Avoiding the Addiction Affliction

Hope Wesley-Early discusses helping clients deal with past shame and life problems. Moving beyond "who I was" to "who I can be" takes time, commitment, and trust. Hope runs the Moral Reconation Therapy Program for the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse in Kenosha, Wisconsin. If you need help with substance use, help is available. To contact the Hope Council, call 262-658-8166 or explore th...

A returning panel of college women discuss their first year of college and the role alcohol and other substance use had on their experiences. Substance use rose significantly during the pandemic as coping strategies for anxiety and stress were taxed. Grace, Maya, Aiden, Haley, Jackie, and Viv share their observations on college, substance use, and mental health. Every college has a student health...

Dana Ballewske, PsyD, talks about how to help young people navigate their worlds during unpredictable times. Young people are not immune to the rise in substance use disorders, depression, and mental health concerns in our society. How parents, mentors, school staff, and counselors respond makes all the difference. Dr Ballewske is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Coordinator of School-Based Se...

Dana Emold discusses developing a healthy lifestyle in recovery as a way to cope with stress and anxiety and as a way to develop a healthy, non-using social network. Recovery means finding a lifestyle where addiction doesn't fit. Dana is a Clinical Therapist and a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor with Cedar Lake Counseling. Dana can be reached at dana@cedarlakecounseling.net or 262-244-6177 ext...

Michael Graveley talks about the legal and life risks of opioid and other drug use. Mr. Graveley has seen first hand what works and doesn't work to keep someone drug free and well out of harm's way. Mr. Graveley is the elected District Attorney for Kenosha County. He is an advocate for treatment and diversion programs for first-time drug offenders. If you or a loved one needs help with substance u...

Ryan Clevenger shares his journey from addiction to sobriety, a journey that took him from a prison in Texas to a long-term recovery house in Wisconsin. Ryan is an Outreach Worker for Oxford Houses, Inc.. Oxford Houses are long-term, self-managing, and self-supporting recovery houses. For further information about Oxford Houses for sober living go to: https://www.oxfordhouse.org . Ryan can be reac...

Heroin, jail, sobriety, relapse, repeat. That is a cycle many families experience with opiate addiction. Lee is a mom whose daughter was enmeshed in that cycle. Today, her daughter is in-long term recovery, and Lee shares her journey towards joy and contentment. For family members concerned about loved ones' substance use, taking care of themselves is difficult but necessary. If you are concerned,...

After years of trying to control her addiction to opiates and the chaos drugs created, Katie decided that she wanted to live, and to live clean and sober. The cycle of arrests, prison, craving, and withdrawal left her with a choice to make. She chose life. She chose love. If you or a loved one needs help with substance use disorders, help is available. There are many places to start, including you...

Dr. David Galbis-Reig talks about the growing epidemic of opiate use and the infusion of fentanyl in street drugs. Fentanyl creates all sorts of challenges for treatment and medical professionals, from the medications used to withdraw from the drug to the increased possibility the person using will overdose and die. Dr. Galbis-Reig is the Medical Director of Addiction Services at Ascension Wiscons...

Dr. Krista Lisdahl discusses the neurocognitive consequences of chronic cannabis and other drug use during adolescence and early adulthood. Her research examines the effects of marijuana, alcohol, nicotine, and ecstasy use on brain structure and function. Dr. Lisdahl is the Director of the University of Wisconsin -- Milwaukee's Brain Imaging and Neuropsychology (BraIN) Laboratory. Dr. Lisdahl and...

Chris Wardlow talks about resiliency and the importance of having caring, nurturing people in the lives of young people living in families experiencing substance use disorders. Chris is a substance abuse prevention specialist with Catalpa Health in Appleton, Wisconsin. He works with communities, schools, agencies, and organizations that are seeking to incorporate evidence-based strategies and serv...

Roy Bishop discusses the personality changes that take place when Substance Use Disorders are addressed. The transition from being guarded, self centered, and manipulative to honest, considerate, and thoughtful is a journey, but it's a trip worth taking. A psychotherapist with Eastlake Counseling and Consulting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Roy is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Program...

