According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), addiction is characterized by: “an inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavior control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response.” The “inability to consistently abstain” is a concept that sometimes confuses loved ones and family members

  The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. − Alice Walker Don’t get me wrong, as a human being you have been victimized. Any time another person violates one of your boundaries, there is the possibility of victimization. Being lied to, cheated on, and ignored because

    In 1990, Congress established the first week in October as Mental Illness Awareness Week. Each year, millions of Americans live with mental health conditions. Mental illness affects almost every person, either directly or indirectly. How many of us have experienced mental illness ourselves or know friends or loved ones who have suffered? I

    I was told to sit on the chair positioned in the center of the room. It was one those uncomfortable, hard, wooden chairs last seen in a classroom or a doctor’s office in 1969. Other chairs formed a large circle around the room. They were contemporary. Only mine was made of wood.  When

  Rewrite your story, you get to choose again I was raised in a middle-class loving family, where my parents were doing the best that they could do in terms of providing for my needs. Financially, I had all the comforts one would wish for but emotionally I fell victim to what was taught to

  Tear soaked eyes blind me, pushing through; I attempt to write a sonnet. My frantically beating heart emits gratitude – Shakespeare isn’t here to witness bleeding bodies run for cover, scatter to the ground falling on it Screaming, mass confusion – festive country music morphing into fear No, love songs are not on my

      October 6th marks the 9th birthday of InTheRooms.com, an online platform for people in recovery from every conceivable addiction, to connect from all over the world. Not only do you get the chance to meet people from around the world, but you also get to experience real live recovery right alongside them,

  Love addiction sounds like it might be a fun thing to have. But it isn’t. It’s a serious form of codependency where you place such a high value on a romantic partner (or more than one romantic partner) that your relationship with that person (or people) becomes all-consuming and the primary focus of your

  The brilliant Dawn Clancy is doing it again! I have so much admiration for this woman and the tireless work she does to inform, support and educated ACOAs and all those who have experienced childhood family dysfunction. Below you will see that Dawn is offering some free online workshops. I really hope you register

    Spiritual renewal does not provide us with the answer; it helps us find the way. The past several years of recovery have resulted in an evolution of spirituality in my life. It has also been a desire to share with other men this experience and hear from them how a spiritual awakening has