Originally from Toronto, Patty began drinking and using drugs recreationally as an adolescent. At eighteen she moved to New York City where chance meetings with other addicts opened doors to careers, romantic relationships, the art world and the music scene. For years, whenever the negative consequences of addiction started taking their toll, survival instincts kicked

This has been a tough winter. Fall was rough but winter took the cake. The weather in all realms of my being was turbulent and stormy. There were changes in my psyche, in my profession, within my family, in society and in the meteorological atmosphere. Rebalancing was a constant practice and I have really exercised

  Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S is a digital-age intimacy and relationships expert specializing in infidelity and addictions—in particular sex, porn, and love addiction. An internationally acknowledged clinician, he has served as a subject expert for multiple media outlets including The Oprah Winfrey Network, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Daily Beast, and

I was 19 when I first came to AA in Manassas, Virginia. It was a total accident. With no direction in my life, I told my one friend that I wanted to die. I had no idea that really I just needed to stop drinking. He said, “I use to go to something called ‘AA

  Gaslighting: To manipulate someone by psychological means into questioning their own sanity. Gaslighting is real, it is dangerous, and it is a very powerful tactic. I should know. I was preyed upon by a narcissist for four years. It was the most horrific, dreadful, frightening relationship I had ever been in. Most people who use this

I have been through many a break up in my long life. I have been both the instigator and the one left behind. I have occasionally been part of a mutual decision to part ways. In my younger day’s most of the “dating” was done within the pack. We would pair up, be “the couple”,

    Nicola Talks to Dawn Nickel of She Recovers, about their shared recovery philosophy, upcoming She Recovers events around the world, and the She Recovers Intentions & Guiding Principles. A truly uplifting and empowering conversation! Find out more about Dawn and She Recovers at her website here    

In previous postings I have discussed the importance of Steps 1 and 2 and a few ways in which those steps can be worked. To recap, Step 1 helps you understand the nature and consequences of your addiction, and Step 2 helps you understand and accept that if you want to establish and maintain sobriety,

With all the Hollywood buzz about the upcoming Oscars, I began to wonder what if our lives had annual awards. Would we notice our epic wins, our memorable and noteworthy dramas and comedies? Would there be a category for most valuable contribution to humanity? What would our original score be or mean? But what if

The hardest challenge I faced when I entered early sobriety was figuring out where I fit in. You may think I’m joking, but for me, something that fundamental was so difficult to decode and understand. I was caught between two lifestyles; being a party girl, and trying to remain social, but without the drugs and alcohol. I