One of the big questions around the holidays is how to make everyone happy by attending ALL family gatherings. Answer? YOU CAN’T! The phrase in that first sentence that needs to jump out at you is “making everyone happy.” That’s impossible most of the time, and doubly so over the holidays. But if you can…
“Once an Addict, Always an Addict” Stigma is one of the most difficult aspects of addiction because it can make it harder for individuals to get the help they need. Some of us have heard the old saying, “once an addict, always an addict,” but what does that really mean? And how does the saying…
Before we know it, the holidays will be here. For those of us who struggle with family relationships, the holidays bring up lots of feelings—not all of them happy. So how do we navigate through all these emotional “minefields”? The answer is to plan ahead! Yes, plan out who will go where for which holiday…
“I don’t have enough motivation.” How often do we hear athletes blame lack of motivation for poor performance? But while motivation can indeed be a problem, often the real issue is the fear of failure, injury, or even of fear itself. An athlete who endures a fall, suffers an injury, or has a traumatic or…
The crisp air of fall and the autumnal glare of the sun’s rays brings about a certain hope of celebration and perhaps pumpkin everything as a harbinger to the holidays. However, for some of us, particularly those with less-than-healthy families, the eve of celebratory months brings about a sense of dread. Others of us look…
Learning to pay attention to the moment while also cultivating a nonjudgmental stance towards self sounds pretty ideal to an addict in recovery, right? Individuals experiencing addiction, past or present, often find themselves “stuck” in certain patterns or behaviors, sometimes not even realizing their “stuckness”. With obsessive, compulsive and self-centered thinking tendencies, addicts can easily…
This is the time of year when some sports are in playoff mode, and others are just beginning their season. With the NFL draft right around the corner, there are many draft pick hopefuls waiting to hear their names called on that stage and have their careers begin. As fun as the NFL draft is…
He’s too hard to buy for! She’s so picky! I don’t know what to get them, they have everything! We all have someone in our lives who is hard to shop for. Trying to find the perfect gift anyway can be a real source of stress. Actually, the real source of stress is often not…
One philosophy the Chicago Cubs hold dear is never give up! From their manager Joe Maddon, to almost every player who’s been interviewed, they all say the same thing; we believe in ourselves and, no matter what’s happening, we never give up. And we all know where that philosophy led. This is the team that…
There’s this saying being thrown around jokingly by college students that ultimately leaves a lasting, detrimental impact. The saying goes “It’s not alcoholism until you graduate.” This statement perpetuates the belief that college students can acceptably consume alcohol to an extent that would be classified as alcoholism if any other individual were drinking in that…