The Legacy of Absence Book Review
The Legacy of Absence: Resolving the Wounds From Uninvolved Fathers in Individuals, Families, and Society By Tim Olson Self-published / Bookbaby / Amazon Imagine a son or daughter who realizes dad has chosen work, sports, or other addictions instead of them. This is abandonment—and the consequences will leave a negative life-long legacy. But there is …
How to Access Recovery Meetings During COVID-19
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, recovery meetings may have been canceled to keep communities from spreading the virus. Because of this, people in recovery are looking for alternative ways to connect. We’ve gathered a list of obtaining support online or by phone. We hope they will help in your recovery and please pass along …
Brass Rings & Bologna: Gamblers’ Delights, Delusions & Legacies
The summer before my father died, I traveled Upstate to visit him. After lunch in our town’s arts district, we drove to Lake Ontario to watch the waves roll in. It was warm and pleasant, so out the pier we walked, Dad chatting on about all the fun we used to have, barbequing and playing …
Overcoming Grandiosity in Recovery
“He who loves himself too much will have no rivals.” — Benjamin Franklin Self-inflation is a major problem in our culture and an impediment to personal growth and recovery. It is the exaggerated belief in our own exceptionalism—that we are a cut above others with little or no evidence to support our belief. It involves …
Letter From the Editor: Gambling
Gambling is one of the stealthier addictions, both to spot and to succumb to in all its glory. After all, everyone gambles – don’t they? Take, for example, that big ol’ thing called “life.” Every day we take a “gamble” on what we plan to do and keep the faith that it will turn out …
Welcome to Recovery From Codependency
I had difficulty in my love relationships, friendships and relationships with co-workers and my family. Everything felt so difficult. Why did I keep getting fired from jobs, even from my own business? Why couldn’t men love me the way I needed to be loved? I know how to fix everyone else’s problems, why can’t I …
The Faces of Gambling Recovery
Each person’s addiction is unique, as is each story of renewed hope. Gambling disorder, also known as gambling addiction or compulsive gambling, continues to be misunderstood as being caused by a lack of willpower in which gamblers are blamed for their disorder. These myths need to be debunked. To illustrate the insidious way that gambling …
Gambling Addiction: Finally Out of the Shadows
When we talk about co-occurring disorders, we usually have some sort of mental health issue to consider with those of us in recovery. After all, many of us were “out there” self-medicating; for undiagnosed (or diagnosed) depression, trauma, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and a myriad of other maladies that we either didn’t have the …
What Are Addiction Trusts?
My path in recovery began when I was starting my third year in law school. As luck (and my higher power) would have it, I was at William Mitchell College of Law, which sits in the center of a thriving recovery community in St. Paul. I was fortunate to find myself in a setting and …
Ask the Expert: Mathew Meyers of Traverse Counseling and Consulting
We’ll feature an expert in the mental health and/or substance use disorder fields to answer questions Q: What is “Compulsive Technology Use?” Think of Compulsive Technology Use like an itch that doesn’t go away. You know that scratching and scratching will only make things worse, but it feels like you have to scratch. For people …