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Recovery In This Economy Recovery In This Economy You may be doing okay, but someone's not How does the economy affect people in recovery? Studies show that alcohol sales skyrocket during recessions and that people experiencing financial stress tend to drink more. There are indications that bad times lead more young people into selling drugs. Statistics show that drug and alcohol abusers are more likely to be unemployed. And it is not uncommon to hear people in recovery talking about...
Are You An “Almost” Alcoholic? Are You An “Almost” Alcoholic? 05/21/2012 By Joseph Nowinski •    A father who falls asleep on the couch after having several drinks three or four days a week, thereby missing out on time with his kids and...
It’s All About You 05/15/2012
A Moment of Truce A Moment of Truce 05/15/2012 BY BENJAMIN CHEEVER Despite more purple eyeliner than even the most crass mortician would apply, I could see that this beautiful young woman was still very much alive. “Hello,...
Fit For Recovery Fit For Recovery 05/15/2012 By Suzanne Riss Together: What role can exercise play in recovery? Jolene Matthews: Exercising can build self-esteem and produce a natural high by releasing endorphins. It puts...
It’s All About You 05/08/2012
Letters From The Editor Letters From The Editor 05/08/2012 If you want to learn amazing things about your body and mind, try this: stop smoking. I know because I quit six months ago – to the day, in fact, as I write this. As I read...
The College Kid and the Graybeards The College Kid and the Graybeards 04/16/2012 By John G. The familiar smell of cigarettes drifts to my nose the instant I open the door of the Jeep. The gray-haired driver peers at me from over her bulky spectacles and...
The New Plastics The New Plastics 04/16/2012 By Alan Cohen In a classic scene in The Graduate, young Ben is at his college graduation party when a friend of his parents takes him aside and earnestly whispers,...
My Shortcuts to Daily Bliss My Shortcuts to Daily Bliss 04/10/2012 By Meryl Davids Landau Sure, the ancient yogis found inner bliss by stretching in their yoga poses and sitting on their cushions for hours on end. But we live in the real world...
How to Fight Your Fight or Flight Response How to Fight Your Fight or Flight Response 03/27/2012 By Patricia Keane En route to a recent appointment, I encountered an everyday annoyance: traffic. My initial response was to denounce God, the universe, and all the other...
An All-Purpose Miracle Medicine An All-Purpose Miracle Medicine 03/20/2012 By Michael Evans, M.D. I have a big interest in preventive medicine, which can mean a lot of things, from cancer screening to eating more fiber, to having a good social network...
It’s All About You 03/13/2012
The Power of Mojo The Power of Mojo 03/11/2012 By Jeffrey C. Friedman In 1911 the pioneering psychoanalyst Carl Jung wrote, “All neurosis is a substitute for genuine suffering.”  Jung’s insight of a century ago may...
It’s All About You 03/07/2012
Letters From The Editor Letters From The Editor 03/07/2012 It is generally accepted today that we must be “advocates” for ourselves in the medical “system” – which, as one cynic put it, wasn’t designed as a “system” and...
What Else Is Wrong With Me? What Else Is Wrong With Me? 03/07/2012 By Terry A. Kirkpatrick Anthony had always suffered a vague anxiety that would spill over into frustration, constant worry and anger at his wife and children. Despite it he...
From Victim to Volunteer From Victim to Volunteer 03/05/2012 By Peter H. Fleiss The charity I manage, Corporate Angel Network, arranges for thousands of cancer patients to travel to specialized treatment every year in the unused seats of...
Crawl, Walk, Run Crawl, Walk, Run 02/20/2012 By Evan B. I  began my journey into sobriety just over three years ago. Living a clean and sober life continues to be my most significant and rewarding accomplishment. I...
The First Year of Recovery The First Year of Recovery 02/13/2012 By Janice Blair “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of...
The God of My Understanding The God of My Understanding 02/06/2012 By Clark Strand In the fall of 1999, my family and I were traveling on board a commercial airliner out of Memphis, Tennessee, when the cabin filled with smoke and the plane...
