Jennifer Hamilton
LCSW, CADC
Clinical Social Worker/Therapist
Owensboro, USA
Answers questions in Addiction Treatment · Addictions · Adolescent Issues
About Jennifer Hamilton
I am not sure I chose this field, I think the field chose me. I am passionate about helping others with drug and alcohol issues. My specialty is helping adolescents and their families. I also have a specialty with adults and adolescents who have mental health issues along with the substance abuse issues. I am a recovering alcoholic with nine years since my last use. I come from a family that dies from the disease of addiction. The family is also plagued by depression and anxiety disorders.
What I do
I am working in private practice at Counseling Associates in Owensboro, KY. I will do both substance abuse and mental health assessments and evaluations for adolescents and adults. I provide individual, family and sometimes group counseling for addictions to food, drugs, alcohol, relationships and other addictive agents.
My story
I am not sure I chose this field, I think the field chose me. I am passionate about helping others with drug and alcohol issues. My specialty is helping adolescents and their families. I also have a specialty with adults and adolescents who have mental health issues along with the substance abuse issues. I am a recovering alcoholic with nine years since my last use. I come from a family that dies from the disease of addiction. The family is also plagued by depression and anxiety disorders.
Why life is worth living
I love God and he gave me a great family. He is my inspiration for my work as well.
Treatment Offered
Specialties
Therapy approaches
Patient population
Modalities
Answered Questions(58)
Triggering the reward pathway in the brain
I don’t have a drinking problem but I have had meth and cocaine issues in the past. These days whenever I have even a half a beer I get the cocaine itch and 2 or 3 times out of ten if I have a few beers it will end up in a cocaine binge. I don’t want to quit drinking in fact I am a restauranteur so with wine and spirits on my menu it is almost impossible for me to not drink at all. I am just getting too old to be doing this to my body. I don’t even like cocaine that much anymore that is the sad thing – I just need it. I won’t drink with people I use cocaine with. I think that helps a bit. Is there anything else I can do to separate?
Read answer →Interventions
I understand that one person can’t make another person want to accept addiction but when it’s a literal life and death situation are there any more extreme things a family can do to get the person to understand that they are killing themselves? My brother is a cocaine user. 2 years ago he had really severe headaches and it turned out he had a brain aneurysm that was caused by cocaine addiction. He had to have open skull surgery to clip the aneurysm and at that time he swore he was done with cocaine and everything else. Now I just heard from a friend that she saw him using again. He could have a brain bleed and drop dead at any time and using cocaine puts him at high risk of sudden death. My parents have been through hell with worry about him and I don’t know if I should tell them what I know or if there is nothing any of us can do if it is better that they do not know. I do not know if an intervention is going to work since he already had a near death experience and promised to get help. He did not get help but I am pretty sure he stopped for some time since he was quite weak for several months after his surgery.
Read answer →Alcohol problem?
My crew go out for beers most day after clocking out. Just a couple of beers we are not getting wasted. I think about those beers a lot like right from after lunch break I am dreaming about them and I think about them all day. Apparently this is not normal and this is a sign of alcoholism. I do not get drunk very often but I drink every day and I drink about 30 to 40 beers in an average week. All my friends drink more than I do but I think most are alkies. Does this sound like an alcohol problem?
Read answer →Alcoholic Neuropathy
My wife is complaining that she can’t feel her legs very well and I can see that she is weak and unstable. She is a heavy drinker and she has been drinking at least a bottle of wine each night for about 5 years, and often times it is two bottles a night. She never drank before that and then she did a wine tasting club and it is like she fell into a rabbit hole. I am sure she is an alcoholic but she will not even discuss that idea. What are the odds that she has alcoholic neuropathy? I do not think she has been drinking for long enough to get this but the symptoms seem to match her condition very well. She will not go to a doctor and I think it is because she knows the doctor will tell her to stop drinking and she cannot allow that to happen. If the doctor tells her to stop and she can’t then she is an alcoholic. If no one tells her to stop then she can keep drinking as a ‘social drinker’. I really don’t know what to do in this situation. It seems that she is starting to drink herself to death and I have to sit here and watch her do it.
