"The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing to recover from is a fractured sense of self." - Marianne Williamson

Spirituality & mindfulness

 

When people hear the word “spirituality” it can conjure feelings of confusion or possibly negativity.  Once we clarify and define what spirituality IS, then we begin to understand it's simplicity and that we are all practicing it already in our own way.

One definition for spirituality is, “an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of their being” or the “deepest values by which people live”.

Mindfulness, a “spiritual” concept, is a way to clear the clutter of our lives and focus on the here and now, which will ultimately allow us to live more healthy, connected and productive lives. The following are various clips about mindfulness, meditation and incorporating spiritual principals:

Alan Watts, life wisdom (4 min YouTube clip)

Wayne Dyer on manifestation (4 min YouTube clip)

"Mindfulness in the Age of Complexity", Harvard Business Review article

"6 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation", Forbes, July 2016

Power of Attraction (YouTube clip)

Guided Meditations

Grief & Loss

 

The painful process that people experience after the loss of a loved one is called grief or bereavement and it is very personal and different for each person going through it.  Joan Didion describes it beautifully in her memoir The Year of Magical Thinking,  “A single person is missing for you and the whole world is empty” “Life changes in the instant” or “Grief turns out to be a place none of us knew until we reach it”.  The following are articles I’ve found helpful when dealing with grief and loss.

"The river of grief and how to keep being", Dumbo Feather

"How to live and learn from great loss", The Guardian  

"Stifled Grief: How the West has it Wrong", Huffington Post  

"How Should You Grieve", Mosaic Science

on addiction

 

The word “addiction” is in many of our daily lives. We live in a culture that propagates addiction in many forms and also shames those struggling with it. Many wonder if they are addicted to alcohol, if they are drinking excessively after a loss or other traumatic incident, or during their college years.  We hear of the opioid “epidemic” daily in the news, some become addicted to painkillers after being prescribed post-surgery and it progresses into something far worse, and for others it has been a life-long struggle. Sexual addiction is another relevant news topic with many in the public eye being exposed with this affliction. Love addiction is also a real thing and codependency can be as fierce and destructive as obesity or alcoholism. The following are a few links that can help you navigate these addictions and know that you are not alone.

Johann Hari, Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong (15-min Ted Talk)

Why We Are All Addicts, (4-min Vimeo clip)

"If Cancer Patients Were Treated Like Addicts", AdWeek   

Dr. Patrick Carnes, Leading Sex Addiction Expert, video interview 

Dr. Pam Peeke, Hooked, Hacked, Hijacked: Reclaim Your Brain from Addicted Living (TED Talk)

Facing Love Addiction: Giving Yourself the Power to Change                                                                            by Pia Mellody, Andrea Wells Miller & J. Keith Miller

 

Family members and loved ones have their own journey in loving an addict.  When a person you love chooses a self-destructive pattern it can leave you feeling confused, questioning yourself and wondering about “enabling” and other toxic family dynamics.  It is essential for the loved ones of addicts to educate themselves and find out how not only to best support the addict in their journey, but to get the support that they need to maintain self-care.  The following are a few pieces that can give some guidance.

DrugFree.org: Advice from experts & perspective from families who have been impacted 

Addiction and Recovery: Help for Families with Addiction

I Am An Addict, A message from the addict to their family and loved ones

Simon Sinek, This is Why You Don't Succeed (YouTube clip)

"How to Ruin Your Relationship with Your Teenager", TODAY NBC July 2017

"Letting Go of An Ungrateful Son", Reach Out Recovery Feb. 2017

"The Dance - Addiction is a Family Disease", by Lisa Frederikson

"Loving Someone with Addiction", Part 1 -5, Novant Health 

"When My Son Became Addicted, I Thought it was His Problem. But Addiction is a Family Disease", by David Sheff

A Walk in His Shoes: One family's story of their son's addiction to heroin, by Dustin L. John

Why Don't They JUST QUIT? Hope for families struggling with addiction, by Joe Herzanek

Addict in the Family: Stories of Loss, Hope and Recovery, by Beverly Conyers

Addict in the House: A No-Nonsense Family Guide Through Addiction and Recovery, by Robin Barnett

Why Can't Johnny Just Quit? A Common Sense Guide to Understanding Addiction, by Kyle Oh

Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction, by David Scheff

Families and Addiction: How to Stop the Chaos and Restore Family Balance, by Robert H. Brown LCSW

Addiction Recovery: A Family's Journey, by Diana Clark

Saving Jake: When Addiction Hits Home, by D'Anne Burwell

Don't Let Your Kids Kill You: A Guide for Parents of Drug and Alcohol Addicted Children, by  Charles Rubin

The Lost Years, Surviving a Mother and Daughter's Worst Nightmare, by Kristina Wandzilak &           Constance Curry

For Family Members & Loved Ones

Additional    therapist picks