The other day I was chatting with my good friend Julie, the Julie I walk and pray with—I have many Julies in my life. I was explaining to her my shoulders are disproportionally large for my body. I apologized to her because my sizeable shoulders were atmospherically leaning over the table. Disagreeing, she said I …
The arguments surrounding the root cause of addiction have raged for decades. Addiction is often viewed as a societal or moral failing rather than a biological one. Many people believe that it is a choice to continue to drink or use vs. an illness. But is this really the situation? I recently sat down with …
Substance use disorder is treatable, and recovery is possible. But it is rarely achieved alone. That’s why the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is committed to strengthening Minnesota’s treatment system – so that everyone has access to the right kind of support, when and where they need it. My name is Jen Sather and …
In January 2014, my son, David, 39, passed away following a 15-year addiction to heroin. We started out as an average suburban family: Father, mother, David, and Bill, an older brother. David’s father was a police officer, and I worked part-time as a secretary at the boys’ elementary school. Our lives centered on our community …
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” —Egyptian proverb, 2400BC Life is a blur. There’s never enough time. Myra and I work ten hour days at least five days a week. Sometimes weekends. She teaches middle school with larger and larger class sizes. I’m a software engineer who’s expected to do the …
We feature an expert in the mental health and substance use disorder field to answer questions. This issue we talk to Ed Treat of The Center of Addiction and Faith about finding hope while in recovery / dealing with mental health issues. Q: How does having a sense of hope impact someone’s overall mental health …
The Phoenix · Don’t Love Them to Death. Get Help. Intervention is a highly effective way to get someone into addiction treatment. When it’s led by a professional interventionist, that is. Plenty of people try on their own to convince the addicted person to stop using and go to treatment. They might even stage their …
It might seem strange at first to think that sex can become an addiction. It’s a natural biological activity, not a chemical ingested into the system. But just as alcohol and drugs can become addictive, so can natural activities like eating and sex. These activities become problematic when they are used as a means of …
The following is the final article in a six-part series from author, George Lewis. Opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily the views of The Phoenix Spirit. In “Part VI” of the World History of Drugs, you will meet the pawns in this deadly game of politics and drugs. You will learn how the …
My oldest son Aaron died of a heroin overdose in May, 2007. He was 33 years old and had battled addiction for almost 20 years. After he died, I was encouraged by friends and family members to attend a grief group specifically for parents whose children had died. But, I was not ready to attend …