Read answer →Snorting prescribed medicine
I just saw my dad crush up a pill and snort it. He has bad back pain and he gets opiate drugs for it but I do not know what ones. He has alot in his medicine cabinet because he has had chronic pain for about 4 years since a car accident. I have not said anything to anyone because I am not sure what this means. My dad does not know I saw him. Does this mean my dad is an addict?
Read answer →Healthy Drinking
If drinking alcohol kills neurons in the brain is there any such thing as healthy drinking? If a person drinks 2 glasses of wine a day for 40 years that adds up to almost 30 000 alcoholic drinks by the time a person is 60, assuming they started drinking alcohol at around 20 years old. Wouldn’t having 30 000 alcoholic drinks be pretty bad for your brain by the time you got to the age at which you might start to have to worry about dementia and Alzheimers?
Read answer →Children of Alcoholics
Hi Jennifer, I'm not sure if this message came through, but I wanted to let you know that "Daddy's Disease" is available on ebook and "Mommy's Disease" will be published by the end of the month. Both are available on amazon.com. My webisite is www.alcoholismhurtskids.com. Thank you so much for getting back to me and for your support in getting this information out! best, carolyn hannan bell, lpc
Read answer →How to find help
Hello, I am a 31 female veteran and ex Sex worker (going on 6 months out ) I believe I am suffering from PTSD from it. I am seriously suffering from Alcoholism. I am living with my bf ( supports me financially)who drinks every day . and days off gets black out drunk , He is not violent, but he is verbally abusive. I need to get out and rebuild my life. I seriously need to enter an out of state in-resident facility a very good one. Not 12 step. A place where I can truly heal and recover then find a sober home. I have no money, terrible credit and am also on probation because of drinking (DUI) and (DV).I spoke to an insurance agent and he says it will take 6 months for my insurance to kick in for rehab. I take weekly Ua's and have been doing so the last 6 months. I have been able to get away with drinking once or twice a week and do not suffer from shakes. I was so drunk yesterday that while walking my dog I crossed the street from the liquor store and banged myself up dropped my beer it exploded on the middle of the road and I was able to get up fast enough but I almost was hit by a car!! My bf was clearly upset I was drinking, He says u don't need rehab just quit drinking.No way i can quit drinking while there is beer in the house everyday. He says he will quit but I know he won't he has the disease as well. I need to find a Rehab scholarship asap!! Or someone or a foundation who will loan me the money.I don't care about a huge loan because i know I need help fast.Im afraid Ill end up dead or in Jail. I want to get my life together and be successful. I also want to build a tiny house on a trailer (not sure if u have heard of these) and live very inexpensively and minimalist for the next few years while I work hard to save money. I have so many dreams and goals and know I can achieve them if I am sober and stay sober. Life is too short and I have been miserable and made bad decisions most of my adult life! I want to take back my power and life and one day find a man to love me . I am very beautiful, care about people but feel lost I used to make 800$ a day and now I'm looking at 8 / and hour jobs. Its sickening.I feel lost and out of control. Please help!! Thank you and have a blessed day.
Read answer →Which is better?
Lets say a man is going to have 10 drinks in a 24 hour day. Is it better for that person to have 10 drinks at night and then wake up hungover and recover until the evening when they start again or is it better for the person to have a drink starting right from the coffee in the morning and then slowly all day long so they keep their blood alcohol level low and steady rather than crashing up and down. Someone I care about does this but they do not believe they have a problem because they never get drunk and the damage to the body comes from drinking enough at once to get drunk.
Read answer →Daddy's Disease
Dear Friend, I am a psychotherapist in South Jersey. Two years ago one of my clients in recovery struggled with how to explain alcoholism to his young daughter. He was concerned that she would hear from neighbors and family members that Daddy was a "drunk". After an unsuccessful search for the perfect children's book to help him and his daughter he asked me to write one. "Daddy's Disease" is the result. “Tommy doesn’t know why his father doesn’t show up for dinners, or soccer games or why he acts funny sometimes. Tommy thinks it’s because his father doesn’t want to be with him, that he hasn’t been the best boy he can be, that he should try harder. But, Mommy tells Tommy that Daddy has a disease called “alcoholism”. She helps Tommy, and his faithful dog Murphy, understand what this disease is and how it affects Daddy, and the whole family. She teaches Tommy that he is not responsible for Daddy’s behavior and that gives Tommy the peace he needs to foster a healthy childhood.” In an easily understood, beautifully illustrated style, "Daddy's Disease" helps families to navigate the difficult waters of alcoholism. It is my hope that you will consider making this information available for the many children and adults who have been struggling with this devastating disease. Please feel free to contact me at 856-296-3775 with any questions. I thank you for your time and consideration and for all the good work you do. Best, Carolyn Hannan Bell - www.alcoholismhurtskids.com
Read answer →High functioning alcoholics
Do high functioning alcoholics eventually stop being high functioning or can some people keep it together forever?
