Recovery Advocate

Recovery Advocate

Finding Freedom

AND BEST FRIENDS – Dec. 24, 2025 - “It has grown in a way we never anticipated.” When Mickey Bakst and fellow hospitality industry vet Steve Palmer founded Ben’s Friends in Charleston, S.C. nine years ago, they we... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaCompassionDec 30 2025Drug Abuse and AddictioninterventionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Overdose Crisis is Turning Around

LESSONS LEARNED? – Dec. 25, 2025 - Overdose deaths are falling at a pace the United States has not seen in decades. Centers for Disease Control projections show a nearly 25% decline for the twelve months ending in Ap... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 30 2025Drug Abuse and AddictionOverdoseRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Person of the Year: Anne Lamott

STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – December 30, 2025 – Anne Lamott is a mother, grandmother, wife and activist. She is also the author of these best-sellers: Traveling Mercies, Bird by Bird, and Somehow: Thoughts on Love. ... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 30 2025InterviewRecoveryRecovery Advocate

Evaluating Treatment for PTSD in People Receiving Buprenorphine or Methadone

NEW INFORMATION – Dec. 23, 2025 - Dr. Kelly Peck is the lead author on a recent article looking at the prevalence of current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) than in ... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediabuprenorphineDec 30 2025interventionmethRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehabTrauma

Inside San Patrignano’s Rehab Model

AUDIO – YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION? – Dec. 24, 2025 - WBUR’s Deborah Becker visits a community in the north of Italy, thought to be a model for these kinds of addiction treatment centers. See Website ... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 30 2025Drug Abuse and AddictionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Kidnapping Uncovers Unsanctioned Drug Rehab

VIDEO – GOING TO ANY LENGTHS – Dec. 24, 2025 - The Sheriff’s Office says it found about 40 people inside the building, who told deputies they did not believe they were allowed to leave. The Sheriff’s Office said 11 p... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 30 2025Drug Abuse and AddictionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Caron Treatment Centers’ CEO Wants to Remove the ‘Number One Barrier’ to Addiction Treatment

STIGMA SUCKS – Dec. 18, 2025 - From a business perspective, the gap is staggering. “Fifty-four million Americans today suffer from substance use disorder,” Driscoll says. “But there’s only about 12 million that are a... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBig PharmaBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 23 2025Drug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Detoxing Behind Bars Poses a Risk to Jail Inmates

VIDEO – PRISONS SUCK – Dec. 18, 2025 - Rana Schmidt remembers her daughter, Elissa Lindhorst, as having a creative soul with a special place in her heart for animals. The 28-year-old died on Feb. 24, 2020, just four... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 23 2025Drug Abuse and AddictionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Recovery Cafe is Looking to Turn an Old Jail into New Hope

VIDEO – THE ANGELS AMOUNG US – Dec. 18, 2025 - “My little brother was a big part of my life, and we miss him a lot”, Bryant said. “I think calling it Adam’s House of Hope will help me know that maybe people can avoid... Read More...

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Person of the Week: Robert Tepper

STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Dec. 23, 2025 - I was born a lower middle-class kid from the broken glass streets of A town in New Jersey. I loved watching Saturday morning cartoons and for many years Bugs Bunny was my chi... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaCelebrity SobrietyDec 23 2025InterviewRecoveryRecovery Advocate

Recovery Centers of America Agrees to Pay $2 Million to Resolve Allegations

CHUMP CHANGE for RCA – Dec. 10, 2025 - Recovery Centers of America (RCA) has agreed to pay $1,000,000 to resolve allegations that it failed to comply with provisions of the Controlled Substances Act that are designe... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 23 2025Drug Abuse and AddictionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Dr. Austin Harris Is Revolutionizing Addiction Treatment with 80% Success Rate

VERY SPECIAL “K” – Dec. 18, 2025 - What sets the program apart is its multi-modal approach that addresses addiction at every level—neurological, psychological, and physiological. At the core of the treatment protocol... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 23 2025Drug Abuse and AddictionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

A ‘sober running’ Community

BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE – Dec. 5, 2025 - Recently I ran the New York City Marathon. It was my seventh marathon in the four years that I have been in recovery from alcoholism. Running is not a byproduct of my recovery; ... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 16 2025RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Does Social Stigma Still Stand in the Way of Recovery from Addiction?

