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Five years ago, on Christmas Eve, my fifteen-year battle with addiction reached a critical breaking point. I was detoxing during a family gathering on my aunt and uncle’s couch after days of consecutive cocaine use, numbing myself with counterfeit pills I later discovered were laced with opiates, purchased from my dealer. My grandma turned to me and asked, “Are you

On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, we hosted Uri Berger, PhD, for our last Pathway Session of the year. The Zoom session was a success, as the Failure to Launch (FTL) topic is timely and there were plenty of good questions during the Q&A. In our support group meetings, I have heard dozens and dozens of stories of young adult males

While Stephen Porges is considered the father of Polyvagal Theory (PVT), author and clinician Deb Danais considered the leader in putting PVT concepts into practice. She believes that we all benefit when wehave a basic understanding of the way the nervous system works. In Anchored, Deb guides the reader to“befriend” your nervous system and use your “vagal brake” through exercises

It is September 1 st of 2018; Labor Day weekend was meant to be spent in Rhode Island amongst longtime friends. Sun-soaked days at the beach followed by cooler nights around a fire pit. That was not how the weekend unfolded. Instead, it was spent lying in a hospital bed with pancreatitis. I would go on to spend almost a

On Wednesday, November 12, we hosted Maria Kratsios, LCSW, and Founder & Chief Clinical Officer of Nest Behavioral Health, for a Pathway Session on trauma. Maria is a well-respected psychologist, educator and speaker who is passionate about healing trauma using a holistic, polyvagal theory-based treatment approach. Maria set the stage for the Zoom session by first describing her own personal

Patrick Kennedy, who already authored a book about his own and his family’s challenges with mental health and substance use (Common Struggle), has crafted another touching book, written in the style of his uncle John F’s book Profiles in Courage. In this Profiles, there are 12 untold stories of individuals who struggled with their mental health and addiction. Included in these stories are

My name is Aidan, and I’m an addict. I grew up in New Canaan, to a single mother. Growingup I felt rather anxious, I didn’t have a lot of friends, and I got diagnosed with depression,anxiety and ADHD at a young age. Instant gratification was something I latched onto early. Mythoughts were intense and critical, I obsessed over what people

Following is Aidan’s 2024 Vigil Testimonial, word for word. To view the video of his speech click here. My name is Aidan, and I’m an addict.  I grew up in New Canaan, to a single mother.  Growing up I felt rather anxious, I didn’t have a lot of friends, and I got diagnosed with depression, anxiety and ADHD at a

On Wednesday, October 16, we hosted Amanda Craig, PhD, for a Pathway Session on setting healthy boundaries to promote recovery. Dr. Craig is a licensed marriage and family therapist and board-approved clinical supervisor with a clinical focus on issues impacting our relationships. To start off the meeting, Amanda set the stage by defining a boundary as a “property line” where

Dear William: A Father’s Memoir of Addiction: Recovery, Love and Loss, by David MageeDavid Magee is an incredible storyteller, who shares the story of his personal journey in this page-turnerof a book. Written in tribute to his son William, who died of an overdose, David recounts how addictionimpacted him and his relationships all throughout his life. With respect to his