Addiction Recovery Q&A
14 experts · 39 questions answered
Latest Q&As
Serious Predicament
Dear MikeL24: Your predicament IS serious and it is one that requires medical intervention especially given the amount of Benzodiazepines that you have become habituated to. Withdrawal treatment of significant daily intake, plus its accumulation in the fatty organs over such a long period of time is
Answered by Dr. Mark Abrahams
False hope vs. real hope
Hope, My heart goes out to you You feel that having invested so much in this relationship, you can't just walk away and have so little return on your investment. I'm sorry - whether he is drinking or not, he is an insensitive and selfish man. It's incredible that he got sober - I hope he stays that
Answered by Jim LaPierre
Post Acute Withdrawal
Hi Melissa, Thank you for reaching out and connecting! First and foremost, congratulations! What you're doing is heroic and healthy. Post Acute Withddrawal (PAW) can last up to the first year of being clean and sober. Your body, mind and spirit continue to experience healing and a high degree of cha
Answered by Jim LaPierre
Off Methadone and Oxycodone for good
Let me start by letting you know that I am not a medical professional; my experience comes from being an interventionist and recovery coach. I applaud you for taking the first steps to be free from substance abuse. I am not an advocate for long term use of Suboxone. I believe that many times people
Answered by Joseph Novak
Off Methadone and Oxycodone for good
Let me start by letting you know that I am not a medical professional; my experience comes from being an interventionist and recovery coach. I applaud you for taking the first steps to be free from substance abuse. I am not an advocate for long term use of Suboxone. I believe that many times people
Answered by Joseph Novak
If You Love Someone...
A reader whose girlfriend recently completed a 30-day recovery program asks how to support her, after she wrote that she felt it best to end their relationship during her recovery.
Answered by Jim LaPierre
Early Recovery
Hi there and thank you for your question. My first thought is, "Well, of course he is still codependent, it's only been a month." I am a huge fan of Veteran's courts, family drug courts, and other alternative sentencing and recovery programs. Given that he is a veteran, I am wondering if his experie
Answered by Jim LaPierre
When You Help You-You Help Her
Thanks for reaching out to us--you have started off making a good decision. It is difficult to think straight and be real when you live in a vacuum. Without knowing a great deal more about what's happening for you it is difficult to be specific with any feedback. Having said that we can talk general
Answered by James Cloughley
Abuse vs. Addiction
Hi there and thanks for your excellent question. Drug abuse is a strange term - people don't abuse drugs - drugs are inanimate objects. We abuse our bodies and minds with drugs. When we continue to abuse them we run the risk of developing dependence. We experience negative consequences as we continu
Answered by Jim LaPierre
The Road Ahead
Thank you for writing to me - my heart goes out to you. The road ahead will be very hard for all concerned. Not knowing the geographical location you're in my best guidance is to contact local hospitals and your interventionist should be more than capable of locating resources (I expect they are ver
Answered by Jim LaPierre
What to do when Children are Harmed by Addiction
Thank you for your question. I'm sure you are very concerned about your grandchild. People in the grips of an addiction are rarely responsible. Good parents have to put their children first and an addict in active addiction has difficulty putting anything before the drug. Your daughter may love her
Answered by Anna Deeds
Self Disclosure Is Awesome
Hi there and thank you for your excellent question! I use a lot of self disclosure in working with addictions clients and trauma survivors. The reasons for this are: - Hope that my experience, strength, and hope might be beneficial - Acknowledgement of the simple truth that my clients are incredibly
Answered by Jim LaPierre
You Need a Medical Check-Up
I don't know much about you from this inquiry, which is understandable on a venue like this. If you were in my office I'd be asking you for a brief medical history. We want to check out any physical complaints before we head to psychological or even spiritual problems. You have to deal with the 'den
Answered by Dr. Mark Abrahams
Clean & Sober
Hello Desertshell, I know you are concerned about your son and his girlfriend. It is difficult finding affordable care. If you haven't already done so, check the Rehab Programs section of the Choose Help website. Also, ask your son to call his insurance and ask them for a list of agencies in the are
Answered by Arlinda Lindsay
Loved ones of addicts and alcoholics
Hi there. First, I'd like to say that this all must be incredibly hard to deal with. I can only imagine that you have been struggling and have felt torn for a long time. I hear that he is your fiancé, but I'd like you to think about who it was that you were engaged to: the man you met and fell in lo
Answered by Dyan Kolb
Never, Ever, Ever Give Up
Hi There! Thanks for your question - it's one I get asked a LOT and I'm so glad you brought it up! Social anxiety and feeling like you don't belong in the halls of AA is extremely common. Virtually everyone feels this way at first. Just showing up, just sitting and being it the company of people who
Answered by Jim LaPierre
It's Never too late
Hi Anonymous, It's never too late to turn your life around. Do not allow the past to define who you are. What is impossible with men is possible with God. I suggest you find a NA meeting or some other support group as well as getting a sponsor for additional support, encouragement, and accountabilit
Answered by Arlinda Lindsay
How to Make Amends
Thank you for your question and I'm glad you enjoyed the article. Congratulations on your sobriety and having a son. First, I wouldn't suggest making amends so early in recovery. Done the wrong way, an amends can make you feel worse and lead to a relapse. Making amends is the 8th and 9th Step in a 1
Answered by Anna Deeds
For Real?
