A Retreat for Possibilities

April 16th, 2010 | Posted by Michael Taleff in Addiction - (Comments Off on A Retreat for Possibilities)

A few years back, a now dead, philosopher (Mortimer Adler) had a wonderful idea. He brought together people from various fields to spend an idyllic weekend in the mountains outside Boulder CO. The point was to exchange ideas and debate, with civility, the issues of the day. They would spend hours talking and deliberating all …
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As addicts and alcoholics, you all understand you have no room for un-resolved anger in your recovery program. On the other side of anger is resentment or a feeling that some injustice has been done to you. Something or someone is irritating you or it is “just not fair.” Don’t you wish you could just …
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The Many Gifts of Sobriety

April 8th, 2010 | Posted by Sherry Gaba in Addiction - (8 Comments)

We all have been told that when we become clean and sober our lives will drastically get better. For the addict and alcoholic who has been left with nothing, these gains in recovery can become overwhelming. Let’s face it, in early recovery sometimes just staying sober is all you can handle. However, when the miracles …
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Really Big Questions

April 1st, 2010 | Posted by Michael Taleff in Addiction | Alcohol Addiction - (Comments Off on Really Big Questions)

A fellow named Mike Gazzaniga recently remarked that he and other cognitive neuro-scientists have pressed themselves to ask really big questions of their field. For example, they asked themselves about the very nature of consciousness. How it works? How does the brain produce such a phenomena? Where is it located exactly in our brain? The …
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With the recent deaths of Corey Haim, Brittany Murphy, and Michael Jackson, most psychotherapists and physicians, who may not necessarily work in addictions, are becoming more mindful of this growing epidemic of pain medication addiction. As a psychotherapist who specializes in addictions, I have been aware of this pervasive problem for years. In addition, in …
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Does Malibu Rehab Work?

March 20th, 2010 | Posted by Sherry Gaba in Addiction - (4 Comments)

Although I am not necessarily an expert in this area, I have worked at several Malibu Rehabs for the last four years and my answer is a resounding yes, if you are ready and want to get sober. With that being said, so do other rehabs that don’t have lavish chefs, $50,000 price tags and …
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My goal this week was to get away from the topic of Celebrity addiction, but, of course, you couldn’t turn on the television without some newscaster broadcasting about the tragic and sudden death of teenage heartthrob and childhood star Corey Haim. Most likely the cause is related to drug addiction although the reports are unclear. …
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Addiction Treatment Around The World

March 9th, 2010 | Posted by Jeff Wilbee in Uncategorized - (Comments Off on Addiction Treatment Around The World)

I was so pleased to see Stephanie Muller’s article in February’s Counselor on what is happening beyond our North American shores. The C4 Recovery interviewees were quite correct in ascerting that we can learn a lot from what is happpening around the globe. Different approaches perhaps but of value. As Past President of IC & RC, …
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As I watched the Academy Awards last night, I couldn’t help but wonder is this an addiction?  Every year we have an Academy Awards party. Every year all the guests bring the same food: crab dip, meatballs, chili, hot-dogs, chicken wings and the list goes on.  When the show begins, my mom shouts, “Everyone be …
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