The Joyful Sound of Support and Recovery Accepting the reality that alcohol and drugs have taken over and your life is unmanageable is a frightening experience. Even more frightening is asking for help and going to an unknown place and relying on the kindness of strangers to get better. But the situation gets easier when…
Celebrities in Handcuffs
The famous drink and drive, too. They also don’t always get off easy. Most recently, the spotlight shone a bit brighter on five names for the wrong reasons. Bass player Todd Harrell. On Friday night, police in Tennessee arrested Harrell, bassist for 3 Doors Down, for more than driving under the influence—he’s facing vehicular homicide…
OxyContin Gets a Makeover
OxyContin Gets a Makeover Prescription drug abuse is a major problem in the United States. Many people start off needing prescription pain medicine but end up misusing, abusing and eventually becoming addicted. OxyContin, a narcotic painkiller that relieves moderate to severe pain, became one of the most abused prescription drugs because it was easily crushed…
Stressing and Using
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after someone is exposed to a dangerous and frightening event. With PTSD, the anxiety lingers. The person feels afraid even when there is no reason to. Many people associate PTSD with veterans and war, but it can occur after any frightening event. And many…
A Journey in Recovery: Two Thumbs Up!
A Journey in Recovery: Two Thumbs Up! If you grew up in the 70s and the 80s, then you know you couldn’t watch a movie at the theaters before getting the “thumbs up” by famous film critic Roger Ebert. He may have had different film critic partners, but his movie reviews were the staple of…
A Lesson on College Drinking
A Lesson on College Drinking Parents send their children off to college with hopes of the dean’s list, responsible spending, decision making and sobriety. However, the reality for many is quite the opposite. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), four out of five students drink alcohol and nearly half of…
Love and Romance in Recovery
There’s nothing like being in a new relationship. The excitement of seeing each other and the mystery and allure of the other person take over. It’s hard to concentrate on anything else, especially when things are going well. But when the romance goes bad, the feelings of rejection and heartbreak are difficult to handle. Now…
Smartphones Are Getting Smarter
Smartphones Are Getting Smarter Picture yourself at your favorite bar. You’re surrounded by good friends, good food, and having a few drinks. Once you call it a night, you stumble out into the parking lot and search for you keys. You convince yourself that you’re not drunk, maybe a little buzzed but you can drive….
Ultra Music and Drugs
Ultra Music and Drugs Ultra Music Festival has been coming to Miami since 1999 and this year, it has expanded to two March weekends from just one. The electronic music festival is one of many festivals that highlight the music calendar, like Coachella, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Known for music, and in the case of many…
Penn State Is Redeeming St. Patrick’s Day
Penn State Is Redeeming St. Patrick’s Day Penn State University made Huffington Post’s list of ‘Most Irish Colleges’ in 2012 because they had their own early St. Patrick’s Day celebration, which had devolved into drunkenness and arrests. But efforts from the college and community the past several years have toned down ‘State Patty’s Day,’ which…