Read answer →How much is too much?
How much is too much? My husband drinks a significant amount each day, and has admitted to as much as 15-30 cans of beer. Typically i think it's a minimum of 10 up to 15. How much longer can it last until he has some serious health issues? He's probably been doing this routine for as much as a year. Prior to that it was similar, but not as high of a daily number.
Read answer →Life seeming worse during abstinence
I thought everything was supposed too get better when I got sober. I have not had a drink in 87 days and now all that I have is being able to see clearly just how bad things are in my life and with my family and not having anything to take the edge off of bad feelings at the end of the day…
Read answer →Drug Testing
Could second hand marijuana smoke cause me to fail a drug test?
Read answer →Sacrifice for our children
I don’t know how to break free. How can you break free when it is your SON who has the problem and he is EVERYTHING to you? He is only 21 years old but he has been an addict for 2 years. It is meth. He is 41 days clean now. He has been clean before but it always ends. It usually ends after he gets really upset about something and then he goes out and will not come back for 3 or 4 days. Now everytime he is clean I feel like I am stressed out every second of the day trying to pay attention to his moods and trying to keep him in a good mood. Today he wanted $100 to buy new clothes and I was so worried because he was acting irritated. I want to trust him but in the past he has lied so many times for money but the biggest thing is I dont want to anger him by denying him so I gave him the money and then I lay in bed worrying until he came home at 1 am. But I was right to give him the money because he did buy clothes and he says now he going to look for a job and he was so thankful today. I feel like I am going crazy with worry. I know this is bad for me but I know that I have prayed so many times for him to get clean and now that he is trying to get clean too it is my turn to pay the price by suffering a little bit for a while and by trying to make him happy. I am willing to sacrifice myself for my SON. Is this what I need to do to support him?
Read answer →Working Your Recovery While Helping Others
Does working in the recovery field help a person to stay sober? If I have a high school degree but only 1 year of college finished, and that was 6 years ago, what is the quickest way for me to get qualified to help people and work in a rehab or a recovery home or some similar type of place?
Read answer →Smart Recovery Family Support
Can you give me any information on smart recovery’s family support program. In your opinion is it as good, not as good or better than alanon. I have a problem with alanon component where you have to let go and watch your spouse drink to death. I do not know if this is my issue or just a common sense issue that alanon makes no sense!
Read answer →Artistic needs as a reason for substance use
What do you say to someone who is becoming an alcoholic that is a musician and a poet and writer and who is really talented who claims that they need drinking and drugs as part of their creative process and that most great artists use substances to uncork the mind....his words not mine? It is my brother and he idealizes this tortured artist persona but I think it is more like he needs to drink so he uses his art as a way to do that. He is very talented but he is not making a living with it. He lives with my parents and he is 32.
Read answer →Women in Sobriety
I was just on the women for sobriety website. Some of their steps are: I have a life-threatening problem that once had me. I now take charge of my life and my disease. I accept the responsibility. Problems bother me only to the degree I permit them to. I now better understand my problems and do not permit problems to overwhelm me. I am what I think. I am a capable, competent, caring, compassionate woman. Happiness is a habit I will develop. Happiness is created, not waited for…this is very different from the 12 steps program and that appeals to me. I am a long time heavy drinker. I have been to AA meetings before. Are you familiar with women for sobriety? Is this an effective program to get involved with?
