Addiction can affect anyone. We often associate addicts and alcoholics with those living on the streets, but in reality, drug and alcohol addiction can affect anyone. At Duffy’s we recognize the reality that your addiction has become a disease in your life and needs to be treated. Therefore, we embrace the medical model that your addiction is a disease, and we use the social model—which includes education, counseling, and peer support—to treat it. The following blog posts and articles are designed to help you to better understand the disease of addiction.
Many people are reluctant to admit they have a problem with drugs and alcohol, and that’s understandable. Addiction is a serious illness that renders the victim powerless over their substance use—something no one ever wants to deal with. But it’s important that you do deal with it, otherwise, addiction can cost you in more ways … Read More
I drank like an alcoholic for many years before I knew I had a problem. I drank at night, during the afternoon, during the day. I drank before advising sessions in college and at 8 a.m. Frequently, I drank to the point of blackout. I had a problem. But why didn’t I realize it? Psychologists … Read More
“Hi, my name is Katie and I’m an alcoholic and addict. Thank you for inviting me to share my experience, strength and hope. I’m a little nervous—a lot nervous, actually. This is a new experience for me. Here goes nothing… My beginnings I was raised in a fairly affluent family. My Dad was an alcoholic that … Read More
In nine days (September 3), more than 4,000 people affected by alcohol and drug addiction will gather on the west steps of California’s State Capitol in Sacramento to celebrate their renewed life attained through recovery. The annual event called “Recovery Happens” aptly kicks off recovery-themed September as Californians from all walks of life come together … Read More
There are those who would argue that addiction is a choice, and not a disease. There are those who would tell you that it’s simply a matter of choosing to stop—they say an alcoholic can put the bottle down at any time, and simply walk in the other direction. The people who speak these misguided statements have … Read More
When the principles of 12-Step recovery began to seep into my everyday life, I also learned to appreciate how my new way of living had enabled me to cope with life’s other challenges. My earliest challenge in recovery was simple: not drinking. Nothing else mattered. I knew, that if I picked up a drink, all … Read More
In a shocking course of events, Oscar winner Robin Williams—a man who made America smile—died in his California home yesterday. The cause of death appears to be suicide. In recent months, we’ve had to say goodbye to several beloved public figures who also battled demons: Philip Seymour Hoffman Cory Monteith Chris Kelly And now, we … Read More
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” —Reinhold Niebuhr Feeling a tad courageous and a bit wiser, I left rehab with sighs, a few tears and an awful sense of trepidation. Unlike some of the others that I … Read More
As a child we accept most everything around us as normal. We just don’t know or can’t perceive the difference. Mommy and Daddy love us, only sometimes they don’t. Mommy and Daddy make sure we have meals to eat and clean clothes to wear; only sometimes they don’t. Mommy and Daddy praise my art work … Read More
Ah yes, that wonderful Disney movie that little girls everywhere have memorized and that has cemented the Oscar-winning song in our heads. (Are you singing it already?) Well, Frozen reminds me of addiction. And I’m not talking about the trap of addiction this movie has on your eight-year-old daughter. If you’ve seen Frozen or know the storyline, did you … Read More