Just Press Delete Just Press Delete 01/30/2012 By Alan Cohen When I listed a property for sale on Craigslist, I received a few bona fide inquiries along with lots of replies from scammers. At first I took the scammers...
When Beauty Becomes a Beast When Beauty Becomes a Beast 01/24/2012 For years, child beauty pageants were fairly benign: girls wore frilly party dresses and satin ribbons. That innocent vision was permanently shattered in 1996 with the murder of...
It’s All About You 01/24/2012
The Art of Friendly Persuasion The Art of Friendly Persuasion 01/17/2012 By Richard Truitt The public relations profession, which is where I spent my entire career, is a miserable place -- a hangout for tense, frustrated, insecure people who always...
It’s All About You 01/17/2012
The Man Who Carried the Dark Lantern The Man Who Carried the Dark Lantern 01/10/2012 By Gerard Van der Leun The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. -- Proverbs 21:16 Watching an ancient demon return to...
It’s All About You 01/03/2012
Letters From The Editor Letters From The Editor 01/03/2012 “It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair … “ One challenge in editing this newspaper is keeping it from becoming a litany of gloom. We deal with matters of...
Mind Over Milkshakes Mind Over Milkshakes 01/02/2012 By Thomas Crum Sure, we want to eat healthily. But when given a choice between the French fries or the salad, which calls to us most loudly? An article in the May, 2011 issue of...
The View from Now The View from Now 12/27/2011 By Anne M. I’ve been lucky. After many years of trying and failing to get sober, I have been able by the grace of God to not pick up a drink for many years now. I attribute it...
It’s All About You 12/14/2011
Was Ulysses S. Grant an Alcoholic? Was Ulysses S. Grant an Alcoholic? 12/08/2011 By Randy Lewis In the eventful history of the United States the American Civil War continues to stand out as its most defining and profound episode. Among its greatest players,...
It’s All About You 12/06/2011
Mommies Who Drink Too Much Mommies Who Drink Too Much 12/06/2011 By July Butler Evans In the summer of 2009, Diane Schuler sped drunkenly down the Taconic Parkway north of New York City -- the wrong way -- tragically killing her daughter, six...
Three Foundations of A Great Life Three Foundations of A Great Life 11/28/2011 By Michael C. Jensen The three factors my colleague and co-author Werner Erhard and I identify as constituting the foundation for effective leadership can also be seen as the...
When Legal Meds Cause a Relapse When Legal Meds Cause a Relapse 11/28/2011 By Robert W. Mooney, M.D. For those in recovery, preventing relapse is top-of-mind. For many, however, relapse can be triggered in relatively innocent, unsuspecting ways through...
It’s All About You 11/28/2011
Letters From The Editor Letters From The Editor 11/21/2011 I first heard Santana’s “Black Magic Woman” in 1970 when I was in college. Today I have the CD in my car. I never graduated to Lawrence Welk or whatever “adult” music...
The Gift of Rest The Gift of Rest 11/21/2011 By Senator Joseph Lieberman It’s Friday night, raining one of those torrential downpours that we get in Washington, D.C., and I am walking from the Capitol to my home in...
It’s All About You 11/21/2011
The Power of Giving It Away The Power of Giving It Away 11/09/2011 By Suzanne Riss When Stephen Post was 13, it wasn’t unusual for him to drink a six-pack or two of beer while hanging out with friends on the beach. “I was drinking heavily...
Take a Hike Take a Hike 10/26/2011 By Jim Brown There are two problems with the notion that exercise might improve a person’s temporary mood or even one’s overall emotional health. The first is...
A Spiritual Journey A Spiritual Journey 10/13/2011 By Richard E. Hey, Dad, do you want this? Mom says I can have it if you don’t want it.” I shuddered. This was a new ploy on my wife’s part. Every year, as she put the...
