SEPTEMBER IS RECOVERY MONTH Do you know that September is Recovery Month? I think it’s amazing that a whole month has been set aside as a time to honor recovery from addiction—this shows that the times definitely are a-changin’ and that a great many more people are getting the message that recovery truly is possible. This is great for those who are struggling with addictive behaviors—from alcohol and drugs to gambling, to compulsive over-spending, to sex addiction, to Internet addiction, … [Read more...] about Attention All Loved Ones of Addicts: Let’s Come out of the Shame Closet and Recover!
Helping vs. Enabling
“I Know I’m Enabling But….” Recovery from Addiction in the Family
After working for nearly 25 years with the loved ones of people struggling with addiction, I’m still amazed by how many come to their first session with me and say “I know I’m enabling, but…” Do you have an addicted loved one in your life? Are you already aware that you’re doing things you probably shouldn’t be doing, in the guise of ‘helping’ them? And even if you’re not getting the results you’re hoping for, do you still continue to enable them anyway—often for way too long? A logical … [Read more...] about “I Know I’m Enabling But….” Recovery from Addiction in the Family
The Portland Hotel Society: If It Looks Like a Duck and Quacks Like a Duck…
Maybe—just maybe—it’s actually a duck? I just couldn’t let this story go by without writing about it again. The long and short of it is that the higher (no pun intended) authorities of the Portland Hotel Society (PHS) and several of their own Board of Directors are stepping down, as ordered by the BC Government, in order to avoid receivership. So what does this mean? Well, according to the government, in the 2012-2013 fiscal year, PHS received a cool $21 million in funding. Of that money, we … [Read more...] about The Portland Hotel Society: If It Looks Like a Duck and Quacks Like a Duck…
Crack Pipe Vending Machines: The New Kids on the Block
So now Vancouver has crack pipe vending machines—have you heard?Actually, maybe you didn’t hear. Even if you live in the Vancouver area, you may not have heard. It seems to me that this was on the news, local and nationally, for about two nights and then it was not covered anymore—and has now been virtually forgotten about.But somehow, I am unable to forget about it.According to those scanty news reports, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) has approved the Portland Hotel in the Downtown Eastside to … [Read more...] about Crack Pipe Vending Machines: The New Kids on the Block
Justin Bieber: The Latest Casualty of ‘Enabling’
Most of us knew it was only a matter of time.Not only were we hearing story after story about Justin’s “antics”—a media description that only served to minimize the severity of his actions—but those very actions were becoming more and more bizarre. Before today’s arrest for driving under the influence and resisting arrest, he was pitching raw eggs at his neighbor’s house causing thousands of dollars worth of damage—not to mention a sizable stash of illegal drugs that were found in his home.Do we … [Read more...] about Justin Bieber: The Latest Casualty of ‘Enabling’