IT SHOULDN’T! – Dec. 12, 2025 - Stigma remains deeply rooted in society. Historically, substance dependence was viewed through a moral lens. It was a sign of weakness, irresponsibility or lack of self-control. These ... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 16 2025Drug Abuse and AddictionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Warriors Heart Reveals a Marine Veteran’s Powerful Journey Through Addiction

HELP ABIDES – Dec, 9, 2025 - To reach others who may be struggling this holiday season, Marine Corps Veteran Michael O’Dell, now Warriors Heart Command Center COO, is publicly sharing his story of pain, redemption, a... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 16 2025RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Person of the Week: Kimberly Wick

STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – December 16, 2025 - I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with advanced training in clinical psychology and business. Drawing on years of individual and family therapy—and my own expe... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryDec 16 2025InterviewRecoveryRecovery Advocate

Rehab Riviera Faces Criminal Probe

A BOUNTY ON EVERY ADDICT – Dec. 3, 2025 - Aetna filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against Nathan Young and Co. in 2023, saying Young’s sober living homes throughout Southern California were little more than drug dens... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 16 2025Drug Abuse and AddictionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Doctor’s Holiday Mental Health and Recovery Tips

VIDEO – NO COMPLACENECY – Dec. 5, 2025 - The holidays are often portrayed as joyful, warm, and filled with togetherness — but for those in addiction recovery or struggling with mental health challenges, the season ca... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 16 2025life expectancyMental HealthRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

I Work With Companies to Confront Addiction in the Workplace

REAL HUMAN RESOURCE – Nov. 30, 2025 - Addiction doesn’t always show up in the way that society likes to portray it. Many people are able to maintain their lifestyles without subscribing to what the media tells us add... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 09 2025Drug Abuse and AddictionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Overdose Deaths Down In The U.S.

AUDIO – THE RIGHT DIRECTION – Nov. 30, 2025 - Methadone helps patients like Trina resist cravings for fentanyl. It’s been around for decades, but most patients have to find their way to a designated methadone clinic ... Read More...

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One Doctor Rethinking Addiction Care in Family Medicine

NEW IDEAS ARE HIP – Dec. 1, 2025 - I was drawn to family medicine even before medical school. My background was in public health, and I spent a summer in Santiago, Chile, where I was paired with a family doctor... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 09 2025Drug Abuse and AddictionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

To Move Beyond Abstinence-Only – How to Measure Recovery

HAPPINESS – Dec. 1, 2025 - Recovery from a substance use disorder has traditionally been conflated with “sobriety,” or total abstinence. In reality, many people recover while continuing to use drugs, but in safer, mo... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 09 2025RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Memory of Newark Man Who Battled Addiction Lives On

AUDIO – CARRYING ON HIS DREAM – Dec. 2, 2025 - Earle VanBlarcom III’s dream was to open a resource center to help other people like him struggling with addiction. After he got clean in 2018, VanBlarcom founded a n... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 09 2025RecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Person of the Week: Marissa Dickinson

STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Dec. 9, 2025 - I am a musician, content creator, author and certified reiki and sound healer. My new album is called “Calypso Rising” under @SunsetSea13 on IG & Tik Tok and my YouTube ch... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryCelebrity SobrietyDec 09 2025InterviewRecoveryRecovery Advocate

Sarge Pickman RIP–Tributes Pour in as 64-year old Jewish Black Sober Comedian Passes

SAD PASSING – Dec. 1, 2025 - He was a popular stand-up comedian in Boca Raton, Florida. He died on December 1. He was born, Steven Charles Pickman. Boca Raton residents reacted with an outpouring of grief, rememberin... Read More...

Books, Memoirs, Films, and MediaCelebrity SobrietyDec 09 2025RecoveryRecovery Advocate

Yucatan Healthcare Professionals and AA Join Forces

TEAMWORK WORKS – NOV. 28, 2025 - The local AA chapter indicated that the week aims to raise awareness among students and healthcare professionals about the importance of referring those struggling with their drinking... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousDec 09 2025RecoveryRecovery Advocate

Fear of Possible Patient Trafficking in Santa Monica, California

VIDEO – THIS AIN’T RIGHT – Nov. 30, 2025 - City officials have shut down an unpermitted sober transitional living facility that suddenly housed more than 40 people in a luxury Ocean Avenue building last week, prompti... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 09 2025Drug Abuse and AddictionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

1st-of-its-kind Addiction Recovery Hospital

MORE TO COME – Dec. 3, 2025 - Las Vegas Recovery Hospital, an acute care hospital designed for patients suffering from substance use disorders and related medical conditions, is set to open this December, according t... Read More...

12 Step ProgramAddiction RecoveryAlcohol AddictionAlcoholics AnonymousBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 09 2025Drug Abuse and Addictionharm reductioninterventionRecoveryRecovery AdvocateRehab

Former Addict: From Crisis to Calling

NOT A HYPOCRITE? – Nov. 23, 2025 - Chambers describes how his substance use began early and escalated quickly. He started smoking cannabis at age 12, then selling it, and by his mid-teens was using and selling cocain... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 02 2025RecoveryRecovery Advocate

Person of the Week: Sean Hemeon

STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Dec. 2, 2025 - Sean Hemeon is an actor, artist, and writer based in Los Angeles. He’s appeared on 9-1-1, Criminal Minds, Rake, True Blood, and CW’s Husbands. An international abstract artist... Read More...

Addiction RecoveryBooks, Memoirs, Films, and MediaDec 02 2025InterviewRecoveryRecovery Advocate

Additional Articles