Avoiding the Addiction Affliction

There are many products, regulated and unregulated, sold over the counter that contain substances that can contribute to addiction. Michelle Sandberg, the Executive Director of the Hope Council in Kenosha, Wisconsin, discusses these products, sold everywhere from vape shops to convenience stores. Michelle also talks about the challenges that communities and organizations like the Hope Council face...

Dr. Sterling Elliott talks about where we are with the ongoing opioid crisis, pain management, and available unregulated pseudo-pharmaceutical combinations available in smoke shops and gas stations. Dr. Elliott is the Clinical Pharmacist Lead for Ambulatory Surgery Practice at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) in Chicago, Illinois. He specializes in matters related to post-operative pain manage...

Jeanne Foot doesn't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to recovery. Using evidence-based therapeutic methods, she works with her clients to create a recovery path that works for their lifestyles. Jeanne is the founder and CEO of The Recovery Concierge, a premier service for mental health, addiction recovery, trauma healing, and peak performance. In addition to her own lived experience, she ho...

Finding a place to live once someone is in recovery is often a challenge. Jim Boad has addressed that challenge through initiative and expertise. Jim is a Pacific Coast entrepreneur helping others to open and scale profitable, sustainable group homes and sober living facilities. Jim and his business can be reached at jimboad.com . The State of Wisconsin's Dose of Reality campaign is at Dose of Rea...

As a hidden brain injury, FASD can manifest in ways that often lead to challenging behaviors, which can feel overwhelming for caregivers relying on traditional parenting strategies. Making it even more difficult is knowing where to get an accurate diagnosis and help. Barb Clark is the Founder and CEO of FASD Mosaic where she provides coaching, training, and consulting on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Dis...

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) affect up to 1 in 20 people and is particularly prevalent among young people in the adoption and fostering system. As a hidden brain injury, FASDs can manifest in ways that often lead to challenging behaviors, which makes diagnosis and intervention challenging. Mollie O'Brien, the Executive Director of Proof Alliance in St. Paul, Minnesota, discusses FASDs...

Matt Christensen grew up as the oldest child in a loving family. He had already lost his sense of direction when, in his early twenties, he also lost his mom. Poor choices and decisions followed. Then his family introduced him to The Other Side Academy. First as a student, now as a staff member, Matt talks about The Other Side Academy and its programs. The Other Side Academy and its programs can b...

Matthew Laughrin wrote his memoir, " Shouting into the Darkness: Life as a Mentally Ill Drug Addict in the 21st Century ," while incarcerated. On March 1, 2009, Matthew woke to a police tactical team bursting into his home. He was arrested for the fatal drug overdose of a teenage girl who had died in his house the previous evening while he was asleep. His book chronicles the decisions and missteps...

Rehab is a word used to describe everything from a short detox to a long residential stay. Jim Savage discusses what constitutes rehab and what makes for a successful program. Jim is the owner of Rehab Works! Family Support Program and Jim Savage Consulting. He is the author of "Rehab Works! A Parent's Guide to Drug Treatment" and a new ebook, "Sobriety Doesn't Have To Suck: A Guide To Finding Hap...

It is safe to say that addiction and mental health services are needed across the country and that providing those services, while incredibly rewarding, is also extremely challenging. Joe Henderson, the Founder and CEO of Sierra Health + Wellness Centers and the Elijah House Foundation in California, talks about those rewards and challenges. His approach to Addiction Treatment centers on identity...

Everyone copes with depression and life stress differently. JD Tremblay coped by pushing his body athletically to limits few ever experience. Tremblay is the Director of Human Performance at Hungry Warrior Academy, a Canadian human performance specialist, Naturopathic practitioner, Integrated Engineering graduate, and military veteran with over a decade of service. He is also the author of "Hunger...

Harvie Herrington is a former college and pro football player now dedicated to helping youth and adults overcome adversity and achieve their dreams. He is a motivational speaker, trainer, and author. His inspirational presentations focus on diversity, self-leadership, overcoming adversity, and metabolic health. His book, "80/20 Rule: Removing the Friction From Your Life to Become a Better Athlete,...

