Clean Listening


I’m the mother of a mad genius 14-year-old boy (gifted?) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). For the most part, we’ve learned to live with it since his diagnosis in first grade (we even went to a pediatric neurologist, not ones to be satisfied with his lazy kindergarten teacher who truly didn’t know what to do with his intelligence. Ahem.). He is also on Adderall, whichever is the one that is the time release capsule, but still seems to only make it until about 4 p.m. My kid only weighs 78 lbs, so the doctors don’t want to increase his…

read more

Cutting off the Addict


Family therapists and addictions therapists tend to part ways when it comes to whether or not to cut off, in the name of not enabling, the “sick” member of the family, the one who steals the silverware to pay for the cocaine, the alcohol, the heroin.  Pick your substance, none of them are free.

Not that we’re naive.  We understand that an addict will do anything to get substances, and will exploit the family, in all kinds of ways, as a coping strategy under stress.  Object?  Get drugs.  Drug seeking. 

But family therapists like to keep the door cracked, the lines of…

read more