Is this actually a real question? Because you're being addressed by a Grateful Dead head since 1972, who lived for shows until 1994, my last. I never approached a mental health professional with the thought that I'd have to eliminate my music connection." Forget trying to hit that scene sober. I hav
Answered by Dr. Mark Abrahams
Halfway Homes for the Halfway Home
Thank you for your excellent question. The short answer is yes, yes, yes! Halfway Houses are a great support that affords additional accountability and structure for those who are leaving rehab or otherwise in transition. I hear loud and clear through your questions that you want to be supportive an
Answered by Jim LaPierre
Staying Sober on a College Campus
Wow - thanks so much for writing - your questions are on point and you're wise to be concerned. Your friends in AA are seeing that you're in a precarious place and that this transition is filled with pitfalls. Ok - so yeah, you're going to college no matter what and good for you! Should you avoid ev
Answered by Jim LaPierre
Recovery
There is no "right" way to live once you stop using and begin recovery. You are most likely EXACTLY right when you say that you are not ready for those steps in your life. You need to determine who you are as a drug free person. You will be completing developmental tasks that would normally have bee
Answered by Jennifer Hamilton
Fine Line Between Supporting & Enabling
I commend you on doing so much to support your sons in their sobriety. I wonder how much faith you have in their reported attempts to find work? I would not set a dollar or time line for you but I would encourage you to have an open discussion with them individually regarding your expectations and t
Answered by Jim LaPierre
Get Busy Livin' or Get Busy Dyin'
My heart goes out to you. You feel stuck and like you're in a no win situation. You're not. I get it - you love her, love your friends, and hate meth but can't get away from it - it drags you back down. Here's the thing - people who do meth for a long time...what happens to them? No, really - what h
Answered by Jim LaPierre
Heading North
First of all, congratulations on sobriety. Sounds like you had a great support system and, more importantly, you were willing to accept help and interested in change. In response to your big question about how you know when you are ready to leave home - Most of us don't know. Some experience somethi
Answered by Rob Danzman
Switching from Methadone to Suboxone
Thank you for your question. It can be difficult to switch from methadone to Suboxone. Suboxone contains a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine is similar to other opioids like methadone. Naloxone blocks the effects of opioids. The reason Naloxone is in Suboxone is to keep addict
Answered by Anna Deeds
Recovery and Relationships
It is not uncommon for people in rehab to feel that they have to make very big changes and to feel that all of their past life needs to go. It is also true that they may find it difficult to face the way they have treated their partners and want to escape the difficult task of rebuilding the relatio
Answered by Jill Edwards
A social life
anonymous Thank you for posting about how you are feeling and for your courage and perseverance with your recovery. You are right recovery is about more than not drinking and it seems that in order to shut down your drinking you have shut down the part of you that wanted to have fun. Everyone likes
Answered by Jill Edwards
Disturbing dreams, Giving up weed
So sorry, I did not get back earlier. Congratulations on getting through the first 7 weeks, well 9 to 10 now. There is evidence that weed stays in the system for at least a month, so I am not surprised that you are still experiencing sleep problems. It does sound to me that these dream states are fo
Answered by Jill Edwards
Your Work Can Change Someone's Tomorrow
Raymond, Thanks for your kind words. I answered your question as if it were my own.I am glad you can use the 10 tips and Dr. Karen Kelly as a possbile resource. Knowing what these different certifications, in Florida, require should provide you with some guidance as you go through your programs and
Answered by John O'Neal