Wearing a cream-colored polo shirt and dark jeans, the young man stands at the front of the room. Before him is a worn, wooden podium atop a small table. His hair is cropped short and his beard neatly trimmed. When he smiles, his teeth flash white. Eyes are green, no, hazel under the ceiling’s fluorescent …
Author Lisa Hillman discussed her book “Secret No More: A True Story of Hope for Parents with an Addicted Child” in three separate programs for rabbis, high school students and general audiences that took place recently in Boca Raton. Hillman and her son Jacob, a former substance abuse addict, each shared their personal stories of coping …
The sudden quiet in their voices catches my ear. The group has been chattering for about an hour. My husband and I are sharing sushi with our son and his friends at a favorite Thai restaurant. The talk is mostly about food, weekend plans and the next retreat. Then, their voices drop. I hear, so …
Each January my husband and I visit our son in South Florida. Frequently he invites us to attend open AA meetings. It’s a glimpse into a world few who are not addicts or alcoholics get to see, or perhaps even want to see. For me AA meetings are intensely interesting. In South Florida they are …
Note: Today in Florida my son attends two funerals, both for young men. This post is for survivors. Recently, two mothers who each lost a son to overdose invited me to lunch – just to sit and talk. We sat overlooking a sunny harbor where boats breezed by. Their sons had died within weeks …
Lisa and Dick Hillman share their family’s compelling story of struggle, secrets and healing. The interview, “One Family’s Journey Through Addiction,” can be accessed on iTunes and Google Play.
A mother from Texas writes “our family is still struggling a lot. It seems like the wall that our son is putting around him is getting taller every day. It’s heartbreaking to watch him alienate us when he needs our help the most.” She longs for a “roadmap” to help her family decide when to …
If you don’t know one yet, you will These are the mothers whose sons’ and daughters’ obituaries you read in the local newspaper. Joe could light up a room just by his smile. He loved hiking and fishing. He leaves behind his parents, grandparents, girlfriend Jill and his loving dog Bo. There will be a …
“Naloxone isn’t the antidote for heroin. Community is.” Recently, Sam Quinones, journalist and author of “Dreamland,” addressed the Maryland Patient Safety Center conference regarding the opioid scourge in America. His talk was so profound that it’s worth sharing a few highlights. (Note: all quotes are his.) A 1979 brief letter to the Journal of American …
Recently, a mom from Florida emailed about her adult son. Not only is he actively using, but his addiction is further complicated with several mental health diagnoses. This mom writes: I have attended three Nar-Anon meetings but have been unable to embrace the 12 step program. These meetings have left me feeling more hopeless than …