Coming Up for Air — A Toolkit to Help with Your Loved One's Recovery from Addiction & Mental Illness

On this week's Coming up for Air, Laurie and Annie welcome guest Rob Koebel to discuss his past experiences with alcoholism and where he is in his recovery today. Koebel is an award-winning journalist, actor, writer, host and voice-over artist. His journalism work has been recognized by Emmy awards, Associated Press and an Edward R Murrow award. After experiencing a very public embarrassment, Rob...

In today's episode, Laurie's son Tommy opens up about his experience with SUD. Listen to his moving account of surviving a terrifying overdose and his thoughts for teens and young adults. Tommy also elaborates on what he feels parents new to this situation ought to know... This is a strong, raw, realistic conversation that gives much insight and HOPE! Allies in Recovery offers affordable membershi...

On this week's Coming Up for Air podcast, Annie and Laurie talk with Annie's son Elliot, whose opiate dependency and recovery is detailed in Annie's book "Unhooked." Elliot opens up with an honest, raw perspective of where a son or daughter's mind might be while in active addiction, what would have helped from his point of view, what to not take personally as the parent of someone struggling deep...

Can good possibly come in the midst of terrible crisis, chaos and despair? While Annie and Laurie agree that they wouldn't wish a loved one's struggling with SUD on any family, they also agree that it can prompt positive growth, pruning and weeding, purging and healthy family development. Strength can emerge from the depths of this adversity. This week's discussion revolves around personal growth...

Can good possibly come in the midst of terrible crisis, chaos and despair? While Annie and Laurie agree that they would wish a Loved One's struggling with SUD on no family, they also agree that it can prompt positive growth,pruning and weeding, purging and healthy family development. Strength can emerge from the depths of this adversity. This week's discussion revolves around personal growth that...

This week Annie and Laurie invite Laurie's husband Trevor and Annie's ex-husband Elliot Sr. to the podcast to discuss being on the same page during crisis and decisions. The conversation touches on blended families, exposing siblings to potentially dangerous behaviors, intrusions from others, being in agreement and being divorced-yet-not-divided. They all agree that division opens the door for man...

Laurie and Annie explore what it means to be triggered. Annie takes to the public to poll people about being triggered. Both give examples and explanations of how they perceive heated situations and how they are best dealt with. Laurie speaks, for example, about driving through a neighborhood that sparks the memory of her son's drug use, and how this can still produce anxiety for her. The episode...

Annie and Laurie compare experiences of enabling use. They offer a short quiz on signs of enabling and discuss better ways of managing situations that might require lending a hand. To learn more about Allies in Recovery, the sponsor of Coming Up for Air, or to join our member site, visit AlliesinRecovery.net today. http://alliesinrecovery.net/ #enabling #addiction

Laurie and Annie elaborate on the effects and responses to surging emotions that are common when dealing with SUD and in other areas of human interaction. Why do we have feelings? And how much weight to we give them? To become a member of Allies in Recovery and learn CRAFT for the Family Member, visit AlliesinRecovery.net today! http://alliesinrecovery.net/ #emotions #SUD #feelings #addiction #opi...

This week, Annie and Laurie analyze the meaning of drama with examples from people asked in an entertaining poll in the public. Both discuss issues of drama within family, friendships, not getting sucked in and who at times can actually be drama!*** Coming Up for Air brings together two inspiring moms, for thoughtful discussion of topics pertaining to addiction in the family. Both Annie Highwater...

This week, Laurie and Annie discuss experiences with manipulation. How do we recognize manipulation when it's present? How do we as affected family actually manipulate as well? Coming Up for Air brings together two inspiring moms, for thoughtful discussion of topics pertaining to addiction in the family. Both Annie Highwater and Laurie MacDougall have adult sons in recovery from opiate addiction....

Dominique Simon-Levine, creator and founder of Allies in Recovery.net is this week's special guest. Dominique is an expert in the CRAFT method for guiding an addicted loved one towards treatment and recovery. "You don't want to detach regardless of what's happening ..... You want to stay engaged. Yes, you want to step away and be neutral when you see them using .... but you're...

In this episode, Annie and Laurie discuss the familiar anecdotes of recovery (such as "the 3 C's," "Do the next right thing" and "They have to really, reaaally want it!" etc.). Each shares compelling personal examples of how applying these slogans/ideas can be strength-giving, encouraging, empowering and can give wisdom through the tough days. Coming Up for AiR brings together two inspir...

Laurie and Annie compare support group experiences as well as what is helpful when you first find out, or if you're going through it alone. Coming Up for Air brings together two inspiring moms, for thoughtful discussion of topics pertaining to addiction in the family. Both Annie Highwater and Laurie MacDougall have adult sons in recovery from opiate addiction. They also consider themselves to...

Annie and Laurie open up about where the focus was when addiction first presented in their sons, all the way through to where their goals and focuses are now -  with a short quiz on where you might be in the stressful process. (It is a process!) Become a member of Allies in Recovery today and learn a proven method for how to unblock the situation and guide your addict...

This week, Laurie and Annie dive deep into the role forgiveness plays, relating to addiction and the road to recovery.  This episode explores frequent forgiveness for a loved one who is acting out in the disease, as well as personal examples of forgiving others who made it worse along the way. Annie and Laurie end the episode with a discussion of the reasons they needed to forgive t...

Annie and Laurie open up about parallel issues that can arise through the worst of times.  As they managed their homes with their sons' addiction raging, they also had to deal with what was going on on other fronts: crisis, chaos, conflicts, the good, the bad and the unexpected that happened alongside the central struggle. Join us today to take advantage of the numerous benefits of being...

In this episode, Laurie and Annie briefly introduce themselves and discuss backgrounds, family dynamics and open up about their lives leading up to and through their experience with the national opiate crisis entering their lives. Two very different paths leading to the same journey of recovery. Their compelling stories validate the idea that addiction is a disease and it’s a family disease that c...