Have Yourself A Healthy Power Trip Have Yourself A Healthy Power Trip 10/13/2011 By Steve Hauptman If you love an addict, or live with one, or depend on one in some way, you are probably in, as the old saying goes, nine kinds of pain. And I’m guessing...
"Geez, Mom, You’re a Drunkard?" “Geez, Mom, You’re a Drunkard?” 09/26/2011 By Anne M. Not long ago I was reading a book for work called The Essential Drucker. Written by a famous management guru, Peter Drucker, it contained his collective wisdom gathered...
It’s All About You 09/26/2011
It’s All About You 09/20/2011
Don’t Be Afraid of Fear Don’t Be Afraid of Fear 09/19/2011 By Tara Sophia Mohr I’ve watched hundreds of brilliant women and men not do what they are meant to do in this world — not share their voices, not ask for what they deserve,...
Can Prayer Improve Your Marriage? Can Prayer Improve Your Marriage? 09/19/2011 By Frank D. Fincham “Properly understood and applied, prayer is the most potent instrument of action.” — Mahatma Gandhi Most people of faith, and that includes the...
You Can’t Take the Butter Out of a Muffin You Can’t Take the Butter Out of a Muffin 09/12/2011 By Courtenay Smith When Dr. Oz chose Brad Lamm’s book, Just 10 Pounds, to be the center of an anti-obesity initiative on his Dr. Oz Show, Lamm became one of the most famous...
Are You in Denial? Are You in Denial? 09/01/2011 By Tian Dayton, PhD People in recovery use the word "denial" to explain everything from having trouble accepting an addict’s drinking, drugging or sexual acting out to...
Letters From The Editor Letters From The Editor 09/01/2011 I go for a walk along a quiet road every morning for my physical health, and to amuse myself I carry a garden spade to liberate wild flowers from town mowers. Yellow, red, blue,...
It’s All About You 08/25/2011
Triggering Food and Substance Abuse Triggering Food and Substance Abuse 08/23/2011 Brenda, Jackie and Abby have more in common than a spiritual longing and something in their lives over which they lack control. Research published in April identifies a common...
It’s All About You 08/11/2011
How Chronic Pain Threatens Marriage How Chronic Pain Threatens Marriage 08/02/2011 By Jim Brown, PhD The unintended effects on a spouse or partner are familiar. Concern, support, and love are challenged by fatigue, frustration, and a sense of being...
It’s All About You 07/29/2011
I Would Have to Say No I Would Have to Say No 07/18/2011 By Pat S. We’ve all read them, sometimes as we struggle to understand why we can’t stop drinking despite countless vows to do so, wondering if perhaps we are, God forbid,...
A Spell Cast Over Us A Spell Cast Over Us 07/18/2011 By Alan Cohen While presenting a seminar in Japan, I asked for a volunteer to tell the group why he or she deserved to have good things. A woman named Sachi rose and explained...
It’s All About You 07/13/2011
It’s All About You 07/05/2011
Dear Reader, I Hate You... Dear Reader, I Hate You… 07/01/2011 By Ben Cheever Got your attention? Good, because that’s what I want: attention. It’s what you want too.  Pundits bewail the oil shortage, the job shortage and the ethics...
This is Your Brain in a Blackout This is Your Brain in a Blackout 07/01/2011 By Jeffrey C. Friedman Paul Cox is a man of quiet reserve who in casual conversation gives the impression of a business executive just entering his peak earning years, rather...
On Being Spiritual On Being Spiritual 07/01/2011 By Beth A. I once had the misfortune of being on a blind date. This was a double date, dinner with my friend Kate, her boyfriend, and Dan, the guy Kate thought was perfect for...
From the Editor From the Editor 06/30/2011 Early on a recent Saturday I found myself in the basement watching water leak out of my furnace. I’d just bought a piece of black rubber for the thing -- $400. Now the guy was...