Read answer →Synthetic Marijuana's Effects on a Toddler
How dangerous is it for a mom to expose her 14 month old son to secondhand spice (fake weed) smoke? My friend is doing this and I am worried that she could be hurting her son. She believes that weed is ok and this is ok too. I am trying to tell her that nobody even knows what is in this and so how can she know it is not harmful for her son who is probably tripping his head off everytime he comes into the room. If she won’t stop doing it what should I do? She is not really a person I like, just a close friend of my roommate who likes to smoke in my house (in her room) with her son playing with toys on the floor. My roommate is a nice person by the way who is also upset by this but she is honestly intimidated by her friend and can’t or won’t tell her to stop doing what she is doing. My roommate is the lease holder and I am her tenant and I do not want to move out so I am hoping to not cause major drama.
Read answer →Effectiveness of Coerced Treatment vs. Voluntary Treatment
Which is more effective, being court ordered to substance abuse treatment or voluntary?
Read answer →Recovery
I am 33 and I am done with a 12 year heroin addiction. I missed my youth. All my old friends are getting married and having kids and theres no way I am ready for that. I feel like I am 20 inside an old body. Do I just forget about that part of my life and pretend like I am middle aged or should I go back and live like a college student now?
Read answer →Bringing work into rehab
Can I bring my tablet and laptop into drug rehab so I can continue to work while I get treatment? I can see that it would be better if I could focus on my recovery but I can’t get away unless I can still work so that’s just my reality.
Read answer →Helping an adult child who is an addict
My son was jailed for 14 months for felony grand larceny. He was a crack addict and alcoholic. He is going to be released in three months so we want to prepare for him. He says he is thankful he got jailed so he could get cleaned up and he says he is never going to go back to using again. He there are lots of drugs in jail but he has been 100% clean for 8 months. We want to help him but know how strong his addictions are and that what he says doesn’t always mean much. We want to him to go into a halfway house after his release but he wants to come. He is 28. He says those places are full of junkies and that they are worse than anywhere else. I am concerned that if he comes back to his old neighborhood that the temptations will be too much for him. He has never been able to stay clean for more than 2 months in our neighborhood since he was about 18. What would you recommend for a person in his situation?
Read answer →What do blackouts mean?
I have been drinking on the weekends for 15 years. I am 32 now. All of a sudden, just over the last few months, I am starting to have blackouts where I don’t remember anything for hours of time from when I was drunk. I know this is happens to people but why its just starting to happen to me now? I am not drinking any more or any differently than I used to but now it is affecting me in such a different way. Does this mean I am becoming an alcoholic? I almost never drink more than a beer or 2 during the week. On weekends I will have about a 12 pack both nights.
Read answer →LIving with an addict, what about the children?
There is someone in my life who is a very good person who is probably an alcoholic. He is not violent or abusing in any way. But he will fall asleep drunk on the sofa many nights of the week and sometimes my 3 year old will be the one to find him there in the morning. I do not know what I am getting myself into but one area of concern that I have is how this may impact my children. My children are 1 and 3 currently. At what age would having a live-in person who drinks start to be a bad example that they would remember?
Read answer →Addiction to Anything
Can people get addicted to anything that causes a dopamine spike in the brain? So anything pleasurable at all can be addictive to people with a certain predisposition?
Read answer →Minimizing Effects of Alcohol
Assuming a person is not willing to stop drinking or even reduce their drinking by much. Is there any harm reduction techniques that they can do to minimize the physical and mental damage that is associated with alcoholism. IE: diet or nutrition strategies, certain supplements or medications that cleanse the liver etc. etc.
Read answer →Marijuan Effects
Is weed really hard to stop? My friend is smoking weed everyday and he is starting to act really weird. Sometimes when he talks it doesn’t make any sense anymore. It’s like he can’t communicate properly. I don’t know if he is high all the time but he acts weird all the time and he didn’t use to act like this. I have known him my whole life. Everyone thinks he is going crazy but they act like its this big joke. I am actually worried about him but you can’t really have a deep conversation with him anymore. His brain just seems too blurry or something.
Read answer →Alanon & The family
My daughter is married to an alcoholic. OK. We have accepted her choice but we do not understand it. Actually our relationship is quite strained now because we tried to stop her from marrying this man and now they both resent us. They have been married for 6 months. Now she is drinking a lot more than she used to. She told my other daughter that they get along better if she has a couple of drinks with him every night. I am worried that he is dragging her down with him but anything I try to say to her about it just sounds like I am trying to split them up again and so she won’t even listen to us. My daughter sees how things are with us and she doesn’t want to get involved. What can we do to save her?
