Dr. Nowinski talks about “the almost effect” with regards to alcoholism and other maladies. He has also written extensively on helping families cope with terminal illness which will not be part of our discussion today but something many of us can use some input on.

In our discussion, she refers to Julia Ross, the author of The Diet Cure and the Mood Cure, and Kathleen DesMaisons PhD, founder of the online treatment community called Radiant Recovery

Another reference she would like to share is Bridging the Gaps, an Integrative Addiction Treatment that uses a unique holistic approach addressing the physical, spiritual and psychological aspects of addiction.

Anna is currently the executive editor of the addiction and recovery website “The Fix” and a contributor to The Daily Beast, Details and Maxim, and has contributed pieces to the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Cosmo, Redbook, Self, and many other publications. She speaks around the country at colleges and universities on the topic of addiction and recovery.
Denise speaks with Ms Davis about her story of addiction and recovery and what it is like to socialize as a young woman in recovery.

Lisa Jander is a Certified Life/Relationship/Dating Coach, CTACC, Public Speaker and Author of “Dater’s Ed: The Instruction Manual for Parents ” modeled after the Driver’s Ed manual. Her unique workshops draw analogies between driving and dating to help parents teach their teens how to “date defensively, navigate safely and steer clear of unhealthy relationships.”

For other valuable resources, Lisa recommends Break the Cycle , empowering youth to end domestic violence and Start Strong , building healthy teen relationships.

Diversified Intervention Group link: http://interventiontreatmentrecovery.org/

Donate to DIG non profit link: http://interventiontreatmentrecovery.org/donate.html

Dr. Berger has been helping people establish and enrich their recovery for over 34 years. He pioneered cutting edge treatment programs focused on treating the family as a whole. He is often found speaking at recovery seminars and celebrations around the country. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of California, Davis and also had the unique privilege to train closely with two famous psychiatrists – William C. Rader and Walter Kempler. Dr. Berger has worked as both a counselor and clinical supervisor in two of Southern California’s finest treatment programs, San Pedro Peninsula Hospital and South Bay Hospital.

Denise starts off the episode with a few statistics:  “There were only 5,600 women in prison at the beginning of 1970.  [By 1980 there were still fewer than 12,500 women in State and Federal prisons.  But over the course of the next two decades that number rose to the current total of 167,000 women.]  Including those on probation and parole, almost 1 million women are currently under the control of the criminal justice system in the United States.”  Is someone you know part of that statistic?  Tammy Gagnon was.

“As my drug use and alcohol use excelled, what landed me in prison was actually alcohol related,” says Tammy, who was incarcerated for 10 years for habitually drinking and driving.

Fleeing a childhood of incest and horrors, Tammy ended up on the streets, taking drugs to numb the pain and forget her troubled life.  Suffering further abuse and multiple rapes, Tammy’s nightmare was far from over.  And when the drugs and alcohol finally wore off, she was left with more pain and more questions than when she fled: “Why didn’t I tell?  Why me?  Why can’t I cry?  What’s wrong with me?!”

Tammy discusses the helpfulness of halfway houses in reintegrating prisoners to society and her experience with halfway house mandated AA meetings.  She then delves into what being in prison was really like: “It was just very scary.”  Tammy tells, in detail, what it’s like to walk into a prison–the booking, the testing, and being led to your cell.  She also compares her prison experience to her experiences in county jails.

Is one of your friends or family members headed down this path?  Or you yourself?  Learn from Tammy Gagnon’s experience and get out now!

What is life like when your sibling is a drug addict and/or an alcoholic?  What happens to a family thrown into chaos due to a brother or sister abusing drugs and alcohol?  Who gets all the attention from the parents?  And what is the proper emotional response: Fear? Anger?  Denise starts off this episode by reading a letter from an anonymous contributor describing her pain as she struggled watching her brother fall into the perilous grip of drug abuse.

“[My brother] was a risk-taker by nature,” explains Erin Daly, elaborating on her childhood and a few of the factors she feels led her brother to a life of drug addiction.  How much should personality be taken into account when examining drug addiction?  Are you able to tell early on–when someone is a child!–they then may be prone toward taking up these deadly habits?

Denise and Erin also have an in-depth conversation on the cultural acceptance of prescription drugs in the United States and how that attitude–and the media stance on the matter (including the ongoing flood of commercials)–affects our youth’s opinion toward addictive substances.  Is our Nation’s casual stance on prescription drugs taking a toll on our kids?  Why are only some drugs taken seriously?  And why is it only in America that we take such a lackadaisical approach?

This episode is sure to leave you thinking, asking questions, and begging for more!

It has always been a concern to those of us who love addicts–and to the addicts themselves!–that many doctors were not equipped to deal with the challenges faced by patients addicted to and abusing substances, both legal and illegal.  Throughout the interview, Dr. Walley clears up some of those concerns and enlightens listeners about the future of Addiction Medicine, with regards to both physical and mental health.

