and hard biting depression as the…

Most people in recovery are extremely motivated to do whatever it takes to get sober, be healthier, get their life back, and feel better…

A co-occurring disorder diagnosis is indicated when an alcohol or drug-related disorder occurs alongside a mental health disorder. The mental health disorder and the…

Chemically dependent individuals can demonstrate relapse behaviors at any time throughout their recovery process, but are especially prone during the early stages of recovery.…

Making gains in co-occurring disorder treatment, as with most goals, requires sustained focus, enormous perseverance, and resolute determination. These precious attributes however, are often…

Most people live aimlessly and without thought as to how they are living. When someone becomes drug or alcohol addicted, they spend more time…

Treatment for chemical dependency or co-occurring disorders does not lend itself well to exceedingly high expectations or a perfectionistic disposition. In treating co-occurring disorders,…

The word resentment is best understood as having bitter indignation at being treated unfairly or unkindly. Resentment can come when you are misunderstood, neglected,…

When people enter a relationship it is common to ask “What is in it for me?” or “What will I get out of it?”…

Life is not as easy as most of us would like. We endure pain and suffering, both large and small. Listening recently to a…

In a co-occurring disorder treatment program, people come with a variety of mental health and substance abuse issues. The Journal of the American Medical…

Abstaining from alcohol and drugs is challenging for a large variety of reasons. Temptations often come from the inside and include things such as…