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
The Sober-Minded Sisterhood
Looking in the mirror takes courage and the willingness to see what’s there, not what we want to be there. Jenn Kautsch talks about that look in the mirror and how it led her to found Sober Sis, a like-minded community of women who are renegotiating their relationship with alcohol, without labels, shame, judgment, or rules. The Sober-Minded Sisterhood is about making a conscious choice to be the best version of yourself and to live in an intentional manner, creating the life you want. Jenn’s contact information and resources, including events, blogs, and the 21 Day Reset Challenge, can be found at https://www.sobersis.com/ss-home
Street Angels
When people with mental health and substance use disorders lose their homes and find themselves unsheltered and on the street, recovery becomes difficult, if not impossible. Dan Grellinger talks about the work of Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s, Street Angels. Street Angels is a program whose small staff and volunteers travel throughout Milwaukee County providing hot meals, clothing, blankets, tents, NARCAN, caring conversations, and HOPE to those who are experiencing street homelessness. Dan is a substance abuse counselor and Outreach Coordinator for Street Angels. Find out more about Street Angels and how to help at https://www.streetangelsmke.org.
A Journey of Uncovering
Many times, before substance use, there is trauma. Confusing, and sometimes destructive, messages from others about who we are as children affect the way we develop, cope, and mature. Lynn McLaughlin talks about her journey of self discovery, which she calls uncovering. Uncovering the real you takes time, support, and self-forgiveness. Lynn is a co-owner and member of Ebb & Flow Connections Cooperative in Northeast Wisconsin. She can be reached at https://www.ebbandflowcooperative.com. Support services are available for mental health. Nationally, you can start your search at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help.
A Walk In Their Shoes
If young people are going to work and live in a global society, understanding the impact of other cultures and that history takes place every day across our planet is important for them to learn. Colin Hanson, an educator in the Edgar, Wisconsin, School District, talks about A Walk in Their Shoes, a collaborative effort by north central Wisconsin educators to provide access to powerful speakers who have first-hand experience with contemporary history. The vision is to help students see the world with different eyes and give them the opportunity to look at life from a global perspective and the chance to see that one person can truly make a difference. Colin and the speaker series can be reached at https://www.awalkintheirshoes.org.
Our Default State: Peace, Love, and Happiness
It’s not uncommon that people are drawn into a field of work because of their life experiences. We know the topic, we lived it, and we can give something back to help others. Jason Shiers talks about his personal road to recovery and the work he has done to help others undo the labels that they have put on themselves or have been given to them by others. Jason is a certified Psychotherapist and Certified Transformative Coach who has been working with addictions and mental health for over 25 years. He is also the host of the outstanding podcast “Misunderstandings of the Mind.” Jason’s podcast can be found at https://www.misunderstandingsofthemind.com, and he can be reached at https://www.wideworldcoaching.com.
Under the Anger Blanket
Anger never knocks on the emotional door without company. According to numerous studies, including one from the Harvard Business Review, expressions of anger have risen dramatically across the culture, and, whether disagreements about politics, the pandemic, other social issues, or even work and personal relationships, anger seems to be the most prevalent emotion expressed. Lynn McLaughlin and Karen Iverson Riggers, consultants, co-owners, and members of Ebb & Flow Connections Cooperative in Northeast Wisconsin, talk about the rise in anger responses in our society and what lies underneath. They can be reached at https://www.ebbandflowcooperative.com. Help is available for mental health concerns. Nationally, you can start your search at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help.
Perceptions of Origin
Are the customs and patterns around alcohol and other drug usage that much different in other places? Juliana, Maria, and Brenda talk about substance use and abuse in their native Brazil. The legal drinking age is different, and so are the consequences. Now in the United States for college, the women compare the culture they were born in with the one they moved to. Other countries and cultures address alcohol and other drug usage differently than in the United States, too. If you or a loved one has a substance use disorder, help is available. Locally, resources can be found at Crisis, 262-657-7188 or 211 Wisconsin: https://211wisconsin.communityos.org. You can also find AA meetings here: https://mtg.area75.org/meetings.html?dist=7 and NA meetings here: https://namilwaukee.org/meetings/
The New ‘F’ Word
Like all families who have lost a child to drugs, the Rachwals were left asking, “What now?” For Erin Rachwal, her husband Rick, and their youngest son, the answer was to make sure what happened to their son Logan did not happen to another family. More than 100,000 individuals lost their lives last year to a synthetic opioid overdose in the United States. Erin discusses the fight to bring awareness to this epidemic and how they are coping with their grief and loss. The Love Logan Foundation and Erin can be reached at https://loveloganfoundation.org. If you want to know what you can do locally, get involved, support prevention activities, call or email legislators, ask your local school what they are doing to educate the students, and, most of all, talk to your children.
I’m More Than Just Fine
Optimal mental health occurs when we are able to experience and cope with the entire range of human emotions. Lynn McLaughlin and Karen Iverson Riggers talk about why all of the messages we receive across the culture that indicate we should all exist in the “happy zone” all the time are counterproductive to our sense of well-being and mental health. Lynn and Karen are consultants, co-owners, and members of Ebb & Flow Connections Cooperative in Northeast Wisconsin. They can be reached at https://www.
Making a Relevant Connection
Not everyone is served equally by the mental health and substance abuse system. Chardé Hollins discusses the obstacles those of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds have accessing substance abuse and mental health treatment and what can be done to level the treatment playing field. Chardé is an independently licensed clinical social worker and the owner of Relevant Connections in Cleveland, Ohio. Ms. Hollins consults with organizations committed to increasing their cultural awareness and access to behavioral health services by naturally integrating emotional wellness supports and inclusive policies into their agencies’ cultures, services, and missions. She can be reached at https://www.relevantconnections.org.