As usual, Denise coaxes her guest to reveal a bit about their childhood and what led them to be an advocate against drug abuse.  Dr. Alexander Walley is no different, freely opening up about his life:  After the death of his father when he was six years old, Dr. Walley first felt the tuggings of knowing, deep down, he was meant for a greater purpose.  That purpose was to help those who were less fortunate than he.  Yes, he had been through something terrible, but it was that moment in his life where he realized that things could be worse–and for so many people, they are worse.  Dr. Walley has since then dedicated his life to helping the homeless and those addicted to drugs and alcohol.

“There’s a separate but equal–or separate but unequal–status for mental health; and even within mental help, there’s a separate but not equal status for addiction treatment,” says Dr. Walley in regard to the importance of Addiction Psychiatrists (and how there just “aren’t enough” of them to go around).  “There’s a huge overlap between mental illness and addiction, but there’s also a huge overlap between addiction and medical illnesses,” he continues.

So what are the new Residency Programs going to do to help?  Tune in!

“Let’s have some more!” said a young Dirk Hansen to his friend upon their first drinking experience.  Hansen discusses his first experience with alcohol and dishes out some facts on the age range typically associated with early onset alcohol dependency.  At the tender age of 13, Hansen had his first drink and, many years later, he was put into a position where he had to admit to himself that he had a problem.  “It led me to AA eventually,” Hansen admits.  From there, Hansen decided to dedicate his life to the science behind the disease of addiction.

But are Alcoholism and Drug Addictions really diseases?  Denise has a thing or two of her own to say on this controversial issue.

Hansen discusses the frustration that so commonly occurs in the recovery community.  Why can some addicts drop their addiction cold turkey?  Why do other addicts need to go through years of rehab and meetings?  Why can some people smoke socially (“Chippers”) while most of us are doomed to nicotine addiction?  There’s a scientific reason, and Hansen is willing to share!

“We’ve gone through a century of blaming the addict for the addiction–for the disease,” says Dirk Hansen.  But what have we done to help them?  What have we done to “fix” them?  If it really is a “weakness” rather than a disease–as so many have been taught to believe–then what is our responsibility as a society to these people?  Hansen compares the discrimination that alcoholics and drug addicts face to the discrimination many are facing right now in the recent Gay Rights movements.

Love it or hate it, this episode has something to say.  Are you ready to listen?

Denise starts off the show by reading an emotionally moving essay from one of her sponsers, Intercept Interventions.  The struggles, pain, and ever-lasting love that family members go through when an addict reveals themselves in their lives is clearly outlined and poignantly discussed.

Next up, Denise talks about the variety of drug addiction stories that have been appearing in the news lately.  What would you do if you had to go off to war…and leave your recovering addict behind?  “It’s hard to say who faced the tougher battle,” says Denise.  Will this story have a happy ending?  Or will it end in tragedy?  Denise has got all the details on this heart-wrenching true story.

Denise then puts her son in the interview chair, asking him the tough questions: Why did he start abusing prescription pills and heroin?  In his case, were Pot and alcohol “gateway drugs?”  Did he fear that he–or his “associates”–would become a physical danger to his family who loved him?  What are the signs to look for that indicate the beginning of an addiction? And what advice does he have for the families of addicts?

And for those of you who remember Denise’s interview with Super Star of the ROCKSTAR SUPERSTAR PROJECT last month, you’re in for a special treat: Denise has snagged a copy of their new hit single and plays it for you as a totally rockin’ conclusion to this week’s episode!

In December 2009 April Rovero’s son Joey lost his life to an overdose of prescription drugs and alcohol. On November 11, 2010, just before the first anniversary of his death, April was on this show describing this life-changing event and how it affected her and her family.  She also talked about the new organization she formed: the NCAPDA.  Eight months later, she’s here with amazing updates!

For April’s son Joey, it was his “first time out” that did him in.  This is not an uncommon situation–many mother’s have gotten the fateful phone call telling them that their child–who was not previously addicted–experimented with drugs and had it go horribly wrong.  April talks about her personal experience, with her son going away to college…and not coming back.  April discusses support groups for parents in similar situations, her son’s “dirty doctor” that gave him the drugs, and how YOU can help raise awareness.

“Parents are still generally in denial–they just don’t think there’s any chance it will happen to their kid–while all the while there kids very well may be taking medications out of their very own medicine cabinets,” says April.  Is YOUR child secretly addicted to the drugs in YOUR medicine cabinet?  Or their babysitter’s cabinet?

April also details her trip to Washington DC and the presentations she preformed for the people in power.  But April doesn’t just present for the big wigs in Washington–April also hits the local schools.  April shares her experiences in middle and high schools and how different children of different ages react to drug education and awareness.

Learn how to not only get aware, but get involved!  Stop prescription drug abuse today!