Stress is a common concern across all ages and demographics. It causes some to seek relief by engaging in destructive behaviors. Dr. Gary Sprouse, or as he is better known across the country, "The Less Stress Doc," discusses how he helps clients alleviate the stress in their lives with the goal of living in their Happy Place. Dr. Sprouse is a former primary care physician from Maryland who retired...

In 2018, STEP Industries and The Mooring Programs merged to become Apricity, a progressive recovery community in Wisconsin. The leadership team brought to life the vision of a one-of-a-kind recovery organization that offers treatment, employment, transitional living, and education. Michelle Devine Giese, the CEO of Apricity, Dan Haak, the President of Apricity Contract Packaging and Recovery Suppo...

Recovery, like life, is full of what seems like contradictions. Love and resentment, passion and despair. Jessica Guerrieri details the complexities of recovery brilliantly in her new novel, "Both Can Be True." Jessica is a writer and novelist who lives in Northern California with her husband and three daughters. With a background in special education, Jessica left the field to pursue a career in...

We may not be able to choose the circumstances we're in, but we always have a choice regarding how we respond. That is just one of the life lessons Larry Freeborg talks about in his book, "Always At Choice: Strategies for Moving on After the Death of a Spouse or Life Trauma." Larry was forty years old when his wife died from acute leukemia on the day after Christmas. He became a widower with four...

Jonathan Schwartz was at the top of his game serving as a business manager to celebrities including Beyonce, Alanis Morisette, Gwenyth Paltrow, Mariah Carey, Linkin Park, and others. But he kept a dark secret: he was a compulsive gambler and cocaine addict. Over the course of six years he embezzled over $7 million from his clients to fund these addictions. Jonathan's criminal behavior earned him a...

When we're going through difficult times, often the tendency is to isolate and withdraw. Help is available, but often folks are reluctant to reach out and ask for it. Dana Emold talks about a new venture she is piloting for a free Family Education / support group at Wellbrook Recovery in Brookfield, Wisconsin, providing education on topics like "Understanding the Disease of Addiction" and "Codepen...

Anyone who has experienced chronic lower back pain knows that relief is sometimes difficult to find. Dr. Rohan Lall discusses a groundbreaking new procedure being developed to help those with chronic lower back pain. Dr. Lall is a neurosurgeon specializing in robotic and minimally invasive spine surgery, complex spinal surgery, surgery for brain and spinal tumors, and skull base surgery/pituitary...

Recently the federal government released new guidelines for alcohol and food. Marion Nestle discusses those new guidelines and her lifetime's work as a nutrition expert and nutrition policy advisor. Marion is a Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University in the department she chaired from 1988-2003 and from which she retired in Septembe...

Rural communities in America have a shortage of resources for mental health and substance use disorders. That shortage makes services provided by rural schools so important in the lives of students and families. Tania Reindl talks about the challenges and opportunities that working in rural communities presents. Tania is a Mental Health Navigator in a small, rural school district in Wisconsin. She...

The mission of the Heart to Heart Foundation is to support programs providing services to children needing homes, biological parents making crucial decisions for their children, and adoptive parents hoping to provide the families and homes that children long for. Donna Pope is the Director of Heart to Heart Adoptions based in Sandy, Utah. She talks about their work and the joys and challenges of r...

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) is often overlooked, misdiagnosed, and understudied. Individuals with FASDs and their families also face persistent stigma, negative stereotypes, and harmful biases, due to public misunderstandings. Guida Brown talks about how we can assist women and families both during and post pregnancy. Guida is the Principal for Guided by Guida and serves as a Communit...

Jane Musgrave grew up on the outskirts of Brisbane, Australia. She endured a troubled childhood that led her to seek an escape in alcohol. What began as a coping mechanism quickly grew into an all-consuming addiction, shaping decades of her life and leading to a series of difficult choices. She details those struggles and her recovery in her terrific book, "My Journey Out of the Bottle: Four Rehab...

As college students everywhere are returning to campus following winter break, some are struggling with substances. Those in recovery navigated the holidays soberly. And a few, like Tim Rabolt, are there to help anyone on a college campus who has substance use issues. Tim is the Program Manager for "Recovery at Marquette," an urban university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is a Past Executive Directo...