Discover seven science-based insights into addiction and lasting change
This blog explores the wider terrain surrounding addiction, recovery, and human change — from contemporary drug policy and cultural trends to the quieter questions of meaning, purpose, and resilience that shape long-term wellbeing. Some posts respond to current events; others reflect on clinical insights, lived experience, or emerging research. Together, they aim to offer context rather than quick answers, and to support thoughtful engagement with the personal and social dimensions of substance use, recovery, and life transitions.
This blog explores addiction, recovery, life transitions, and meaning—engaging current events and lived experience with a grounded, integrative perspective.
“You don’t have to have an alcohol problem for alcohol to be causing problems.” As a coach, I am not qualified to dispense medical diagnoses or conduct counselling or psychological therapy sessions. But formal certification in these fields is not required when helping...
The pills were legal, Viv. You know, I got prescriptions. Johnny Cash, as portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line (20th Century Fox, 2005) On October 4, 1965, Singer Johnny Cash was arrested at the El Paso airport in Texas in possession of 688 Dexedrine capsules...
How Does Metaphor Communicate Meaning? The Spanish Philosopher José Ortega y Gasset once wrote: The metaphor is probably the most fertile power possessed by man He was referring to the role of metaphor as machine, which like a lever (the simplest machine) allows a...
The Need for Personal Autonomy Nobody enjoys being forced to do what they do not want to do, and such force rarely leads to the intended outcome. In the context of addiction recovery, there are cases where involuntary rehabilitation is effective in preserving life,...
Dissociation in Addiction Multiple personality disorder (now known as dissociative identity disorder) is a common subject for Hollywood Movies (e.g., Sybil [1976] and Split [2016]). It describes a state where two or more personalities exist within the same person....
The Two Meanings of the Word "Meaning" One of life’s most enduring questions is What are we doing here? or, to put it another way, What is the meaning of life? If you are a hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy fan, you might already know that the answer to that question...
The Science and Spirituality of Addiction (This article was originally published in the Victoria News on May 24, 2026) When software engineer Stuart Morse had a bad day at work, he would come home to Saanich to a glass of wine to take out the bad taste of the day....
How one statistical mistake convinced the world that alcohol was good for us Back in the 1980’s a popular subject for discussion in consumer programs, news bits and cultural commentaries was the fact that French people experienced chronic illness at a lower rate than...
Our Mission Statement: “ To reveal the enormous potential in every human being and help them tap into their own resourcefulness. ” We often fail to reach our potential because of the way we process negative life experiences. We suffer an emotional injury and cling to...
“ I wrote the words about a friend of mine; his name was Gareth Spaulding, and on his 21st birthday he and his friends decided to give themselves a present of enough heroin into his veins to kill him. This song is called ‘Bad.' ” – U2's Bono, Gothenburg Sweden, 1987...