A New Obsession I'll never forget the first time my friends and I got a case of beer and got drunk together. I loved it. I wanted more. Nothing was ever the same after that because unless there was booze and drugs involved I wanted nothing to do with it. The booze and drugs took hold of me from day one. I never knew what would happen. . . I could hook up with a pretty girl, get in a fight or black out and wake up covered in vomit. But I still loved it. It was adventure in a bottle ... Read More →

On Friday, March 15, reports announced that rapper Lil Wayne was in a coma after suffering multiple seizures from an overdose of the popular recreational drug, Sizzurp.  What is Sizzurp? Sizzurp, also known as purple drank, syrup, or Texas tea, is a combination of prescription strength cough syrup with 7-Up or a similar fruit-flavored soda and dissolved hard candy, such as jolly ranchers. Sometimes users add alcohol or crushed painkillers for an even stronger high. The main ingredient is the codeine and promethazine based prescription cough syrup. This is not the same as dextromethorphan (DXM) based cough syrup, which is ... Read More →

For decades, society has dreamed of a miracle drug that can end substance addiction. We've hoped for a way to make recovery from addiction effortless and painless--that “quick fix” for addiction itself. Lunbeck, a Danish international pharmaceutical company, claims to have finally bagged that dream and squished it into a little tablet dubbed Selincro. Have we finally found a "miracle fix" for addiction? Touted as the “first major innovation in the treatment of alcohol dependence in many years,” Selincro is one of the few medications to be approved by the European commission for the reduction ... Read More →

Though we will forever have the memories of what our lives were like before sobriety, it can be easy to forget the strength of the beast as we become busier, happier, and journey further in recovery. And that’s just what it wants.    You see, when we’re too busy or complaisant, we forget the real power of alcoholism and the havoc it can still cause in our lives.  I recently read a blog post by a recovering alcoholic entitled “A Letter to My Disease.” This personal letter illustrates the point so ... Read More →

Despite my experience with recovery and the 12 Steps, when difficulties arise, I still occasionally catch myself falling into old thought patterns. Some of those thoughts are a gut-level emotional response to the situation. Some are my attempt to find a quick solution to a problem. Neither is particularly productive nor useful. Fortunately, my experience with recovery helps me find my way through those uncomfortable moments back into the light. Here's my story from when three things disrupted my lovely, tranquil world early in 2012, each devastating in its own way.   Three Disruptive Moments  The first disruptive moment came ... Read More →

Valentine's day is a great day for those of us in recovery to remember those around us. Have you shown your love to someone today? Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the romance of Valentine's day, we simply forget the human desire to be loved. You don't have to be in a relationship to share your love today. Help someone today!   ... Read More →

If you've been careful to take time for yourelf and your personal growth after your initial treatment in recovery, then when the right person comes along, you'll be able to more successfully enter into a long-lasting, fulfilling relationships. But remember. .  . Serious Relationships Take Serious Work As the relationship progresses, you should open up emotionally over time and become more committed to the person you are seeing. This should happen gradually as a result of mutual attraction. You don’t come to a magical point in a relationship where you should instantly open wide the floodgates of ... Read More →

It is generally not a good idea to enter into a dating relationship if you've just started your recovery. . . but knowing how to handle a breakup in recovery is a good thing to know too. The reality is that at some point you will probably start dating someone in recovery and knowing how handle a breakup without triggering a relapse is important. Why are Breakups Harder in Recovery? Breakups might seem harder in recovery because those of us in recovery want to latch on to someone and not let go of the emotional attachment. Often we want to let ... Read More →

Focus on Fixing Your Life, Not on Finding Love People with a healthy view of relationships are not obsessed with finding love. When you’re spending all your time looking for someone to date, you aren’t spending the necessary time working on your own life to become a better person to date. Maintaining a healthy relationship requires working to improve your own character, not obsessing to find someone who can make you feel better about yourself. Healthy emotional skills are needed to develop successful relationships. But for those of us in recovery, these skills can be ... Read More →

The family at Duffy’s would like to wish you and your loved ones a very happy Chinese New Year! This year’s animal is the year of the snake. If you will turning 12, 24, 48, 60, 72 (or any multiple of 12!) then this is your year! Background The date of Chinese New Year is based on the lunisolar calendar and lasts 15 days. (Think Christmas that lasts 15 days!) It is the biggest holiday of the year, and family and friends gather from across the country to feast on traditional Chinese New Year food, reunite with family, visit friends, give gifts, and set ... Read More →