Judith Grisel, PdD became inspired to specialize in neuroscience after ten years of substance use and addiction. In Never Enough, she explains in layman’s terms how every drug can lead to addiction. She describes the 3 features present in addiction: craving, tolerance, and dependence, and the impact on the brain. Using drugs regularly causes the brain to become unbalanced, and …
Before I started using drugs and alcohol, I remember feeling a sense of impending doom and a huge void in my life. These feelings were hard for a nine-year-old girl to comprehend. I remember sobbing to my mom once and saying “I just want to go home” as I was sitting in my bed. Of course, I was home, but …
On Monday, December 11, at St. Mark’s Church, our guest speaker Frank Bartolomeo, PhD, spoke on setting boundaries to promote recovery. Frank is s a nationally-recognized expert in mental health amd substance use. Frank has a private psychotherapy practice in addition to being the Founder and Director of the Well Center for Development, both based in New Canaan. In addition, …
With a title that long, of course the author and former ABC News anchor has an ego. Some would call him a jerk. However, he’s a great storyteller, and talks in a conversational way about his career and how it was getting de-railed by his panic attacks, anxiety, and resulting arrogance. He interviews several self- help gurus like Eckhart Tolle …
In March of 2000, I witnessed the greatest hockey game ever played. Well, I may be exaggerating a little but I was a competitive Dad back then. Although unqualified, I was appointed an assistant coach on my son Evan’s House Hockey team. At the end of the season, there were playoffs and the final two teams played in a championship …
On Wednesday, November 20, we hosted Erika Long, co-Founder of the Community Mindfulness Project (CMP) for a fascinating in-person Pathway Session. During the session, Erika went through a number of concepts about the power of mindfulness. Among the ideas were these: 1) Taking deep breaths sends a signal to the brain that we are safe; 2) We have the power …
Ever since I was a child, I have wanted to be a helper. I helped my mother with my little sisters, I cheeredmy friends up when they were sad by making them laugh, and I went to great lengths to please people,or in my young mind, ‘help’ the situation. Often, those efforts went against my beliefs or desires andbegan to …
Tommy Rosen is the Founder of Recovery 2.0, a global community dedicated to using yoga as a pathwayto long-term recovery. His first book, also titled Recovery 2.0, was published 9 years ago and doesseveral things very well: 1) he tells his own story of addiction and recovery; 2) he articulates the 12 stepsin his own words; and 3) he describes …
Our October 18 Pathway Session on Addiction Studies with Shane Murphy, PhD, was a big success. Shane, who founded and heads the graduate-level program in Addiction Studies at WestConn State University, gave us some background about the program and why it is needed. The program serves different individual needs including: 1) credit hours (37) to pursue a career as an …
Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day, by Amishi JhaIn a world where there are always distractors and stresses that vie for our attention, the title of AmishiJha’s book is alluring. Only 12 minutes a day to find focus? Sign me up! The author does a great job oflisting the compelling evidence that daily …
