For veterans struggling with substance abuse, treatment is not a luxury, but a necessity. These people are dedicated to serving our country – providing them with accessible, affordable, effective treatment is the least our country can do in return. read more
Giving up coke? Getting sober? More marijuana? A lot of crack? Do we know what is actually happening with substance abuse on Wall Street today? The Journal doesn’t have a straight answer, so they seem content to mash together a few opinions and “statistics” and present them as truth. read more
While teens’ reasons for trying heroin are diverse, one element of their addiction stories remains consistent: heroin isn’t just a drug for them. It is a culture, a lifestyle, a full time job—from buying it, to ingesting it, to financially supporting the growing quantity. It’s the first thing they think about when they wake up and the last thing they think about before they fall asleep. read more
As heroin addiction among our youth continues to rise, residents of Long Island are beginning to see that an “anywhere but here” way of thinking creates a false sense of security. read more
When President Obama issued orders this month to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, one priority was clear to me: We must prepare for the surge of veterans who will need substance abuse treatment when they come home. read more
On Thanksgiving, as I sat at the table, stuffing myself with turkey and pumpkin pie, I thought what a miracle it was that I was there at all. I surveyed the room filled with loved ones—grateful that I was still alive and that I no longer needed to use. read more
Rachael Brownell is a mother, writer, and aspiring hippie living in the Pacific Northwest. Her first book, Mommy Doesn’t Drink Here Anymore, was published in August 2009. As our guest blogger, she highlights the pressures of motherhood today—and her journey “from cocktail mama to sober mama.”
People rarely ask me why I drank… read more
Scott Aalund joined Phoenix Academy of Los Angeles as a teacher in 1997. After leaving to work in Head Start in 2002, he returned to Phoenix Academy in 2005, where he now teaches a special Day Class. Recently, he won the prestigious Teacher of the Year award from the Los Angeles County Office… read more
The national debate on health care reform has overlooked an area of vast potential savings—the treatment of substance abuse. Untreated or under-treated substance abusers are world-class consumers of health care dollars; they are repeat customers, who crowd emergency rooms and overwhelm clinics.
A recent study by CASA, Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction… read more
More than 15 years ago, Joan Hajjar was living on the edge. Homeless and without hope, her daily existence revolved around her next drug or drink. Determined to beat her addiction, she entered Phoenix House in 1993, where she found the tools to reclaim her life. Now serving as director of Phoenix House’s AmeriCorps… read more