Helen Kobrin discusses the dynamics of codependency and how to break patterns of unhealthy behaviors that focus on others' wants and needs at the expense of our own. Taking care of ourselves is not selfish; rather, it allows us to be a whole, healthy person in all our relationships. Helen holds a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Adler University as well as a Certificate in Addict...

Jessie Close talks about her diagnosis for bi-polar disorder and how she and her family have worked to eliminate the stigma around mental illness. By sharing her journey and through the additional commitment and dedication of her sister Glenn and the Bring Change 2 Mind organization, Jessie is working to "Change a mind and change a life." Jessie's gripping autobiography, Resilience:Two Sisters and...

Vanessa McGowan talks about the choices we make to cope with our challenges in life. Vanessa is a New Zealand-born musician, writer, and entrepreneur based in Nashville, Tennessee, and Door County, Wisconsin. She discusses the highs and lows of life on the road and the discoveries she made while researching and writing about the culture of alcohol while being stuck at home during the pandemic. Van...

Helen Kobrin discusses how individuals and couples can break patterns of unhealthy communication and behavior and establish a healthy, honest, and respectful relationship. If we have the courage and willingness to look in the mirror and address our own "stuff," a relationship can transform from hurtful and raw to loving and beautiful. Helen holds a Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy fr...

Guida Brown discusses the substance abuse increases Wisconsin has seen during the pandemic and how helping agencies are addressing the need for services. Guida is the Executive Director of the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse. If you need help due to substance abuse, help is available. To contact the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse, call 262-658-8166 or email them at info@hope...

Dana Emold discusses working towards healthy relationships for recovering individuals, couples, and families. After years and sometimes generations of unhealthy communication and relationships, the transition from walking on eggshells to concrete and moving from deceit to honest, healthy communication in recovery involves time, work, and trust. Dana is a Clinical Therapist and a Certified Substanc...

Christine Ullstrup talks about the benefits of providing women a safe and secure environment to deal with their substance abuse. Christine is the Vice President of Clinical Services at Meta House in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a treatment facility that has been dedicated to empowering women to overcome substance use disorder since 1963. Recovery for women from substance use disorders often entails a com...

Sharon is a mother whose story of perseverance and recovery from substance use and bipolar disorders are remarkable. Substance use disorders and mental illness often go hand in hand. Recovery means addressing all those concerns, a seemingly monumental task until tackled one step at a time. For millions of people struggling with substance use disorders and mental illness, Sharon's story will seem f...

Kathy and Johnny are part of a powerful training team at Kimberly (Wisconsin) High School. They train student leaders to help their classmates cope with difficult life issues, including substance use, depression, and suicidal thoughts. One of the most powerful techniques they train the student leaders to use is showing compassion through the use of empathy. Breaking through the isolation and despe...

Hope Wesley-Early used to spend her days immersed in the chaotic cycle that is substance abuse. Using drugs, recovering from their effects, and lying to those around her was the daily routine. The chaos took its toll; Hope persevered and turned her life around. Today she spends her days helping people get the information and the help they need to battle their own substance use disorders. If you ne...

Amber and Chloe are a mother-daughter duo who persevered through the addictions of Chloe's father to start a new life. When is it time to say enough is enough? Amber shares her story of walking on eggshells while trying to keep the peace at the same time that Chloe was navigating adolescence and trying to be Mom's support. For millions of children and families, their journey is an all too familiar...

Shane Urness describes January 18, 2004 as a day he doesn't remember, but one he will never forget. That evening when he and his friends left a party, Shane drove drunk and struck another car. Three people were killed, including his best friend. Shane went to prison, is out now on extended supervision and chooses to tell his sobering story as a cautionary tale of reckless, poor decision making. If...

Adam Crivello shares his experiences growing up in a family where substance use took center stage. After several rounds of sobriety and relapse, Adam's mother has been in recovery for over a decade. For millions of children and families, substance use disorder is one of the constants in their lives. All that is predictable is the chaos and feeling of helplessness. For family members concerned abou...