Lance Merrill details his own experiences with drug dealers when his daughter Jani fell into their clutches.  Merrill was somewhat familiar with the symptoms associated with various type of drug addicts and immediately became suspicious when his daughter’s personality and interests started changing.  He pulled her aside and had a heart-to-heart.  “I didn’t ask if she was doing drugs,” says Merrill, “I asked her which drugs she was doing.”  Merrill was shocked to discover Jani was addicted to Heroin.

When Jani lost her life to her Heroin addiction, Merrill went after her drug dealer.  Once Jani’s dealer was behind bars, Merrill decided it was time to help other dads (and moms!) fight their child’s drug dealers.  D.A.D.D.S was born from this idea.

Merrill and Krochta discuss how many good people want to speak out against their local drug dealers–to turn them in to the police!–but do not for fear of violent retaliation.  “Most drug addicts are druggies themselves,” explains Merrill, “…they usually don’t have that kind of organization.”  However, Merrill understood these concerns and developed the G.O.O.D (Give Our Officials Dealers) section of his organization.  G.O.O.D is a safe anonymous way to divulge the name of a drug dealer in your area without posing any risk to yourself! The information goes directly to the Attorney General’s office and is then distributed to local law enforcement.

Don’t be afraid to step up and make YOUR community a better, safer, place to be.  Tune in today!

Denise starts off this intriguing episode by having Jacobs reach back, far back, to the days of his childhood.  Jacobs reveals his upbringing and how it helped to influence his choices later in life.  “It lead me to teen law and children’s law,” says Jacobs, of growing up in an environment where he was surrounded by children at all times (he had 7 siblings and even more young relatives in his extended family!).  Having this background, Jacobs grew to realize that children and teens were uncomfortable with coming to adults with their most important questions: Hence the birth of his official website–Ask the Judge–where kids and teens can look up the information for themselves.

Denise cracks down on Jacobs, asking the tough questions about children and their upbringing.  Is it right to buy a child a Shirley Temple or Roy Rogers at a bar?  It’s just soda, but is the environment–and that “feel” of having a drink in their hands while in a bar–fine or is it a “setup” for future addiction?

“In addition to the sex talk [with your child]…you have to have the sexting talk!” says Jacobs.  Children are growing up more quickly than ever and the dangers are different for this generation than for the last.  How should a parent approach these new problems?

Denise continues to bring up her “pet peeves” throughout the episode–from parents offering alcohol to children at sleepovers to the harsh judgements that comes from other parents when YOU are the parent of a child or teen with a problem–and Thomas Jacobs shines a guiding light on the subjects from both his personal experiences and a legal perspective.  This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

After battling alcoholism in his younger days and spending time to get help in rehab, Burke felt he was finally free and clear; however, he traded in one addiction for another and ended up spending his 24th, 25th, and 26th year of “sobriety” in prison… because of his gambling addiction.  Thanks to celebrities, alcohol, drug, and even sex addiction have been on the forefront of news media–but what about gambling addiction?  This serious problem often goes ignored for lack of publicity.  But does a lack of attention from the public eye make the problem any less important?  Of course not.  Burke describes, in detail, how he first got pulled under by the riptide of gambling addiction and how it affected not only his own life, but the lives of the people he cared about.

Burke discusses his suicidal thoughts, how difficult it was to “come out” to his family about his problem, and the time he ultimately spent in prison when his gambling debts spiraled completely out of control.  The strange thing is: “In the beginning, addiction works,” says Burke; addressing his former alcoholism and how, at first, it was very enjoyable (and a huge part of his social life).  The same was true for his gambling addiction.  However, a gambling addiction is much easier to hide.  “You can’t smell a pack of cards on a gambler like you can smell alcohol on an alcoholic,” Burke points out.

Gambling is socially accepted and sometimes even presented as a good thing to do; however, a gambling addiction can ruin your life: financially, romantically, mentally, emotionally, and otherwise.  Learn how and when to get help today!

“I saw [nursing] not only as a way to support myself, but as a way to give back to society,” says Paula.  So, what went wrong?  For her, not much; however, for thousands of other nurses, there was an ongoing chemical dependency that turned their lives upside-down.  Paula discusses the numerous stresses unique to nurses and the treatment process she goes through to help rehabilitate them when they finally realize that they need help.

Paula goes on to explain that this is a common enough occurrence, not only in the medical field, but just about everywhere.   It’s no longer heroin that people are clamoring for: it’s prescription drugs–the kind dished out by doctors and dentists.  “The mindset is, ‘it’s not illegal if it’s prescribed,” notes Denise.  When drugs are readily available and not illegal to take–are they more tempting than ever?

“Substance abuse, including alcohol and prescription drugs, crosses all barriers these days and the more we talk about it and recognize that it exists, the quicker we can talk about possible solutions,” says Denise.  Are you a nurse seeking help to overcome your substance abuse addiction?  Or do you know and love someone who falls into that category?  Then this episode is definitely for you.  And for anyone else who has ever loved an addict and wanted to see them well.