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
Tag: trauma
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
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
Sometimes with addiction, you need all the help you can get. Actually, you always need all the help you can get – especially in early […] Read More
Many thanks to Paige Strickland, author of Akin to the Truth: A Memoir of Adoption and Identity, for her review of Parallel Universes. The premise […] Read More
One of the hardest aspects of addiction is that it doesn’t just affect the person having it. I’ve talked about families of people with substance […] Read More
For me, one of the aspects of healthy recovery is learning about who I am and staying rigorously honest with myself about my reality. This […] Read More
One of the biggest misconceptions about addiction is that it’s some kind of a moral failing or a weakness and that the person with the […] Read More
Summer has ended. And with it the frenzy of celebrating in the sun, the garden parties, the patios, the BBQs, the long, lazy days on […] Read More
You’re here because you found out about me through the grapevine, maybe saw something on social media, maybe you’ve got my book. If you’ve been […] Read More
Sometimes when I think about my own recovery, I am amused at how demanding it can get. Or how demanding it used to be – […] Read More
I’m sorry, darling, but this is just not working for me anymore. It’s not you, it’s me. Or, perhaps I should say, it’s not me, […] Read More
For many people in recovery, there comes a time when it all becomes so… boring. Yup. The meetings, the retreats, the group sessions, the therapy, […] Read More