Unfortunately, Toronto’s mayor Rob Ford has become quite the laughingstock. He’s the guy people love to shoot down at the water cooler—and anyone who watches late night TV is aware that of the comedic fodder he’s been supplying the hosts for far too long. I’m sure I’m not the only one wondering how this situation has gotten so out of hand, giving Canada a huge black eye on the international landscape. ADDICTION DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT The way I see it is that this sort of fiasco doesn’t … [Read more...] about Rob Ford’s Dilemma: His Denial or Our Blind Spots?
Blog
The Secret of Self-Respect: We Teach Other People How to Treat Us
Well-known TV icon Dr. Phil sometimes comes up with wonderful sayings and slogans, such as his classic “How’s THAT been workin’ for ya?” It’s a great question, designed to keep us on track in our lives— because if the way we’ve been doing something isn’t working, it could very well be time to try another way. The other Dr. Phil-ism I like and use a lot—in both my personal and professional lives—is this one: We teach other people how to treat us. I absolutely believe this to be true, although … [Read more...] about The Secret of Self-Respect: We Teach Other People How to Treat Us
“Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself: Surviving the Holidays” Free Tele-Class
Is loving an addict driving you crazy? Are you at your wit’s end, trying to cope with this situation? Are you worried about how to deal with the upcoming Holiday Season? All too often, loved ones of people struggling with addiction suffer right along with them, not knowing what they can do to help—and often doing things that actually enable the addiction to continue. For those of you who are loved ones of people with addictions, the holidays can be a most stressful time. On Wednesday, December … [Read more...] about “Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself: Surviving the Holidays” Free Tele-Class
Sometimes Love Looks like “No”: When to Set and Maintain Healthy Boundaries
Is it possible to have a healthy relationship with someone who is in active addiction? What needs to happen for that to occur? If you are in that situation, you have probably wondered about this many times. THE QUESTION OF THE DAY Several weeks ago I was interviewed on Talk Recovery radio, a new program on Vancouver’s Co-Op Radio station, dealing with addiction and recovery issues. I was honored to be chosen as their very first guest, and I had a great time talking with the interviewers about … [Read more...] about Sometimes Love Looks like “No”: When to Set and Maintain Healthy Boundaries
Even More Recovery in Vancouver: Our 2nd Annual Recovery Day is Coming Soon!
It’s hard to believe that a whole year has gone by since our last Recovery Day here in Vancouver. Some of you may remember my VO blog post about it at that time: http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/psyched/clean-and-sober-vancouver What a great day it was! There was excitement in the air as those in recovery, as well as many of their loved ones, laughed and sang and danced together on the lawn of the Art Gallery in Downtown Vancouver. Children enjoyed the face painting and balloons that were … [Read more...] about Even More Recovery in Vancouver: Our 2nd Annual Recovery Day is Coming Soon!