Avoiding the Addiction Affliction

Cade Reddington and Logan Rachwal are two of the more than 100,000 individuals who lost their lives last year to a synthetic opioid overdose in the United States. Their moms, Michelle Kullmann and Erin Rachwal, discuss their fight to bring awareness to this epidemic and their own personal battles with their grief due to their sons' deadly fentanyl overdoses. If you or a loved one has a substance u...

It doesn't matter where you live, drugs are available. Detective Mike Osmond, an Investigator with the Buffalo County Sheriff's Office, discusses the prevalence and increase in street drug usage, overdose deaths, and fentanyl. It's the partnership of law enforcement, education, and treatment that Detective Osmond believes makes a difference in communities. The Wisconsin Alliance for Drug Endangere...

How do you cope with losing someone you love to an overdose death? Jason Fritz talks about the life and legacy of his brother Terry, who passed away with a needle in his lap, alone, in his car, across the street from a police station. Jason is a Treatment Advocate and Business Development Officer with the Recovery Centers of America. Information about he memorial golf tournament Jason talks about...

Are suffering, long-term pain, and surrender necessary before individuals address their substance abuse? Dr. Peg O'Connor echos the sentiments of the philosopher William James and says "absolutely not." Peg O'Connor, PhD, is a Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. She believes that philosophy helped her address her addiction and aided in her recovery. Dr. O'...

How does a person overcome dropping out of school, substance abuse, and a mountain of trouble? Tiffany talks about how she has turned her life around. She chose life and recovery. Her infectious optimism and determination are the foundations of her recovery, If you are concerned about your use, you can call: 262-564-6611. You can also find AA meetings here: https://mtg.area75.org/meetings.html?dis...

Less structure, more down time, and the availability of almost every chemical you can think of, including some you've never heard of, presents summer challenges for families. Shauna Blackledge, a Community Impact Coordinator with the United Way of Door County, talks about how to help young people make good decisions about alcohol and other drugs during the summer. Shauna and the Door County AOD Co...

The average teenager spends more time in front of a device's screen than sleeping. As technology becomes more prevalent, the development of life skills are being delayed or lost. Gretchen Pederson discusses what she sees happening to the youth she works with as a school counselor and why she sponsored an evening for her community to discuss the effects of screen time on teenagers. Gretchen is a Sc...

Alcohol consumption rose substantially during the pandemic. Tragically, yet predictably, alcohol-induced and alcohol-related deaths also rose. Maureen Busalacchi and Felice Borisy-Rudin of the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project discuss the implications of that rise and what communities can do to address the issue, which costs our businesses economically, strains our helping systems, and leaves many...

When your loved ones tell you that you have a drinking problem, you do. DJ didn't want to believe it, but he knew it was true and trusted those who loved him. He talks about making the decision to sign on to a virtual AA meeting. He has been in recovery since. If you are concerned about your use, you can choose life and recovery. To contact the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse, call 262-...

Substance use delays emotional and social growth. The earlier and longer someone uses, the greater the need in recovery to discover new ways of coping with life and relationships. Jeannie Seefeldt talks about what works to help people with addiction acquire the skills they need to discover their moral, creative selves. Jeannie is a therapist and consultant with The Wellness Initiative in Kenosha,...

Tim's father gave him his first taste of alcohol at age seven. By age fifteen, Tim was drinking regularly and trying almost every drug he came into contact with. Several attempts at treatment and recovery ended in relapse. Decades later, Tim found SMART Recovery and has now been drug-free for the longest period in his life since adolescence. He discusses what he has learned and how he applies the...

One size doesn't fit all in recovery. Finding people and programs that work for you is all that matters. Carrie Szulczewski is a Certified Recovery Coach and Program Coordinator for Bridges Community Center, a program of Kenosha Human Development Services. Carrie discusses SMART Recovery support groups and the many other programs available at Bridges Community Center in Kenosha, Wisconsin. If you...

