Jeff Powell, better known as Jay Pee, came from the hellish side of Chicago, broken. In his first 30 years, he did it all – drug dealing, gangs, crime, jail. “It was pretty much like a war zone out there,” he says. Yet the streets were the only place where Jay Pee felt he could …
When Jason Schneidman meets disheveled-looking people begging on street corners, he doesn’t hand them a couple bucks. He gives them haircuts. And then some. As a hairstylist for Hollywood celebrities, Schneidman is in the lookin’-good business big time. He’s well aware that a nice haircut can lead to feeling better about yourself and of course …
Imagine you are 14 years old. Your parents blast you with venomous comments when they are in a drug stupor, or they disappear for days. Or maybe they push you to go to school when you are so depressed and scared that you wish you could die. You only go because the fentanyl is there …
Opera singer Bryan Garcia and tattoo artist SaraEmma Regalado have something rare in common. Both use their creative skills to foster self-healing in the recovery community. Coming from harsh beginnings and troubled histories of substance abuse, they are each bursting with enthusiasm as they ramp up their efforts to share the healing power and joy …
Minnesota Recovery Connection (MRC), a community-based organization, provides peer-to-peer support, public education, and advocacy for people seeking or sustaining recovery from substance use disorders. In this interview (edited for length), Wendy Jones, MRC’s executive director since 2018, shares highlights from her experience as she leaves her position. What attracted you to MRC in the first …
Sometimes you just have to blurt out the truth. That’s what happened in 2012 to Ken Barlow, chief meteorologist at KSTP-TV. He was standing before thousands of walkers gathered in support of the Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Barlow had agreed to host this annual benefit walk, and as he …
The word “service” doesn’t appear anywhere in the Twelve Steps. Yet, it is a highly respected hallmark of this widespread approach to recovery. Hang around where Twelve Steppers gather, and you’ll likely hear “Thank you for your service” buzzing in the air. Service looks different for each person in a Twelve Step program, ranging from …
Older people can find plenty of reasons to drink alcohol or use other addictive drugs to excess. Pain relief. Isolation and loneliness. Feelings of boredom and uselessness after retirement. Loss after loss after loss. For some, it’s simply a decades-old habit. What’s hard to do is to stop using addictive substances when they are ruining …
Let’s say you’ve landed in treatment. For the first time. Or for the umpteenth time. You can’t believe you’ll be stuck here for weeks, maybe months, with all these annoying people around you. You can’t believe you landed here, period. Your brain is pure fuzz. Your body craves just one thing – and you can’t …
The Phoenix · Where to Go When You Need a Break (In Minnesota) Sometimes I just have to get away. I’ve lost my bearings. I find myself whining over the stupidest little things. I need a reset. Especially now, with the tug of spring exploding with new life all around me. “Up North” cabins and …
