It was late on a Sunday night, and I was desperately searching for a place to buy insulin syringes. These small syringes are what are used to inject heroin, not like the large turkey baster looking devices you sometimes see portrayed in the media. I … [Continue reading]
Please don’t leave me alone with my thoughts
A social psychologist at the University of Virginia, named Timothy Wilson, recruited hundreds of undergraduate student volunteers and community members to take part in a study. Participants were placed in plain, sparsely furnished rooms without their … [Continue reading]
Withdrawing from emotional stress in recovery from addiction
One of the most challenging parts of entering recovery is that you are forced to face the same painful emotions and challenges, but without the help of drugs and alcohol. In a previous column, I wrote that "The best part about getting sober is that … [Continue reading]
I thought emotional pain wasn’t something a man was supposed to feel, so I covered it with drugs
Growing up, it seemed like there wasn't anything in the world that my father couldn't do, and he was good at everything he tried. Like most young boys, I thought my father was the strongest and best example of what a man should be. I … [Continue reading]
Before recovering from my drug addiction, I first had to accept it
A few years before finally finding real sobriety and recovery, I made several attempts to stop using drugs and alcohol. During one struggle, mostly trying to save my failing marriage, I made a pledge to stay completely abstinent from all drugs and … [Continue reading]