It’s All About You 06/24/2011
It’s All About You 06/15/2011
The Final Word The Final Word 06/01/2011 BY STACEY SMALL “What’s it going to take for you to not be so selfish? Get it together, will you?” My father stormed into the living room where I was lying on the couch,...
Hero or Bad Guy? Hero or Bad Guy? 05/25/2011 BY JEAN CAMPBELL There’s a relationship equation that stymies lots of recovering codependents: If I take care of you instead of me, I feel resentful; if I take care of me...
The Forbidden Addiction The Forbidden Addiction 05/17/2011 BY KAY BUTLER-LUEKING The taboo topic of sex addiction is plastered all over the media these days. So, what is sex addiction and why is there so much controversy surrounding...
Relapse Dreams Relapse Dreams 05/17/2011 BY CHARLES GILLISPIE Jean, a patient in treatment for substance abuse, came to my group disturbed about the following “using” dream she had the night before: “I dreamed I...
Welcome Arizona Welcome Arizona 05/17/2011 From the High Life to Real Life He lived the high life and drank for over thirty years, but after spending time in treatment and a men’s halfway house in Phoenix, Arizona,...
Thin to Win Thin to Win 05/17/2011 BY DENA CABRERA Eating disorders are epidemic throughout our country. They exist in big cities and small towns; and though they used to be relegated to a certain segment of the...
Sober and Grieving Sober and Grieving 05/17/2011 BY DAN STONE It has been said that the only guarantees in life are death and taxes. This applies to everyone whether they are in recovery or not. Various aspects of the grieving...
Your Letters: Mar-Apr Your Letters: Mar-Apr 05/10/2011 To the editor: I read with interest the article on the “Informed Opinion” page (Mar/Apr), by David J. Powell. I’m 68 years old and have been drug and alcohol free since...
Letters From The Editor Letters From The Editor 05/10/2011 Our First Year Comes to a Close Welcome to the last issue of our first full year in publication. Whew! It has been quite a ride, as is usual with a start-up, especially a print...
The After Life The After Life 04/19/2011 BY AMES K. SWEET On the subway this morning, I saw an advertisement for a local podiatrist. It showed a picture of a foot – a classic Before and After shot, replete with...
Stages of Life, Stages of Recovery Stages of Life, Stages of Recovery 03/28/2011 By David J. Powell, PhD When looking at recovery, we often focus a lot of attention on the first thirty, sixty, and ninety days, as well as the first full year’s journey in...
Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? 03/27/2011 By Rokelle Lerner Years ago I saw a film entitled, “The Gods Must Be Crazy.” There was a scene at a bar where a gentleman on a bar stool turns to a woman next to him and...
Changing Your Mind in Recovery Changing Your Mind in Recovery 03/27/2011 By Lesley Logan Many people in early and continuing recovery from addiction must learn how to deal with triggers, cravings, and uncomfortable feelings of anxiety that can often...
Letters from the Editor Letters from the Editor 03/24/2011 Nancy O'Hara Editor-in-Chief Living in the Question This time of year is special for many of us and is often referred to as Holy Days. Easter, Passover, Buddha’s birthday...
Prodigal Sons Prodigal Sons 03/23/2011 By Nick Bryant As atheists, agnostics and unaffiliated believers plunge into recovery, the search for a “higher power” mentioned in AA’s second step can take them in...
So You Want to Be a Substance Abuse Counselor So You Want to Be a Substance Abuse Counselor 03/23/2011 By Tom Sinclair So you’re on a natural high because you’ve been clean and sober for a year or two and you think you’ve finally figured out what to do with your life. Since...
Inner Peace: Anytime, Anywhere Inner Peace: Anytime, Anywhere 03/23/2011 By Nancy O'Hara There are many different forms of meditation to choose from and the right choice is whatever suits you the best. One thing to know is that all styles basically...
12 Questions For Judy Collins 12 Questions For Judy Collins 03/23/2011 1.    What makes you laugh? I love Letterman. 2.    What makes you cry? Letterman. And all little animals. 3.    What keeps you from giving up or giving in? My...
