Coming Up for Air — A Toolkit to Help with Your Loved One's Recovery from Addiction & Mental Illness

On this week's Coming up for Air, Laurie and Annie welcome guest Rob Koebel to discuss his past experiences with alcoholism and where he is in his recovery today. Koebel is an award-winning journalist, actor, writer, host and voice-over artist. His journalism work has been recognized by Emmy awards, Associated Press and an Edward R Murrow award. After experiencing a very public embarrassment, Rob has been making the climb upward and onward to help others see what is behind the face of the "Good Time Charlie" drinkers and the effects they may have on their Loved Ones. Great episode for those who know and love or might be someone who is known as the life of the party! Allies in Recovery offers affordable memberships to our exclusive member-only website. On our site, you will learn the CRAFT method which is an alternative to the conventional "intervention" so often seen on TV, and which simply fails to motivate our addicted loved ones, most of the time. Visit alliesinrecovery.net/ for more information, to sign up for Module 1 for free, or to join today!

In today's episode, Laurie's son Tommy opens up about his experience with SUD. Listen to his moving account of surviving a terrifying overdose and his thoughts for teens and young adults. Tommy also elaborates on what he feels parents new to this situation ought to know... This is a strong, raw, realistic conversation that gives much insight and HOPE! Allies in Recovery offers affordable memberships to our exclusive member-only website. On our site, you will learn the CRAFT method which is an alternative to the conventional "intervention" so often seen on TV, and which simply fails to motivate our addicted loved ones, most of the time. Visit http://alliesinrecovery.net/ for more information, to sign up for Module 1 for free, or to join today!

On this week's Coming Up for Air podcast, Annie and Laurie talk with Annie's son Elliot, whose opiate dependency and recovery is detailed in Annie's book "Unhooked." Elliot opens up with an honest, raw perspective of where a son or daughter's mind might be while in active addiction, what would have helped from his point of view, what to not take personally as the parent of someone struggling deep in SUD. He also tells us what life looks like for someone in their 20's pursuing sobriety yet wanting a fun, active lifestyle. We hope you will gain lots of insight from this week's episode through the eyes of one who went to the depths of darkness in his addiction and found his way to treatment and recovery.• Become a member of Allies in Recovery today and learn a proven method for how to unblock the situation and guide your addicted loved one towards treatment: http://alliesinrecovery.net/

Can good possibly come in the midst of terrible crisis, chaos and despair? While Annie and Laurie agree that they wouldn't wish a loved one's struggling with SUD on any family, they also agree that it can prompt positive growth, pruning and weeding, purging and healthy family development. Strength can emerge from the depths of this adversity. This week's discussion revolves around personal growth that has come from facing the affliction of their sons' addiction. Both give examples of how their sons have matured into men and how society as a whole is being called to health, truth and compassion. Join in and send us your thoughts about this week's Coming Up for Air! For the full member package (eLearning for the family, specialized blogs, private journal, treatment resources...) join Allies in Recovery today! Learn more at http://alliesinrecovery.net/

Can good possibly come in the midst of terrible crisis, chaos and despair? While Annie and Laurie agree that they would wish a Loved One's struggling with SUD on no family, they also agree that it can prompt positive growth,pruning and weeding, purging and healthy family development. Strength can emerge from the depths of this adversity. This week's discussion revolves around personal growth that has come from facing the affliction of their sons' addiction. Both give examples of how their sons have matured into men and how society as a whole is being called to health, truth and compassion. Join in and send us your thoughts about this week's Coming Up for Air! Join us today to take advantage of the numerous benefits of being an Allies in Recovery member. Learn more at http://alliesinrecovery.net/

This week Annie and Laurie invite Laurie's husband Trevor and Annie's ex-husband Elliot Sr. to the podcast to discuss being on the same page during crisis and decisions. The conversation touches on blended families, exposing siblings to potentially dangerous behaviors, intrusions from others, being in agreement and being divorced-yet-not-divided. They all agree that division opens the door for manipulation.   Coming Up for Air brings together two inspiring moms, for thoughtful discussion of topics pertaining to addiction in the family. Both Annie Highwater and Laurie MacDougall have adult sons in recovery from opiate addiction. They also consider themselves to be in recovery, and have made self-care a central goal of their lives. Both use the CRAFT approach for addiction in the family. Allies in Recovery has made these podcasts available to the public in the hopes that you will relate to the experiences described by Laurie and Annie, that you will learn from them and be reminded that you are not alone. AlliesInRecovery.net is the online home for families dealing with a loved one's addiction. We teach the CRAFT method of intervention, based on communication techniques, self-awareness and bridge-building with your addicted loved one.

Laurie and Annie explore what it means to be triggered. Annie takes to the public to poll people about being triggered. Both give examples and explanations of how they perceive heated situations and how they are best dealt with. Laurie speaks, for example, about driving through a neighborhood that sparks the memory of her son's drug use, and how this can still produce anxiety for her. The episode ends with the topic of drinking reactivating the disease of addiction, and whether it's a trigger to drink around loved ones who have struggled with SUD. Join Allies in Recovery today and become part of a growing community of families learning how to become an ally to their addicted loved one. http://alliesinrecovery.net/

Annie and Laurie compare experiences of enabling use. They offer a short quiz on signs of enabling and discuss better ways of managing situations that might require lending a hand. To learn more about Allies in Recovery, the sponsor of Coming Up for Air, or to join our member site, visit AlliesinRecovery.net today. http://alliesinrecovery.net/ #enabling #addiction

Dive into the emotional rollercoaster of dealing with addiction and mental health. Discover how feelings serve as essential warning signals and why resisting them can intensify their power. Explore the metaphor of waves to understand grief, and learn how to balance emotional highs and lows. Gain insights on setting meaningful goals during crises and the importance of maintaining emotional boundaries. Plus, find out how cultivating kindness and community support can enhance recovery.

This week, Annie and Laurie analyze the meaning of drama with examples from people asked in an entertaining poll in the public. Both discuss issues of drama within family, friendships, not getting sucked in and who at times can actually be drama!*** Coming Up for Air brings together two inspiring moms, for thoughtful discussion of topics pertaining to addiction in the family. Both Annie Highwater and Laurie MacDougall have adult sons in recovery from opiate addiction. They also consider themselves to be in recovery, and have made self-care a central goal of their lives. Both use the CRAFT approach for addiction in the family. Allies in Recovery offers affordable memberships to our exclusive member-only website. On our site, you will learn the CRAFT method which is an alternative to the conventional "intervention" so often seen on TV, and which simply fails to motivate our addicted loved ones, most of the time. Visit alliesinrecovery.net/ for more information, to sign up for Module 1 for free, or to join today! #FamilyDrama #Drama #friendships #addiction #family