Tag: addiction
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Understanding Addiction: Insights from Ask Eric
I am a huge fan of “Ask Eric,” which my daily newspaper runs every day. For the uninitiated, “Ask Eric” is the latest generation of “Dear Abby” or “Ask Ann Landers.” Ann Landers was really Esther “Eppie” Lederer, and Dear Abby was her twin sister Pauline “Popo” Phillips. I don’t like taking advice from anyone…
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How to Influence Change: Key Insights from _Influencer_
My navel gazing generally consists of my asking myself and others, “Is it me?” Usually it isn’t, at least in my own mind, which is why I was excited to read Influencer by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillanm, and Al Switzler. It’s an old book, as far as books go…published in 2007,…
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Is ‘California Sober’ a Real Path to Recovery?
There’s much debate about what recovery looks like. In fact, in some fun videos on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mikeandguida/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MikeAndGuida) that I do with my friend, the renowned trainer Mike McGowan, we recently talked about “California Sober,” and sheesh, did we get pushback! For the unfamiliar, “California Sober,” according to one source, means “when a…
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The Overlooked Impact of Alcohol in Drug Policy
On April 1, 2025, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy from the Executive Office of the President issued its Statement of Drug Policy Priorities. Sadly, as expected, the most abused drug in the nation, alcohol, was left out. Again. The document opens with this statement, but the emphasis is mine, “The Trump…
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Understanding Addiction: The Disease vs Connection Debate
Is addiction a disease, or, is it, as Johann Hari asserts, a lack of connection? Johann Hari is an award-winning journalist and writer. From his own bio, his education is that “He studied Social and Political Science at King’s College, Cambridge, and graduated with a Double First.” Admirable, but does that make him an expert…
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Understanding Testing Treatment Options for Addiction
I recently spent some time at Mayo Clinic. If you’re from the Midwest, this needs no explanation. For those of you who aren’t from the Midwest, I actually don’t know how to explain it well because it is surreal. I grew up knowing that Mayo is where you go when you’re really sick. When I…
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The Ubiquity of Alcohol in American Society
We drink a lot of alcohol in the US, but not everyone drinks it. In fact, 35% of those of legal drinking age consider themselves abstainers (Gallup). Statistically, that means that more than three people in every ten we encounter don’t drink alcohol. So why are messages of drinking so ubiquitous? How did the alcohol…
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Finding Lagom: A Guide to Healthier Choices for Youth
I recently became acquainted with the concept of “lagom,” which, best as I know, is a Swedish word that translates to “just the right amount,” or “not too much, not too little.” You know when, usually at the beginning of the year, we’re supposed to identify our word…as in the word that is going to…
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Screening Pregnant Women for Substance Use: Key Insights
“You don’t want to go on a date with me, do you?” There’s no good way to answer this question. If I do want to go on a date, I’m actually disagreeing with the person asking me. If I don’t, well, you know…saying “You’re correct. I don’t,” is hard. I refer to this as the…
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The Crossroads of Addiction: Perceptions and Policies
Pete Hegseth, said in an interview with Megyn Kelley, “I’ve never had a drinking problem. No one’s ever approached me and said, ‘Oh, you should really look at getting help for drinking.’ Never. I’ve never sought counseling, never sought help. I respect and appreciate people who do.” He went on to say, “My plan going…
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