Are you feeling paralyzed, frustrated, and hopeless due to a loved one's addiction? Patrick Doyle and Laurie MacDougall discuss the REST (Resources, Education, Support, Together) groups, a free program where families experience transformative recovery. Families use REST to find new strategies and skills to communicate with their loved ones. They also address the misconception of enabling and the importance of timing and setting boundaries. Through the power of community, families let go of guilt and shame and gain healthy self-compassion. Key Takeaways: Families often feel overwhelmed, frustra ..read more

Have you financially supported a child with addiction for years and then reached a point where you wanted to change but could not?  Have you wondered if your support is holding your child back rather than helping them move forward?  Have you wondered if professional coaching might be more useful for changing your behavior, than psychotherapy?  This strong resourceful loving mom had tried everything but found herself unable to take care of herself while supporting her daughter with addiction.  Through coaching, she changed her behavior to better self-care, which allowed her ..read more

 While families are often in a position to encourage a loved one to get treatment, they are generally sidelined with inadequate inaccurate information, support and resources.  Though many persons with addiction do not have healthy families to lean upon, the minimal support available is largely devoted to parents of young people with addiction. Close friends, partners, and chosen families can also serve as valuable recovery capital that can give people motivation to sustain the ongoing effort required to get better; or to simply stay safe. Meet Alex Colyer and her Albertus Project, wh ..read more

Guest Interviewer extraordinaire Amanda guides the conversation as son and father describe the pursuit of addiction recovery as a family.  We hear many stories from persons recovering, and a few stories of families recovering from the impact of addiction. For the first time the two join together to describe their mutual struggles; showing the power of compassion, kindness, and mutual support. Michael's recovery journey has been anything but orthodox; which fits his personality, and gives hope and meaning to the concept of multiple pathways. Many persons with addiction don't benefit from t ..read more

Today’s guest is the remarkable Ms. Casie Fariello, the Co-Founder and CEO of an exciting online parent support organization called Other Parents Like Me; or OPLM.   We’ll be talking about the impact of parenting a child with addiction; and how Casie found her path to recovery from that impact. She credits Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) for her decision to welcome her son home, to recover as a family.  This compelling story about peer family support provides hope that family addiction recovery is possible.  You can find Casie and her virtual community o ..read more

The third of my Pro Tips series gives you sixteen little-known practical steps you can take TODAY to Find Help For Addiction.  Did you know that many states have a 24hr hotline at 211 that will give you soon intake appointments for treatment? That having a medical professional calling an ER in advance will get you better care? That patients usually do best when they are allowed to decide on treatment they wish to pursue; or not? That you can get a same-day appointment with your primary care physician to start treatment? That your health insurance will provide Telehealth medical evaluation ..read more

 People can accomplish amazing things when they feel loved. I address a listener question, "Episode 15 had great tips on recognizing addiction, but once you recognize it, how do you talk to a loved one about your concerns?" CRAFT: Community Reinforcement and Family Training, has a 70% success rate for encouraging a loved one with addiction into treatment. What’s unique about my family coaching is that the family learns more effective approaches towards addiction.  With a little help, family can influence their loved one to move forward in a positive direction. Here are 7 tips to bett ..read more

Far and away the most asked question I get is, "How do I know if my loved one has a substance use problem?" Through listening to this episode you will become an expert in identifying addiction.  You will also start to learn how you can positively influence a person to become interested in health and recovery, and maybe even treatment. My last episode of Pro Tips for navigating the treatment industry drew a lot of positive feedback. Here you will get nuts and bolts advice so you'll know what you're dealing with.  Future Pro Tips episodes will address how to talk with your loved one ab ..read more

If your loved one has a substance use disorder and is not interested in reducing use, maintaining abstinence, or in pursuing treatment, this episode will help. Today’s guest has used my coaching support for several years to help her family help her son manage his addiction.  Though he had no interest in abstinence or in treatment, she was unwilling to withdraw her love and support, and refused to let him hit a rock hard bottom.  Harm Reduction encourages us to take all steps possible to promote a person's health safety and welfare.  It's about families getting useful support and ..read more

If your loved one is struggling with addiction and you're struggling with the process, this episode will help.  Patrick Doyle chats with a friend in recovery and shares his pro tips on evaluating treatment centers, navigating rehab barriers, the do's and dont's of being a supportive family member, and the importance of self-care. Research shows that truly involving families improves outcomes; yet most families are blocked out. Programs hide behind "privacy" and won't talk with families; unless you know these industry secrets.  Also, what does it mean when a treatment center claims t ..read more