The first call came while Lisa and her husband, Dick, were relaxing after work in their Annapolis Historic District home. At the time, Lisa was President of Anne Arundel Medical Center’s foundation and Dick, a retired lawyer and former mayor of Annapolis, was involved in a variety of post-retirement activities. When the call came in, …
It often begins like this. I’m at a book talk. A woman seated in a back row slowly raises her hand. “I’m just curious. What does your son think of the book?” It’s a question I’ve come to expect. And since honesty is at the core of recovery, for both the addict and the family, I …
Addiction affects the entire family. How can you handle a loved one’s addiction? Addiction can be frightening to witness. It is a family disease, as it impacts the entire family. Author Lisa Hillman journaled her experience as her son battled addiction. It not only helped her process what she went through as a mother of …
A successful professional, a mayor’s wife and mother of two, Lisa Hillman seemed it have it all figured out. The pain of knowing her teenage son was in the thick of a battle with drug addiction, though, was too much to bare. In her book “Secret No More” Hillman details how her life as an …
As our nation struggles with the opioid crisis, a new book provides insight on how one family handled the challenge. Lisa Hillman, a well-known Annapolitan and hospital administrator, writes honestly about her family’s terrifying journey after learning her son Jacob was addicted. The tension is palpable throughout each chapter. As the Hillmans muddle through denial, …