Happy Recovery Month! This year marks the 25th anniversary of National Recovery Month. In addition to increasing awareness about mental health and substance abuse issues and available treatment options, Recovery Month focuses on those who are living in long-term recovery
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak at an “End the Stigma” event organized by the Mullica Hill Women’s Tri Club, a triathlon club that raises money each year for a cause of their choosing. This year their cause is ending the stigma against mental health and addictions.
Last month, I had the opportunity to tour two drug and alcohol rehab centers. During these visits, I learned a lot about the different approaches currently being used for inpatient addiction treatment and I enjoyed seeing the steps that each program takes to best help the people they serve in a compassionate, personalized way.
A few months ago, I submitted an article to the editor of the magazine for a local professional organization. I looked forward to this opportunity to share some wisdom with an audience whom I rarely have the opportunity to connect with.
I awoke from a drunken stupor sharply at 5:02am, the morning of New Year’s Eve, 2006 with a migraine, and a voice in my head, that said clearly and firmly, “That’s it. You’re done.”
To meet the requirements for my social work license and stay current on advances in the field, I recently went to a seminar on Internet Addiction. The first thing the presenter did was to ask everyone to put away their phones and refrain from using the internet and email features of the phone until the course ended 6 hours later. What?