One needn’t worry whether they are truly an “alcoholic” or “drug addict” to start getting help. If substances or behaviors are compromising your best self, it’s time to act. We can often awaken after years of regular use of substances to realize we are not our most effective selves. Alcohol, pot, cocaine and other mood altering substances can insidiously and tragically begin to disrupt the best families. We can even form an addiction to a process or series of behaviors such as sex, shopping, hoarding or gambling. Addiction can ruin marriages and families, especially the lives of children and wreak irreparable havoc on careers and reputations.

A high functioning executive sought our help with cocaine binging when his family doctor refused to treat him any longer without therapy.