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I was born a first-generation American to parents who came to the United States from India in 1995 through an arranged marriage, carrying sacrifice, faith, and tradition with them. I grew up in Maryland in a multigenerational home, my parents, grandparents, aunt, and uncle all under one roof. I was surrounded by family and love, yet from an early age

CT House Bill No. 5350: AN ACT CONCERNING CANNABIS, HEMP AND INFUSED BEVERAGE REGULATION proposes multiple changes to CT’s legal cannabis market, including increasing THC potency and authorizing on-site / in plain view consumption at locations such as retailers, restaurants and cafes. A public hearing before the General Law Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, March 4th starting at 10am &

The feedback was positive after our February 18, 2026 Pathway Session on Self-Compassion with Zoe Leary, DSW. The session included a few practice exercises, one on identifying the inner critic and another on self-kindness. Zoe Leary, Staff Clinician at the Center for Motivation & Change, started off by defining both Compassion and Self-Compassion. In simple terms Self-Compassion is the practice

My turning point came in a jail cell at Hartford County Jail. I had been arrested again, sitting in that cold, concrete cell, staring at the walls, replaying every decision that led me right back there. This time felt different. It wasn’t just about me anymore. For the first time, I really saw the impact of my choice on my

On January 14, 2026, Mark D’Agostino, MD, gave a fascinating talk on kratom and the kratom derivatives Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which are sold in CT Smoke Shops for pain relief, increased energy, or aid with opioid addiction recovery addiction. Similar to cannabis, kratom has many varients from the traditional leaf (consumed as a powder with 2-5% alkaloid content), to

Anxiety is an underlying cause of addiction. Calm Your Mind with Food: A Revolutionary Guide to Controlling Your Anxiety, by addressing anxiety through food and nutrition choices, is a helpful guide for those in recovery. Dr. Uma Naidoo strikes a good balance between scientific explanations and practical advice. The book includes recipes and meal plans to calm the mind, and

It was as if my heart woke me up before the sound of my baby crying out to me. It was around 2:30am and I quickly picked him up, held him close, and swayed back and forth as I felt him collapse into my arms. I started to sing to him and felt him slowly find calmness. My arms were

On December 10, 2025, NCPSG hosted a Pathway Session on Setting Boundaries to Promote Recovery. Jacqueline Barbaro, LPC, a Westport-based therapist, was the speaker. She has a long track record working with families and their loved ones struggling with addiction. Jacqui started off with her thoughts on how to set boundaries, They included: Given the likelihood of pushback, Jacqueline gave

Some call it a white-light moment. I choose to frame it as a moment of clarity. As I sat there at the end of my childhood bed with my younger brother, scared and begging me to be honest, I had that moment of clarity. Eight years of my substance use history and the patterned behavior that came with it washed

We’ve been exploring how nutritional lifestyle changes can make a difference for both loved ones and their family members. Fascinating work is being done by a number of practitioners of integrative medicine, functional nutrition health coaching, and functional/integrative psychiatry. All of these pathways can alter physical, mental and spiritual health. With all the non-pharmaceutical work taking place, I must question