Read answer →Self Control
If I was a cocaine addict a long time ago is there ever a chance I will be able to use some drugs (not cocaine or any hard drugs) on a recreational basis? I have not used cocaine for over 5 years now and I confess I wouldn’t mind smoking a joint or having a beer or two every once in a while to take the edge off of things. It’s not a strong desire. If it was like I was craving these things I would be afraid to try them…it’s more like just…why not??? I have played the whole abstinence game for a while but I don’t know if I believe that I am somehow defective for the rest of my life. I feel pretty in control so I think that means I have self control, right?
Read answer →Late Stage Alcoholism
My dad is an alcoholic. He is only 68 but he has osteoporosis from drinking and he broke his hip and when he fell down the front steps one some ice. He is not too sharp from all the years of drinking but he doesn’t need nursing care. Is his alcoholism going to be a problem if he moves into a senior’s living home? One of those places that provides meals and services but no nursing care? He is not a violent drunk or anything like that but he will fall asleep in the lounge and pee on the sofa, for example. I don’t know what to do with him.
Read answer →Marijuana for sleep
I don’t even enjoy weed anymore but I just cannot fall asleep without at least one joint under my belt. I have tried to stop but the insomnia just kills me. I am an elementary school teacher and I can’t just not sleep for a week?! What am I supposed to do?
Read answer →Help without insurance
My 23yr old son called me and said he now wants my help in getting clean with his herion addiction. I don't know where to turn because with our current financial situation leaves me with no money or health insurance to provide for him. As you already know he has NOTHING, no home, no food, no money, no insurance. Where can I take my son? Please help me save his life. Lost in PA
Read answer →Alcoholism: It's a Brain Disease!
Most nights my I wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning. I feel really anxious and shitty and my mouth feels like Velcro. Sometimes I am in my bed next to my wife still in my work clothes and sometimes I am on the coach or on the floor. Every night I go through this same painful realization about the booze I drank last night and I try to piece together what I did and I feel such self loathing it’s hard to explain. It hurts so much. It is the worst feeling I know. Why isn’t this enough to keep me from getting drunk again the next night? I hate myself. I do not understand.
Read answer →Ecstasy recovery
Was doing ecstasy about once a week for the last couple of years and smoking herb most every day. Found meditation and liked it more than being high. Wanted my clarity back so quit everything in one night 4 months ago. Still don’t feel normal. Can’t concentrate. Feel scattered. Can’t sleep. Can’t remember. Depressed. Anxious. I am very worried. Friends tell me it takes time to feel normal again. I am scared it is not coming. What do I do?
Read answer →Cirrhosis risk
I never knew you could get chirrhosis from being overweight. I am about 300 pounds and I drink on the weekends with friends. I am 36 and I have been drinking like this since high school. I usually have about 15 or 20 beers a weekend. Should I be worried about chirrhosis?
Read answer →Alcoholic Shuffle
My uncle is an alcoholic. He has started to walk sort of funny, even when he is not overly drunk (he is always at least a little bit drunk). He takes these short steps and he is kind of leaned over sideways. It’s sort of like he was walking on a boat. My aunt has been enabling him for the past 30 years and she says it’s just because he is getting older. She is blind to the truth. He will never stop drinking. Assuming that the alcohol is causing this, is there anything other than stopping drinking that can help him? He is a really nice guy and it is hard to see him in such rough shape.
Read answer →Nyquil and recovery
Should recovering alcoholics use nyquil? There is something in that medicine that makes me want to go out and get loaded and it just feels a little too nice...it almost makes me want to get sick so I can have a little more.
Read answer →Heroin: How addictive is it?
My boyfriend does heroin every weekend. He says he has been doing drugs for years and he can keep it under control. We have been together for about 2 months. Last night he convinced me to try some. I snorted it. I can’t describe how good it felt. But after I came down I felt really stupid for doing it. My boyfriend says heroin is not too addictive unless you inject it like junkies do. He says snorting it is ok as long as you don’t do it every day. I am hoping he is right but I liked it so much that it scares me a little bit. It was nothing like smoking a joint, which is the only drug I had done before.
Read answer →Is there any rule about ending relationships in early recovery?
