The Phoenix · Where Is Your Hope? Is your hope these days in a vaccine? A new political or economic vision? More public attention to ending racism or climate warming? Whatever we look to outside of ourselves is always transient. A more reliable basis for hope comes from within our own hearts and minds. What …

I was in the middle of what I thought was a soulful, honest share when a voice bellowed from the back of the room. I turned to see a crusty old guy, holding an unlit cigar, who looked impatient for me to either finish baring my soul or move on to a different subject. “It’s …

We’ll feature an expert in the mental health and substance use disorder field to answer questions Q: How can body awareness impact recovery? Many approaches to addiction recovery incorporate a variety of practices that improve body awareness, including yoga, meditation, mindfulness-based interventions and CranioSacral therapy. These practices foster awareness of inner bodily sensations, which may …

This past spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, people in need of behavioral health services were blindsided. While in-person treatment programs were considered essential services and continued, many people, especially those at higher risk, stayed away. Even more, outpatient services and other supportive services were unable to offer people the help that they needed. This …

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” —From Abraham Lincoln’s first Inaugural address March 4, 1861 …

The following is part three in a series by author, George Lewis.  The United States is a reluctant world power. All eyes are on Europe watching and waiting as Hitler rises to power. It is 1933 and America is still feeling the sting of its participation in World War I which it had just ended …

That night­–fall of my senior year–was a Saturday night, so I headed to a party. A bonfire tucked in the woods off Hwy. 55, where we could drink underage to excess. I had a bottle of Seagram’s in my jacket along with a liter of Seven Up. Didn’t take long before I was smashed. I …

“If there is hope in the future, there is literally power in the present.” Zig Ziglar Given the enormity of 2020, you can be forgiven, in part, for thinking that there is little hope left for the future. Millions of people lost their lives in 2020. The pandemic continues to rage. Black and minority voices …

The Phoenix · Becoming Community “The most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” – Kurt Vonnegut I miss people. I miss little people, big people, happy people, crabby people. I miss the spontaneity that a safe environment supports. I miss hugging friends and rubbing …

By the time this story is published, over 5 years will have passed since I began my journey in recovery. Today I have solid friendships, a sense of purpose, satisfaction and a level of serenity in my life that I never dreamed possible. One of my pursuits is volunteering and being a vocal advocate for …