Coming Up for Air — A Toolkit to Help with Your Loved One's Recovery from Addiction & Mental Illness

Sam Quiñones researched and wrote the book Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic. In this episode, Annie has the privilege of speaking with Sam, who shares his rich experiences writing the book - from researching Mexican cartel trafficking, to meeting dealers in prisons who were open and raw with their stories, to getting to know the family members impacted by a Loved One's addiction. Sam paints a vivid picture of how the closing of community pools such as Dreamland (the books namesake) in Portsmouth, Ohio contributed to the gathering storm of what has become our country's worst drug epidemic in history. Hearing Sam feels like listening to an old friend describe years of family and community stories that hit right to the heart of all of us. Dreamland is a book everyone should read, and this is an episode everyone should hear!! A membership at Allies in Recovery brings you into contact with experts in the fields of recovery and treatment for drug and alcohol issues. Our learning platform introduces you to CRAFT and guides you through the best techniques for unblocking the situation. Together we will move your loved one towards recovery. Learn more here: https://alliesinrecovery.net/#benefits

Have we not all heard the phrase "You just need to detach" when it comes to navigating life in the midst of active addiction?  But...how exactly is this done?  Is detaching even the appropriate way to go about the relationship? Listen to this week's episode with Annie and Allies in Recovery's Founder Dominique Simon-Levine as they discuss the meaning of detaching, and how to ATTACH in healthy ways.  Annie shares true life examples from actual family members and readers, and Dominique gives some pretty amazing, expert CRAFT Method direction to each one; as if she were counseling them in person.  Great episode for ANY family!

In this episode of CUFA, Annie speaks with Dr. Dan Skinner, Assistant Professor of Health Policy at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, on the Dublin, Ohio campus. Their conversation focuses on a topic that is daily making news in Ohio - Issue 1 - the Drug Amendment that has both sides divided. Listen in as Dr. Skinner gives us details on what Issue 1 involves and how it will affect families in the State of Ohio and corresponding states who may choose to follow suit. His compassion is refreshing and inspiring. Join our Member Site today to take full advantage of Allies in Recovery’s program, including 8 video modules, three blogs, and dialogue with experts in the fields of treatment and recovery. Learn more here: https://alliesinrecovery.net/

Cathy Taughinbaugh is a parent coach using the CRAFT method. In this interview, Cathy talks about her own experience with addiction in her family, addresses "Tough Love" and Al-Anon, and speaks about her work. For unlimited access to Allies in Recovery's online learning platform featuring our 8 Video Modules, join today. Learn more here: https://alliesinrecovery.net/#benefits

In this episode of CUFA, Annie and Laurie explain CRAFT method, what is is, how it works and what you can do to guide your Son, Daughter, Spouse, or other Loved One willingly into treatment.  Could tweaking your wording lead someone to choose recovery? What are some things you might try to influence another's behavior toward treatment and healing? And what are the ten types of distorted thinking that we all fall into from time to time? Lots of great direction, and hopeful information in today's show, this is an episode that every family needs to hear!! Join our Member Site today to take full advantage of Allies in Recovery’s program, including 8 video modules, three blogs, and dialogue with experts in the fields of treatment and recovery. Learn more here: https://alliesinrecovery.net/

When the first signs of addiction or substance abuse appear, our first reactions often revolve around denial, blame-shifting, shock. How do we as families, and a society, learn to see reality as it truly is? Why is it helpful to face the truth with clear eyes? How do we overcome or change these thoughts or beliefs on an individual, but also societal level? How can we be aware with out being paranoid or afraid? Laurie and Annie have both been there and have had time to look back and consider these important questions. Tune in for an interesting conversation... For unlimited access to Allies in Recovery's online learning platform featuring our 8 Video Modules, join today. Learn more here: https://alliesinrecovery.net/#benefits

Dominique Simon-Levine joins our hosts to provide a broader picture of what it looks and feels like when a loved one is using, or withdrawing. Gathering information and facts about your Loved One's substance use is one of the first steps that will allow you to apply the CRAFT method successfully. When you recognize signs of withdrawal/hangover, do you bring them soup? Help them to bed? Dominique Simon-Levine reminds us about the connections between moments of use, moments of withdrawal, and what CRAFT teaches the family to do. Annie also shares several real-life examples from families who have contacted her, wondering if what they were seeing were signs of use/relapse. Listen in for an information-filled, no-nonsense episode of Coming Up for Air! A membership at Allies in Recovery brings you into contact with experts in the fields of recovery and treatment for drug and alcohol issues. Our learning platform introduces you to CRAFT and guides you through the best techniques for unblocking the situation. Together we will move your loved one towards recovery. Learn more here. http://alliesinrecovery.net/

Every family has secrets, but when secrets keep us stuck, in pain or operating out of a system of dysfunction, why do we keep them? When it comes to addiction, betrayal, mistreatment...why do those who are affected have a harder time talking about it than those in the grip of the behavior? Family—wives, partners, mothers, fathers, siblings etc.—tend to have a more difficult time being open about what is going on in the family than those afflicted, even though protecting the secret seems to be the barrier between healing and relief. Laurie and Annie deep dive into this subject. Laurie gives an example from her own childhood, of having tried to report unsettling behavior to a relative; rather than accepting and handling wrongful behavior, her aunt chose go silent, invalidating the truth of the story in order to avoid "rocking the boat" within the family. This pathology affects us all at some point. Listen in to this week's episode to hear some great thoughts to consider for living a shame-less, secret-free existence! A membership at Allies in Recovery brings you into contact with experts in the fields of recovery and treatment for drug and alcohol issues. Our learning platform introduces you to CRAFT and guides you through the best techniques for unblocking the situation. Together we will move your loved one towards recovery. Learn more here: http://alliesinrecovery.net/

Not only will you learn what Laurie hankers for that is both sweet and salty, or why other drivers are likely to honk at Annie in her car, but in this new podcast episode, you will hear your Coming Up for Air hosts as never before. You will learn more about their motivations for why they do the work they do, hear what they envisioned for their lives (or didn't) as children, and learn about their visions for a society that does a better job addressing the issues of addiction. You'll also hear an interesting exploration of self-care — why is there so much resistance across the board? Allies in Recovery's Content Editor, Isabel Cooney, invites Laurie MacDougall and Annie Highwater to spend half an hour in the guest seats! Join our Member Site today to take full advantage of Allies in Recovery’s program, including 8 video learning modules, three blogs, and dialogue with experts in the field of treatment and recovery. Learn more here. http://alliesinrecovery.net/#benefits

"I'm a college-educated white male. I'm the face of addiction!" declares Michael King. Addressing the way we speak about addiction, he explains "If we end the stories that we tell by just talking about the mess that addiction creates, we're doing a disservice to everybody out there who is looking for help.....I wanna shout from the rooftops that Guess What! We create mountains of mess and we can work through them and make amends for those things that we've done wrong...and then we have the ability to take that experience and try to use it to try to help other people..." This week's episode is full of hope and information as Laurie and Annie speak with Michael King, of Facing Addiction. Even offering his own contact information for families in need, Michael touches on his own descent into alcoholism, DUI's and professional embarrassment, and his own recovery. From his own recovery he moved into truly embracing the world of recovery, finding a newborn passion for helping others and extending the support system on a national level. He speaks eloquently of the need to spread the word in our communities that recovery is possible! Join the Allies in Recovery member site today for full, unlimited access to our e-learning platform, expert guidance, and the chance to connect with others in your situation. Learn more here. http://alliesinrecovery.net/#benefits