Is there any rule about ending relationships in early recovery? I know that people in recovery aren’t really advised to start romantic relationships but I was just wondering if the same thing held true about not ending them. The thing for me is I am 5 weeks clean from a very long and very heavy marijuana habit. It was very tough but it is getting easier and honestly I am feeling better now than I have for a long time. I think now that I am looking at my life through less clouded eyes I am seeing that a lot of what I thought was good for me was just stuff that I had built around me that wouldn’t interfere too much with my getting high every day; like my hot but not very challenging girlfriend. I thought we had a great relationship but now that I actually want get out of the house and do things I am finding that she is kind of limiting. She was great for someone to keep me company while I was high and to have sex with but I am not sure that there is much more to us than that; which is very sad since we have been living together for more than 4 years. I feel like there is nothing I can’t do right now and I just want to make up for all the time I have been wasting. I realize I sound like kind of a jerk and she was really helpful in helping me kick but is it ever a good reason to stay with someone just because they have been nice to you in the past if it is not working in the present? IS there any reason why my recently quitting pot would be clouding my judgment here?
Read answer →Genetic link makes you 4X at more risk
Both my mom and dad are alcoholics. I swore I would never drink alcohol or be like them but now that I am away from home and living with some friends I find that I enjoy a few beers every once and a while. I know that alcoholism is a genetic disease though so if my parents have it I will also probably get it. Is this true? Is it safe for me to drink alcohol occasionally?
Read answer →Inpatient vs. Outpatient Rehabilitation
I am addicted to cocaine but I am ready to quit for real this time but I also know that I cannot quit on my own without help. Does drug rehab work better than getting myself into an outpatient program? I am worried that if I stay at home I won’t be able to resist the temptations from all the people around me who still like to party.
Read answer →Dealing with Grief
My husband said Grace at our table for 48 years before he passed away this September. Now it’s only my son and I and he is no longer a Christian, so it’s just me to say it before meals and every time I go to pray I can’t help but remember how Thomas always did it and it just brings back a lot of pain at every meal. If there was a prayer you knew that would serve as saying Grace but that might also comfort us that Thomas was in a better place now I would be grateful to know it.
Read answer →Triggers
I am one month sober from alcohol. I have always been a huge NFL fan but watching football games is something I would always do with beer and now even the thought of a game gets me craving. My sponsor says I just have to stop thinking about it and that it will be a while before I am ready to put myself in front of that kind of temptation again. It’s killing me to be missing the season. Is there any way I can learn to watch again a little quicker without having it become a relapse trigger for me?
Read answer →Marijuana recovery
Do people really go to rehab because they can’t quit weed? I have smoked a ton every day for like a decade running and now, for personal reasons, I have decided it is time to change my ways and reinvent myself as a healthier and more productive person. My intentions are good but there is something lacking in the will power department I think because I only made it like 2 days quit before I couldn’t handle the cravings and the not sleeping any more and I snuck some bong hits not to get high but just to calm the way I was feeling. I feel absurd to not be able to do this on my own and I do not and never will drink alcohol or do any other drugs so if I need help it’s for innocent marijuana and marijuana alone. I have always thought of myself as a strong person and so am a bit bummed at my failure thus far. But I am determined to succeed and make this work. Just not quite sure how to go about it. I can’t imagine going to some rehab and sitting in therapy with some crazy alcoholic and some guy who injected heroin for a living and mugged people and whatnot and then talking about my little habit with joints after work. I’d feel ridiculous.
Read answer →The Dangers of Opiate use for recreation
Me and my friends sometimes use Oxy and other pills. I do not want to get addicted to any of this because I have seen how that can go. How many times can a person use OxyContin before they get addicted to it? I don’t feel at all addicted right now but I have only used like 2 and half times over the last 2 months.
Read answer →Higher Power in Recovery
Which are better, rehabs that use the 12 steps or rehabs that depend more on scientific treatments? I am kind of hung up on the whole God part of most recovery programs, but unfortunately most of what seems to be available to me would have me praying to some kind of higher power that I just don’t believe in!
Read answer →Recovery Meditation Books
I’ve found a lot of inspiration from the prayers in the AA Big Book. Can you recommend another good selection of recovery prayers that might be inspirational to a drug addict taking things one day at a time and needing all the help from above he can get?
