When does it stop being a party and start becoming a problem? Is there a way to steer clear of addiction?
Every Wednesday, Mike McGowan explores substance use disorders with expert guests.
Episodes
Four Ways to Die
Alcohol is a toxin and, far and away, the most commonly abused substance. It can kill all by itself. It also doesn’t play well in the sandbox with other drugs. Guida Brown talks about the potentially fatal interactions when combining alcohol with other substances. Guida is a Community Relations Consultant with United States Drug Testing Laboratories. She also is an Adjunct Faculty member with Concordia University-Wisconsin and an accomplished writer. Guida can be reached at [email protected]; you can follow her blog here: https://4csofaddiction.com/. If you need help for your substance abuse issues, help is available. In Kenosha, contact the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse; call 262-658-8166 or explore their website at https://www.hopecouncil.org. You can also find AA meetings here: https://mtg.area75.org/meetings.html?dist=7 and NA meetings here: https://sefa-na.org/meetings
The Same Traditions, A Different Me
Holidays are a time of family gatherings and traditions. Nanci Schiman talks about the challenges the holidays present to people new to recovery. Nanci is a licensed clinical social worker with over 17 years of experience working with adolescents, adults, families, and couples in the mental health field. When substances are as prevalent as holiday decorations, learning to navigate a healthy path is both challenging and necessary for those in recovery. Nanci can be reached at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/nanci-schiman-mequon-wi/720368. If you or a loved one needs help, it is available. To contact the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse, call 262-658-8166, or explore their website at https://www.hopecouncil.org. You can also find AA meetings here: https://mtg.area75.org/meetings.html?dist=7 and NA meetings here: https://namilwaukee.org/meetings/
Moving Forward, It’s About Me!
Not all losses are resolved; not all endings actually end. Cassondra Frisque, a therapist with Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin, talks about ambiguous loss, which is, simply, loss without closure. We experience many losses in our lifetimes, ambiguous or otherwise, from family members and friends to the substances used if we’re recovering. How we handle those losses is unique to each of us. Cassondra can be reached at https://www.familyservicesnew.org/womens-recovery
If you or a loved one needs help for substance abuse, help is available. Contact the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse by calling 262-658-8166, or explore their website at https://www.hopecouncil.org. You can also find AA meetings here: https://mtg.area75.org/meetings.html?dist=7 and NA meetings here: https://namilwaukee.org/meetings/
Mental Health IS Health
We are witnessing a mental health crisis among our young people that we have never experienced before. Amy Herbst discusses the impact that social media, the pandemic, and developing life skills have played in the rise of young people’s depression, anxiety, and stress. Amy is the Vice President of Mental and Behavioral Health at Children’s Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We all have a role in helping our young people navigate inevitable difficult times. Information about Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Institute for Child and Family Well-Being can be reached at https://uwm.edu/icfw/, and the Craig Yabuki Mental Health Walk-In Clinic can be reached at (414) 337-3400 or online at https://childrenswi.org/location-directory/locations/urgent-care/craig-yabuki-mental-health-walk-in-clinic
This Isn’t Pass-Fail
It is common practice for medical professionals to run tests to determine the cause and severity of a patient’s condition. Guida Brown talks about why that should also be the case when it comes to persons with Substance Use Disorders. Guida is a Community Relations Consultant with United States Drug Testing Laboratories. She is also an Adjunct Faculty member with Concordia University-Wisconsin. Whether testing urine, blood, fingernails, hair, or even newborn tissue samples, the test results can be an aid in helping people come to terms with the nature and extent of their Substance Use Disorders. Guida can be reached at [email protected]; you can follow her blog here: https://4csofaddiction.com/
Words From a Mother in Mourning
A little over two years ago, late in the evening, Phyllis Babrove got the phone call that all of us dread and none of us want. Her daughter Sara, who had struggled for most of her adult life with drugs, had died of an accidental overdose. Phyllis shares her daughter’s story and her work to try to help other families understand the problems of substance abuse. Phyllis is a Clinical Licensed Social Worker and the author of Words from a mother in mourning: How to protect your child from drugs. Phyllis’s book, blog, information about Sara’s life, and contact information can be found at https://herstarforevershines.wordpress.com. If you need help for your substance abuse issues, help is available. In Kenosha, contact the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse; call 262-658-8166 or explore their website at https://www.hopecouncil.org. You can also find AA meetings here: https://mtg.area75.org/meetings.html?dist=7 and NA meetings here: https://sefa-na.org/meetings
Have One Beautiful Day, Then Another
Linda Van Tol discusses women’s substance use and recovery. Linda is the Medical Assistance Residential Substance Use Disorder Supervisor with ARC Community Services in Madison, Wisconsin. Using a Relational Model of Therapy that helps women with their substance abuse, life roles, cultural expectations, and socioeconomic needs, Linda and ARC provide a safe environment for women to heal and grow. ARC Community Services programs and Linda can be reached at https://arccommserv.com. Linda can be reached at [email protected].
If you need help for your substance abuse issues, help is available. In Kenosha, contact the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse; call 262-658-8166 or explore their website at https://www.hopecouncil.org. You can also find AA meetings here: https://mtg.area75.org/meetings.html?dist=7 and NA meetings here: https://sefa-na.org/meetings
Think Outside the Cup
Many therapists, social workers, and even parents have to work around substance abusers’ denial that they are using drugs. One of the tools often used to help break through that denial is drug testing. Kimberly Henderson discusses her company’s sweat patch testing product and its effectiveness. Kimberly works in Business Development and Sales for PharmChem, Inc. With her background in child protection and education, Kimberly’s role at PharmChem allows her to combine her passion for people and their well-being with a heart for service and education. Kimberly can be reached at [email protected] and PharmChem, Inc., at https://www.pharmchek.com
You’re Not Supposed To Know What To Do
When someone close to us passes away, we grieve. Many times we experience that same sense of loss when someone we didn’t know, except through their public persona, passes away. Zoë Page talks about the grieving process and talks about how families who lose a child cope. Zoë works as a Child Life Specialist at Baystate Children’s Hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts. We all experience many losses in our lifetime, from family members and friends to the substances used if we’re recovering. How we handle those losses is unique to each of us. If you have experienced the loss of a child, The Dougy Center in Portland, Oregon, https://www.dougy.org, has numerous resources for families.
If you or a loved one needs help due to substance abuse, it is available. To contact the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse, call 262-658-8166, or explore their website at https://www.hopecouncil.org. You can also find AA meetings here: https://mtg.area75.org/meetings.html?dist=7 and NA meetings here: https://namilwaukee.org/meetings/
Maybe You Can Go Home Again
Zach spent a long time making poor decisions in Seattle, compounding problems that began at age thirteen with a doctor’s prescription for opiates. Homeless in Seattle and using the strongest street opiates he could find, hoping he wouldn’t wake up, he eventually ended up in recovery and alive. Zach updates his story telling us about his trip back to Seattle for the first time since he stopped using drugs and began recovery. Recovery is possible. If you or a loved one needs help, it is available. To contact the Hope Council on Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse, call 262-658-8166, or explore their website at https://www.hopecouncil.org. You can also find AA meetings here: https://mtg.area75.org/meetings.html?dist=7 and NA meetings here: https://namilwaukee.org/meetings/
