First published on December 14, 2012. Has anyone else noticed how early the Christmas chaos began this year? I recall a few years ago here in Vancouver, a number of people became so disgruntled by the early onset of Christmas music in some of the stores—in the middle of October—that they took to Facebook en masse and complained. One store in particular, Shoppers Drug Mart, appeased the naysayers by stopping that music, but only after they drew their line in the sand, assuring us that the … [Read more...] about Addicted to Christmas Chaos? Taming the Madness this Holiday Season
Addiction recovery
How to Help the Addict You Love to Become Healthy: The Family’s Role in Addiction Recovery
Addiction is so rampant now in our society. We all know that more and more people are dying from the ravages of this horrific situation, especially due to drugs like fentanyl that take the lives of drug users in a split second. We simply don’t have the luxury of treading lightly around addiction anymore. We each need to do all we can to shift this and get the results that all families of addicts are looking for. It IS possible. STOP ENABLING AND MAKE THE SHIFT So how do we make that shift? … [Read more...] about How to Help the Addict You Love to Become Healthy: The Family’s Role in Addiction Recovery
Loving an Addict: Are You Enabling or Ennobling?
Last week, I went to see my doctor about something minor. I’ve been very fortunate to have had the same GP for the past 30 years. We first started together in the very early days of my recovery from addiction, so he has seen me grow from being emotionally despondent and very physically ill (Crohn’s Disease)—as I tried to stay away from the various prescription medications and pot I’d been using for years—into the very different person I am today. As I sometimes tell my clients, you wouldn’t have … [Read more...] about Loving an Addict: Are You Enabling or Ennobling?
From Fantasy to Reality on Valentine’s Day: Loving Yourself with Healthy Self-Care
This post was originally published in February 2013. Ah, Valentine's Day, the fantasy-filled holiday that comes right after we've managed to get ourselves through another year of Christmas and New Year's Eve! Have you ever wondered whose bright idea it was to have those three holidays in a row? For many people, the 3-month period of December through February can be the most difficult and depressing time of the year, and this is especially true for those whose significant relationships are … [Read more...] about From Fantasy to Reality on Valentine’s Day: Loving Yourself with Healthy Self-Care
New Year’s Resolutions?
Try Intentions Instead!
Repost of article originally published December 2010.
In the immortal words of John Lennon, another year is over and a new one’s just begun.
Isn’t it interesting how we, as a society, agree that this is the time to give ourselves and our lives a complete and total new makeover? We have decided that at this time of the year we will revisit the year we’re leaving behind, dissecting it to see what worked for us and what didn’t. And on top of that, we need to make sure that we meet all of our … [Read more...] about New Year’s Resolutions?
Try Intentions Instead!
