This is the first time I’ve ever blogged, despite being a long-time internetaholic (I’m powerless over Yahoo). It’s interesting, the idea of a therapist writing in a public forum, given the intensely private nature of the work we do. Perhaps I’ll discuss a case, or cases, provided of course that identities are thoroughly disguised. Maybe I’ll turn the blog into a kind of reality TV show, with readers voting for their “favorite” cases…Survivor meets Celebrity Rehab. (Although, given the nature of addiction therapy, the more appropriate comparison is probably “Deal or No Deal”.)

Addicts are quite uncomfortable in their struggle to re-establish some form of physiological and psychological balance without the drug. The most significant threat to your relationship will be if your partner proceeds with recovery without you being involved in a parallel recovery process. Both of you need people outside the relationship to assist and support you through this readjustment process. Read More »

Our own growth might be due to those who loved us enough to let us experience the sometimes painful consequences of our choices or mistakes. We can pass the loving detachment on to others. The following is a description of enabling, co-dependency and denial as key systemic behaviors that inadvertently support addiction.

Restoring trust is very difficult in the process of recovery. Most family members feel betrayed and violated by the practicing addict or alcoholic. Building trust is a process and comes very slowly. It takes only a moment to break or destroy trust but much time and work to rebuild it.  The following are some tools to learn the process of trust for the addict and the family in recovery.