A few years ago, I read a fascinating book on the surfing life, Barbarian Days by William Finnegan. WithSurf Therapy, just published by Cash Lambert, I’ve learned about surfing as a emerging, science-basedfield to address mental health and addiction challenges. What a concept: asking humans to worktogether in the outdoors to find their “zone” and structurally change the brain for …
I didn’t just wake up one morning dry heaving into my toilet, needing a drink withinfifteen minutes of awakening – so ashamed that I could not even look at myself in themirror – wondering again how I was going to get through the day (cursing God for nothaving taken me during the night). My spiritual bankruptcy was decades in the …
A new Smoke Shop has opened on Main Street in New Canaan, and retailers including Stew Leonard’s and Whole Foods are selling THC-infused seltzers by CANN. Why do I mention this? Because it goes against the spirit of the cannabis legalization bill of 2021 (aka Public Act 21-1, an Act Concerning Responsible and Equitable Regulation of Adult-Use Cannabis (“RERACA”). The …
I have been test driving recoveryeducation.com, a parent-focused website for families affected by addiction. The full name of this website tool is REAL, Recovery Education & Applied Learning. It’s the brainchild of New Canaan resident and REAL Founder & CEO Todd Lampert, who was inspired by a recovery journey in his own family. The Town of New Canaan has graciously …
On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, we hosted Tim Walsh of Adventure Recovery (AR) for an in-person Pathway Session on how outdoor movement and skills can promote recovery. There was a good mix of recovery coaches and parents in attendance. For some time it has been recognized that the brain can be impacted by community, moving in the outdoors, and spending …
A warm and pleasantly unexpected wave of relief set in as I was ushered into the back seat of yet another police vehicle. While this type of counterintuitive neurobiological response was not foreign to me, it still surprised me every time. In moments like that you have clarity, something concrete is happening. No need to fear what may come. It …
Another great book on meditation that is especially helpful for those, like me, who struggle with their inner critic. Meditation teacher and author Mark Coleman provides many antidotes for negative thinking and self-talk to help us learn to be more compassionate towards ourselves. Chapters are short withpractical exercises included, mostly meditation based. Mark also describes the scientific foundation, orneuroplasticity, behind …
On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, we hosted Raquel Harrison, MD, a local Lifestyle Medicine and emergency physician, for an in-person Pathway Session on managing cortisol for health and recovery. Lifestyle Medicine is a relatively new medical specialty based on the vital role that lifestyle choices play in preventing and reversing chronic diseases. Thee are six pillars of lifestyle medicine: plant-forward …
Pleasure Unwoven is a 1-hour video and accompanying workbook about addiction, with a focus on the hedonic pleasure aspect of addiction. The author is a doctor in recovery who uses the beautiful Utah landscape to ask the question: does addiction fits the standard “disease model”? His answer is YES, because addiction is a stress-induced defect that causes dysregulation of the …
I grew up in an upper middle-class family in Bethany, CT. From the outside looking in, my family was an ordinary American family. My mom and dad were well-educated. My mom was an artist, and my dad ran the family recycling business. What most people didn’t see was that my mother suffered from severe manic depression and when I was …
