October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Early on an October morning (5 years ago today) as I drove to work in the rain, I sat at a red light in the center of my hometown. There are two routes that will get me to work in about the same amount of time. One route …
Maybe Miracles Do Happen? If people can maintain coherence and avoid terrible detox symptoms, they might be able to hold hope long enough for a miracle to occur. I’ve seen the bumper sticker that says “Expect a Miracle.” Some days I might scoff at such unreasonable hope. Some days I might wish that expecting a …
Part One – A Fierce Storm Today Rehab and Detox beds are nowhere to be found. Demand is higher than ever. Resources are more scarce. Staff are harder to hire and keep. Overdose deaths (CDC figures) rose 30% from 2019 to 2020 and another 15% from 2020 to 2021. The system has been broken for …
Life will never be stressless, but maybe we can find better ways of managing our anxiety, stress, or feelings of despair. Why do we react to stress that way? When folks relapse and go back to vaping or smoking, it is almost always due to a stressful situation. The stimulation caused by nicotine in the …
There’s a phrase I hear often and even when people are talking about serious matters, I’m tempted to smirk or laugh. Maybe you use or hear this phrase – “emotional baggage.” OK, “I’m pretty sure you meant to say “griefcase!” is a kinda funny response (I’m a sucker for a cheap laugh.) But the things …
I recently stumbled upon this peculiar past performance by a very talented magician named Tom Mullica. Why the video attracted my attention should be obvious – he uses lit cigarettes in his stage trickery. Furthermore, I’ve always been intrigued by magic and illusions. So, I simply had to watch this video. I think you should, …
NOTE: I wrote this short post in 2017. Since then, I have become aware of some comments made by J K Rowling that are disrespectful to transgender individuals. That’s a big deal to me. I vehemently disagree with her AND (not but) I also love some of her novels and she serves as a great …
Guilt and shame are NOT the same, at least in my opinion (humble or otherwise.) So, to be clear, I am not even consulting a dictionary on this one. We all have a real internalized understanding of these two words. We know – in our gut – what they feel like. I’d like to challenge …
Disclaimer: To be clear, I’m not a doctor and I’m not trying to diagnose anyone. I just want to encourage folks to seek the help they need. One of my compassionate colleagues sent out a reminder about Seasonal Affective Disorder and it seemed perfectly timed. So BIG thanks to Danielle D’Addamio, PT, DPT! As the …
Life isn’t always fair, so I’m certain that somebody has judged you unfairly. And while it may be appealing to say or think, “they have no right to say that about me,” what they say or think is really none of our business. People have the right to be wrong – certainly in their thoughts …
MENders is an open concept support group for anyone who identifies as male. Our original, in-person meetings were located in Central Massachusetts. We migrated meetings onto virtual platforms in order to continue to provide support during the pandemic. MENders values and protects the privacy of all participants. We’ve created a safe, confidential space where all …
At a recent QuittersWin meeting, a member who was feeling overwhelmed felt safe sharing their frustration, fears, and pain with us. Wow! What an honor to be there as that person’s safe place. We also discussed how by not always focusing on the quantity we use, but looking at other factors, we may gain really …
Emmet Fox told a story about a bear that might be worth our time: “There is an anecdote of the Far West which carries a wonderful lesson. It appears that a party of hunters, being called away from their camp, left the campfire unattended, with a kettle of water boiling on it. Presently an old …
Prepare to be get schooled by a class of kindergartners who are well-versed in the practices of mindfulness and breathing techniques. Julie Bayer-Salzman and Josh Salzman were inspired by their son and his class who proved to have a lot of wisdom on the matter. They spent a day with the kids and families involved …
9/11 is a day that we will never forget. Janice has a very special reason to remember that day and the truth that silenced the “little voice in my head.”