Informed Opinion: Anger Informed Opinion: Anger 02/16/2011 BY JOHN LEE Many psychologists and counselors are confused about anger, this misunderstood emotion. One of the main reasons for the misunderstanding is that people often confuse...
12 Questions for Steve Earle 12 Questions for Steve Earle 02/08/2011 1. What makes you laugh? My wife – she’s really funny. [editor’s note – singer-songwriter Allison Moorer] 2. What makes you cry? Baseball movies. Truth be told, I...
A Conversation with Melody Beattie A Conversation with Melody Beattie 01/11/2011 With the publication of her first book in 1986, “Codependent No More,” Melody Beattie brought the word codependent into our popular lexicon and, more importantly, brought an...
The Practice of Being Challenged in Relationships The Practice of Being Challenged in Relationships 01/02/2011 There is probably nothing that challenges us more than our relationships, since every aspect, every nuance of our life involves a relationship of some sort. Every waking and...
Addicted to Love Addicted to Love 01/01/2011 I am an addict of a “different” kind. I was diagnosed with Codependent Obsessive Love Addiction over 10 years ago. At that time, I didn’t understand the diagnosis; I didn’t...
Nov-Dec Letters Nov-Dec Letters 01/01/2011 To the editor: I just wanted to say how much my husband and I appreciate your publication, Together. We have found that it is a relief to have such helpful and interesting...
January-February Letters From the Editors January-February Letters From the Editors 01/01/2011 Lisa Kirchner, Web Editor We look forward to bringing you news and insights from in and around the world of recovery, but do let us know if there's something you'd like to see...
What Would Buddha Say About Christmas? What Would Buddha Say About Christmas? 12/01/2010 By Barry Magid Zen Buddhists have a big holiday on December 8th called Rohatsu, which commemorates the moment that Buddha was enlightened. They celebrate by meditating for a...
Inner Peace: Anytime, Anywhere Inner Peace: Anytime, Anywhere 11/26/2010 By Nancy O'Hara Two tips to help you stay calm in the midst of holiday or everyday chaos: 1. Don’t Breathe If you experience moments of stress, anxiety, or just plain “I...
Don’t Blow a Fortune This Holiday Season Don’t Blow a Fortune This Holiday Season 11/25/2010 By Jerrold Mundis The holidays are hard on nearly everyone at some level or another – especially financially and especially on people for whom money is already tight (which is...
The Together Interview: Martin Torgoff The Together Interview: Martin Torgoff 11/16/2010 Martin Torgoff and the Great Stoned Age By Charles M. Young When Martin Torgoff quit alcohol and drugs in 1989, he took on an unusual early sobriety project: writing a...
Informed Opinion: Never Too Old Informed Opinion: Never Too Old 11/15/2010 By Raj K. Kalapatapu, MD People who are not involved in recovery or drug treatment often make the mistake of thinking that substance abuse is a problem concentrated in the...
The Final Word: Locked Away The Final Word: Locked Away 11/11/2010 By Maia Kinney-Petrucha I look in the mirror to see: Hands cracked from washing, Face soaked from crying, Mouth dry, Sunken eyes, Fists clenched, Shaking. Outside...
12 Questions: Peter Tork 12 Questions: Peter Tork 11/09/2010 Musician, Writer, Former Monkee, and Front Man for Shoe Suede Blues 1. What makes you laugh? Silly jokes, humor. 2. What makes you cry? Cheap, tear-jerking...
Your Letters: Sept-Oct Your Letters: Sept-Oct 11/01/2010 “Changing Lanes” deserves to be on Kurt Brokaw’s list of “The 10 Best Films About Alcoholism & Addiction” (Sept/Oct). Although I am a recovering addict still very new...
Letters from the Editors: Nov-Dec Letters from the Editors: Nov-Dec 11/01/2010 Nancy O'Hara Editor-in-Chief Be Safe, Serene and Sober Anyone who suffers from compulsive behavior or loves someone who struggles with addiction knows that there is no...
