Being in recovery—whether from trauma, addiction, or illness—makes us vulnerable. There’s nothing wrong with that. We have been wounded, we have been mistreated (by self […] Read More
Tag: family
Are you doomed to a relapse once you leave the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous? No. You are not. Trust me on this—I know of many […] Read More
As someone who mostly eschews labels, I am more and more perplexed by our ability to slap those things onto others and ourselves so eagerly—well […] Read More
I had the honor today of providing testimony at the Wisconsin Senate Public Hearing on Assembly Bill 579, AB 579 will provide access for adult […] Read More
One of the most puzzling aspects of my recovery has been the contradiction that is 12 Step fellowship and recovery. It was a place where […] Read More
Many thanks to Adoptees Connect: An Adoptee Centric Connect Group for including me as a Featured Sponsor, Partner & Supporter. Adoptees Connect brings adoptees and […] Read More
Welcome, again, to that special time of the year of getting bombarded with ads showing the wonders of drinking and getting merry. When are we […] Read More
I’ve realized that one of the components of keeping me sober for so long has been fear—in later years, the fear of leaving the rooms […] Read More
I bet there’s not one person in the world who would answer the above question with: “A person struggling with addiction!” Yet there are so […] Read More
I don’t want my adoption to define me. In the past, when I was first learning about my history, I became fascinated with where I […] Read More
Checkout this great piece by Jowita Bydlowska in The Fix: Happy Destiny or a Life Sentence: Thoughts on Leaving AA I’m honored to […] Read More
I had the honor today of providing testimony at the Wisconsin Senate Public Hearing on Senate Bill 521, SB 521 will provide access for adult […] Read More
I don’t believe in stagnation. I like change, but especially the kind of change that allows us to grow and move forward. I think the […] Read More
In the over-exaggerated world of movies and television, helping someone with addiction can look really heroic and ever-absorbing. I recall scenes of people setting up […] Read More
I was honored today to be included in a panel discussion regarding the eight (8) proposed Wisconsin Assembly Bills impacting adoption, foster care, and termination […] Read More
One of the bleakest aspects of early recovery was the feeling of guilt and shame over the damage I’d done to my loved ones. Once […] Read More
I’ve been immersed in the world of recovery for many years and I’ve come to the realization that this is my life passion. In addition, […] Read More
In the beginning it has never occurred to me that my substance use was akin to checking out of life. I thought I was just […] Read More
I offer the following as part of National Adoption Month 2019. I’ve written about secrets before, but it’s an important topic to remind myself and […] Read More
I try to keep my writing as upbeat as I can, but I also cannot dismiss the reality of someone living in active substance use […] Read More