LIFE OUT OF BALANCE: HOWARD’S STORY When I tell people that I used to weigh 315 pounds, their initial response is usually something like, “I can’t believe it.” If the first question is, “How did you lose the weight?” The second question is “How did you get so heavy in the first place?” Followed by something like, “No offense intended.”…

Stress: Negative Threat or Positive Challenge?    Stress is always better utilized when regarded as a “positive challenge” rather than a negative threat. For example, think of Tough Mudders. Tough Mudders are 10 to 12 mile runs with 25 obstacles in between. People crawl in mud under barb wire, jump in freezing, ice-cold water, and even voluntarily risk getting shocked….

The 10 Principles of Goal Setting   We all know that most New Year’s goals fail. “Eat better, exercise more, quit smoking.” They’re vague and lack any real depth or planning. The fact is most of us don’t know how to set real goals. I wrote this article to show people how to turn their dreams into reality. My dream was…

Why do we treat Suboxone different than Antidepressants? The answer to this is simple: Because we look at addiction as criminal and depression as medical. For the past five years, I’ve worked with clients taking Suboxone. For the two years before that, I worked with clients taking Methadone. In my opinion, medicated assisted treatment (MAT) is by far the best…

Top 15 Myths about Heroin Addiction There are a lot of myths about heroin addiction. For anyone who has ever known someone who was or currently is a heroin user, their use can come as quite a shock. I wrote this article to help those with loved ones who are struggling to better understand the nature of addiction. Though this…

What a “relapse” means to me: First off, if you’re struggling, it takes courage to seek help. A relapse is nothing to be ashamed of. We’re all human. We all screw up. As a guy who has lost too many friends and loved ones recently to addiction and depression, I can promise you, no matter how low, there is hope….

Did you know the United States current spends 41 billion dollars each year fighting “The War on Drugs?” For me, two questions arise from that statistic. How is that money being spent and is it working? The fact is that 90 percent of our government funding goes towards policing and punishing drug offenses, and only 10 percent goes towards treatment,…

Considering the tragic events of this weekend, I wrote this little poem. I’m no poet, but I figure I’ll post it anyways.   It Starts With Me It starts as a thought Placed in my head though I want it not Put in there by an older generation Now the choice is mine- growth or extermination We hear it in…

I love my job. I wake up in the morning and I actually look forward to going to work. For me, it’s more than a job, it’s my calling. But first things first- what is a Life Coach? It’s simple. A life coach is someone who helps you reach your full potential. For anyone seeking self-improvement, personal growth, and development,…