How To Know If You're a Workaholic How To Know If You’re a Workaholic 10/01/2010 Do you get more excited about your work than about family or anything else? Are there times when you can charge through your work and other times when you can’t get anything...
EPRA Helps Recovering People Salvage Careers EPRA Helps Recovering People Salvage Careers 10/01/2010 By Ames K. Sweet Scott F. is a recovering alcoholic, a musician for most of his life. Born and raised in the Caribbean islands, Scott never made it past the sixth grade before...
My So-Called Job(s) My So-Called Job(s) 10/01/2010 Work of an Irregular Nature Ever since I can remember, I have dreaded Sunday nights. The end of the weekend has always held a special place in my Chamber of Horrors. It was the...
The Together Interview: Jerrold Mundis The Together Interview: Jerrold Mundis 09/27/2010 It seems that every time you turn on your flat-screen television (the one that’s still burning a hole in your credit card account at 30% interest) some wretched garage band is...
INFORMED OPINION: On Laughter INFORMED OPINION: On Laughter 09/13/2010 Laughter is "inner jogging." Norman Cousins We love the people who make us laugh. Whether it’s the class clown, the funny guy at the office or a favorite, zany old Aunt,...
Snoring: The (not-so) Silent Killer Snoring: The (not-so) Silent Killer 09/06/2010 Advocates of a healthy lifestyle are in agreement today that everyone needs a good night’s sleep. The evidence is mounting that when a person does not receive a full and...
The Final Word: Denis Shedd The Final Word: Denis Shedd 09/01/2010 In the first issue of Together, Denis Shedd wrote a poignant, funny essay about learning to take drugs again after 27 years of sobriety (July/August 2010, pg 10). He was in...
Twelve Questions: Lawrence Block Twelve Questions: Lawrence Block 09/01/2010 Best-selling, award-winning crime novelist Lawrence Block answers our 12 Questions: 1. How do you think people see you? Through a glass, darkly. 2. How would you like to be...
Sept/Oct Sept/Oct 09/01/2010 Back To It September blues: remember those? What I remember is people moaning about the melancholy they felt with the arrival of September, but once I got past the...
Your Letters: July-Aug Your Letters: July-Aug 09/01/2010 Your July/August Together Interview “The Heart of Addiction” with Dr. Lance Dodes, by Charles M. Young, was great to read. Dr. Dodes’ notion of addiction being a...
In response to “Alcoholics: tone deaf to emotion?” In response to “Alcoholics: tone deaf to emotion?” 07/20/2010 As a 12-step-informed psychotherapist, I have been very interested in the apparent handicap recovering people have in the area of relationship. When we say addiction is a family...
Together Interview: Lance Dodes Together Interview: Lance Dodes 07/20/2010 An Interview with Dr. Lance Dodes Lance Dodes does psychiatry the old fashioned way: He listens to people and tries to figure out what’s going on with the aid of his...
The Bridge of Listening The Bridge of Listening 07/20/2010 When I met Rafael, he was in the cardiology unit complaining of chest pain and very worried. "This time," he said, "I'm going to change my life."...
Learning to Take Drugs Again Learning to Take Drugs Again 07/20/2010 In July of 2009 my gastroenterologist met my wife and me in the crowded waiting area of the outpatient clinic. We followed him through a maze of identical hallways, past three...
12 Questions: Christopher Kennedy Lawford 12 Questions: Christopher Kennedy Lawford 07/20/2010 1 How do you think people see you? I'm a self-obsessed alcoholic who rarely thinks of what others think of me. I'm way more interested in what I'm thinking about myself. 2...
The Final Word: THIS ISN'T The Final Word: THIS ISN’T 07/01/2010 By Barbara Suter This isn’t a poem about you Or about the forty-six days I’ve x’ed out on my calendar, Forty-six day since the last time we spoke. It isn’t a poem...
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