Read answer →Alternatives to AA
The cult thing of AA kind of weirds me out. I know there are some different options and I’m in NYC so I’ve got the pick of pretty much anything. Can you recommend a non ‘higher power’ and ‘powerlessness’ driven support group like AA that works well. Some I have seen are moderation management, rational recovery, SOS and a few others…I have a problem with alcohol. Is any better than any other?
Read answer →Buddhist recovery?
My sister has had drug and alcohol problems for a very long time. Now she is working with a Buddhist meditation teacher instead of going to NA and AA meetings like she has done in the past. Is this reasonable? I have no great expectations that she will manage to stay clean forever, relapse is part of the disease, but I do want her to work at her recovery responsibly so that she can avoid relapse for as long as possible. Is Buddhist meditation as good as AA/NA for maintaining recovery?
Read answer →Affordable Alcohol Rehab. Where to find it?
I have about 5 thousand dollars. I would like to send my wife to a rehab for her problem with drinking and pills. She has agreed that she needs help and will says she will go. Most of the rehabs that I have called in the telephone cost considerably more than what I have. We are not Christians. I feel like I am wasting a lot of time and energy. Is it possible to find a drug rehab program in my price range? We live in Oklahoma but she can travel if necessary. Thank you for your assistance.
Read answer →Drinking and memory problems
My husband has been a heavy drinker for his whole life but has always been good at his job. He is in sales and there is a lot of wineing and dining and socializing with clients and unlike most people he is actually expected to go and get drunk at work, if that is what the client wants (not that my husband has much of a problem with this) I do not think he is an alcoholic but he is very dug into his set ways and he does drink every day. He is always good to me and he is always very responsible though so his drinking has never really been a major issue in our marriage. Lately though, I have noticed he is having lapses in his memory. He forgets people names, which he never used to do and he seems to sometimes have difficulty keeping his train of thought while talking. Could the drinking be causing his forgetfulness and if he stops drinking will his memory come back to normal?
Read answer →DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO
MY FRIEND HAS COME TO ME AND ASKED FOR HELP. HE IS A METH ADDICT. I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP HIM OUT. I THINK THAT THE ONLY REASON HE IS ASKING IS BECAUSE THIS IS THIS LAST CARD HE HAS TO PULL. HE WANTS TO GO TO REHAB. HE IS WORRIED ABOUT HIS PAROLE AND HE THINKS IF HE IS IN REHAB THEY WILL UNDERSTAND AND LET HIM BY. WHAT SHOULD I DO ???
Read answer →Medications and sex drive
I have heard that depression medications will ruin your sex life. Is this true? Are there any types of depression medications that do not affect your sex life as much as other types?
Read answer →Stumped
I don't know which rehab to choose...
Read answer →What to tell the kids?
My husband has a problem with crack cocaine. He can sometimes control it but will often disappear off on multi day binges. For reasons to complicated to get into here I stay with him, but our kids are getting older, they are now 3 and 5 and they are starting to ask more specific questions about where daddy goes when he doesn’t come home at night. I hate to lie to them, but I don’t know how much they should know. Should I tell them the truth, or should I continue to make excuses for him?
Read answer →Using Pot to Quit Drinking
I have some problems in my life with a need to get drunk or high every night. Mostly alcohol, sometimes a little coke. I do not think I am really an alcoholic or a drug addict, but I do know after almost 20 years of using pretty much every day, that I have a real need to end off the day each day with a little buzz. The problem is that my habits are starting to cause me some real problems in my life. I am overweight, pre diabetic and have high blood pressure. I have also had 2 DUIs in the last 3 years. I can see that I am not on a real healthy path but I also know myself that come after work time I will want to take a little something to take the edge off. Without that evening fun to look forward to the days just seem too hard. I think I can make a major change in my life and give up drinking and drugs and I do not think I need any treatment (I’ve already been through DUI classes. What a waste of time.). My plan is to just switch to only smoking pot instead of drinking or using anything stronger. Marijuana is not at all harmful to the body and it can even cure cancer, so it should be a lot better for me than the drinking. All the so-called experts seem to tell me that I have to quit using all drugs and alcohol or it’s not going to work, but I do not understand why a little marijuana every night is going to do me so much harm? Can you please explain to me why switching from something that is causing me a lot of problems to something that just makes me feel relaxed and sleepy is not a good strategy for staying sober and getting healthier?
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