Discussion Blog
Latest Discussion Blog Post
How Are You? No, Really?
Many of us in caregiving roles forget to ask that question of ourselves.
Discussion Blog Posts
Thank You Allies in Recovery, it Worked!
Annie Highwater offers a mother the tools she learned at Allies in Recovery: CRAFT, and watches in real-time the positive results. The son has checked into treatment. A family’s hope is reignited — during the holidays!
A Love Letter to Allies in Recovery
Wow am I excited to tell you this!! I get messages every day from someone at one point or another along the journey of having a son or daughter who is struggling. One Mom recently wrote to say her son who is an IV Heroin user had just relapsed…
Is Injectable Buprenorphine a Better Alternative?
While the injectable form of Suboxone will deter the problem of people selling their Suboxone pills, the lower frequency of visits makes it harder to follow a patient’s accountability through urine tests and required therapy visits.
5 Healthy Ways to Handle Tough Holiday Situations
I’ve compiled helpful suggestions and tips for handling this time of year, based on difficult holiday seasons I’ve experienced myself, along with wisdom offered by therapists and expert family advocates.
How Can I Intervene from Far Away?
It can be hard to tell over the phone when your son is high. He will probably not slur and you have no visual cues. It is subtle— is he in an unusually good mood and therefore high, or really cranky and therefore probably in withdrawals?
In Addition to the Substances, He’s Gaming All Night…
The combination of the alcohol, pot, and gaming has ruined his first semester at college to the point that he is now forced to take a leave from school. It’s a huge consequence. It also brings up a whole set of questions about how you will address this change in plans.
Allies in Recovery Philosophy Statement
We want to make clear that while at Allies in Recovery we do not see medication as our only goal, we have no wish to stigmatize a treatment plan that includes medication. We are here with a strong, evidence-based training program designed to help family members and others in the community of the Loved One gain the skills they will need.
After Treatment and Relapses Now She’s in Jail
All of this may make you want to give up on treatment. Please don’t. In one study of treatment, it took 4 treatment episodes on average to get any traction into sobriety. It’s hard to do, but every new treatment episode should be looked on as a new day…it has the chance of working.
The Huge Challenge of the Holidays
As the holidays approach, many families and Loved Ones begin to anticipate complicated feelings and situations. As Thanksgiving approaches, Mostlysunny wonders what the CRAFT angle would be on dealing with her 24-yr-old son who suffers from depression and is currently drinking heavily.
We’re Paying for College While He Parties and Plays Video Games
The question of paying for college is indeed a tricky one. Rewards need to be things that can be taken away quickly if and when you see the person is using. That’s hard to do with a college semester.
How to Support Our Daughter as She Moves Back into Parenting
You don’t wake up one morning sober and magically know how to parent. Putting down the drink and drug does not provide you with life skills. It does, however, make you a whole lot more teachable.
If Suicide is a Risk, is CRAFT Still Appropriate?
The talk of suicide is indeed very worrisome and can stop families from allowing natural consequences. The fear is that taking away money, or not answering their phone calls, or leaving them alone when high will lead the Loved One to suicide.
What Does Being “In Denial” Actually Mean?
Accepting something life-shattering is gradual, it's a journey—one that involves grief and soul searching. If it's happening to you, be open to the truth and gentle with yourself. If it's happening to someone you know, tread lightly and with compassion.
Three Loved Ones in Addiction – A Triple Threat
When three Loved Ones in your life struggle with mental illness and addiction what do you do? How do you find a safe place and some peace?
Am I Enabling Use?
I believed with all my heart that the responsibility of curing him of this disease lay solely upon me and my ability to not enable. I eventually learned this was not the truth. While we can contribute in negative or positive ways and influence the situation, we cannot orchestrate a specific outcome.
We Don’t Know When My Brother is High
What a shock to learn your brother has been using opioids all this time. Opioid use can be like this. A person can look almost passed out, eyes glazed and half shut, scratching their face; perhaps unusually happy and, conversely, energized. These are all signs of opioid use.
My Husband is More Angry When He Drinks
Your husband’s anger is its own thing, separate from alcoholism but ignited by the alcohol. The anger makes everything so much harder. He directs it at you, blames you for how badly he feels about his drinking. You are closest to him and therefore the most likely victim of his finger pointing.
Overwhelmed & Lost – Where Do I Go From Here?
Overwhelmed and lost is a pretty common state for a family member. We wrote and produced this site to address this very challenge. We believe treatment is the best answer for your son. Yes, some people recover on their own, but that is too long to wait.
He Wants Money & Cigarettes While in Treatment
CRAFT would say reward the non-use. Your son is not using drugs. In fact, he is behaving in a way you want to support: he is in treatment. Though I know you've already given him so much, the money and cigarettes are a reward given his current efforts.
MAT: What’s the Harm in “Harm Reduction”?
THE scientific evidence for MAT is that it lowers overdose and reduces opiate use. This is very important and a critical first step for those abusing opioids. I maintain, though, that there is more to recovery than just this. This is why the clinical directors of MAT programs I have talked to call it harm reduction.