We hear it all the time: "Nothing works." "Kids will be kids." "They're going to do it anyway." Those statements, often repeated by adults, about prevention education for our youth could not be more wrong. Annie Lisowski is a Professor of Youth Development with the University of Wisconsin Extension. She discusses the role of prevention in helping our youth make good decisions and avoid the pitfall...

Sr. Elise Cholewinski is a member of the community of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She discusses the role of spirituality in recovery and the many opportunities for reflection offered through the Jesuit Retreat House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Reflection often brings us face to face with the issues we've tried to avoid but need to look at so we may forgive ours...

Spirituality plays a large role for many individuals in recovery. Three women, Beth, Nanci, and Sharon, talk about the importance of spirituality in their lives, their recovery, and how they stay connected to that power greater than themselves. If you or a loved one has a substance use disorder, help is available. Locally, resources can be found at 211 Wisconsin: https://211wisconsin.communityos.o...

Over the past two years alcohol consumption increased dramatically. Mark Sommerhauser discusses the role alcohol consumption played in people's lives during the pandemic. Many people chose to deal with their isolation, increased stress, and anxiety by drinking more alcohol. In Wisconsin, all seventy two counties reported increases in excessive drinking. Mr. Sommerhauser is Communications Director/...

Best selling author Jarrett J. Krosoczka talks about growing up in a family coping with opioid addiction. Over nine million children in the United States under the age of 17 live in households with at least one parent who has a substance use disorder. Substance abuse wreaks havoc on the entire family, and, most tragically, the children. Jarrett J. Krosoczka is a New York Times bestselling author/i...

Anna Bunker discusses the mental health crisis among young people in our country. A forty percent rise in emergency room visits for young women who have attempted suicide and a demand for mental health treatment that has not been met are indicators of a burgeoning mental health crisis for our youth. Anna Bunker is Prevention Education Manager and Youth/Teen Advocate at Reach Counseling Services in...

Amanda began drinking at age twelve. At twenty she knew she had to stop so she could keep on living. She talks about navigating a path to sobriety using online meetings, sponsors, and a growing recovering community. Healthy, happy, and dedicated to her recovery program, Amanda keeps her cup of water close and her support system closer. If you are concerned about your use, you can call: 262-564-661...

When young people use substances, lots of things happen, all of them bad. Substance abuse adversely affects an adolescent's physical, emotional, and social development. Dr. Michelle Maloney and Dr. Sean LeNoue discuss the impact substance use disorders have on adolescents and their families. Michelle Maloney, PhD, is Executive Director of Addiction Services for Rogers Behavioral Health system. Sea...

Cade Reddington, an eighteen-year-old college freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee passed away after taking a pill he didn't know was one hundred percent fentanyl. His mother Michelle Kullmann talks about Cade's life, his tragic passing, and her fight to make sure no other mother wakes up to this nightmare. If you or a loved one has a substance use disorder, help is available. The doc...

Over 100,000 Americans died from drug overdose in the past year. Paul Krupski talks about the ongoing epidemic of opiate use, the prevalence of fentanyl in street drugs, and what works to stem the tide. Mr. Krupski is the Director of Opioid Initiatives with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. He can be reached at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/people/krupski-paul . Resilient Wisconsin can...

Substance abuse wreaks havoc on the entire family, including, most tragically, the children. How do you reconnect with your family and repair the damage in recovery? James "Dimitri" Topitzes, PhD, talks about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the impact growing up in adversity has on our youth and families. Dr. Topitzes is on the faculty of the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare at the Un...

Relationships can be difficult. Relationships with someone in recovery can be challenging and wonderful at the same time. Stacy and Matthew met when Stacy was a couple of years into her recovery. They discuss their relationship and the importance of healthy communication, honesty, love, and trust. As Matthew says, "You can wait for a long time for a relationship that has all four of those componen...

A recent study found that half of all young adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) also experience alcohol and other drug abuse. That is double the rate of the population in general. Dr. Nathan Valentine discusses the dynamics of working with ADHD and substance use disorders concurrently. Getting a better handle on substance abuse, effectively treating the ADHD, understanding...