Avoiding the Addiction Affliction

Westwords Consulting, LLC

When does it stop being a party and start becoming a problem? Is there a way to steer clear of addiction? Every Wednesday, Mike McGowan, host of the podcast "Avoiding the Addiction Affliction," explores substance use disorders with expert guests. read less
Health & FitnessHealth & Fitness

Episodes

"Losing Everything - Gambling Addiction" with Jerry Bauerkemper
Mar 6 2024
"Losing Everything - Gambling Addiction" with Jerry Bauerkemper
When does wagering cross the line from entertainment to problem gambling? Jerry Bauerkemper, a Consultant to the Office of Problem Gambling at the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), discusses the rise in problem gambling across the country. He is responsible for supporting IDPH Problem Gambling Treatment providers serving Iowans experiencing problems due to their gambling as well as providing support to their families. Jerry is a nationally-recognized expert on problem gambling and has provided training throughout the United States. Jerry’s contact information is at Jerry Bauerkemper | Your Life Iowa. Registration information for the conference Jerry will be speaking at can be found at https://www.wi-problemgamblers.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2024-Conference-Brochure.pdf The views and opinions of the guests on this podcast are theirs and theirs alone and do not necessarily represent those of the host, Westwords Consulting or the Kenosha County Substance Abuse Coalition. We're always interested in hearing from individuals or organizations who are working in substance use disorder treatment or prevention, mental health care and other spaces that lift up communities. This includes people living those experiences. If you or someone you know has a story to share or an interesting approach to care, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Subscribe to Our Email List to get new episodes in your inbox every week!
"Somebody Who Believes in Me" with Dr. Kathryn Daley
Feb 14 2024
"Somebody Who Believes in Me" with Dr. Kathryn Daley
Children who grow up surrounded by trauma are affected differently by their adverse circumstances. Why do some children make it successfully into adulthood while others succumb to substance misuse, homelessness, crime, and mental illness? Dr. Kathryn Daley discusses her work with traumatized youth and the power of developed resiliency. Dr. Daley is a Senior Lecturer in Youth Work and Youth Studies and Theme Leader, Homelessness and Housing Insecurity - Social Equity Research Centre for Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia. She is interested in good, just, and equitable policy and how it impacts those on the margins. Kathryn is an academic with a background as a practitioner. She researches issues to do with disadvantaged youth and is author of the book Youth and Substance Abuse (2017). Her work has examined issues of poverty, child abuse, homelessness, self-injury, and mental health. She and her work can be found at https://www.rmit.edu.au/contact/staff-contacts/academic-staff/d/daley-dr-kathryn The views and opinions of the guests on this podcast are theirs and theirs alone and do not necessarily represent those of the host, Westwords Consulting or the Kenosha County Substance Abuse Coalition. We're always interested in hearing from individuals or organizations who are working in substance use disorder treatment or prevention, mental health care and other spaces that lift up communities. This includes people living those experiences. If you or someone you know has a story to share or an interesting approach to care, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Subscribe to Our Email List to get new episodes in your inbox every week!
"No Choice At All" with K.J. Aiello
Jan 3 2024
"No Choice At All" with K.J. Aiello
K.J. Aiello is a Canadian who describes herself as a mentally ill writer. It is, she says, who she is. Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAID) law, which first came into effect in 2016, is scheduled to be expanded in March of 2024 to give access to people whose sole medical condition is mental illness, which can include substance use disorders. K.J. discusses the implications of the proposed change and the obstacles to getting assessment and treatment for mental illness. To make end of life decisions just based on how insufferable mental illness can be without taking into account all the pieces of a very large, complicated life puzzle, K.J. says, doesn’t seem like a choice at all. Not everyone is served by the mental health and substance abuse system equally. K.J. is a Toronto-based mentally ill writer whose work includes essays, op-eds, and a soon to be released non-fiction book titled The Monster and the Mirror which explores the intersection of speculative fiction and mental illness. K.J. and her work can be accessed at https://www.kjaiello.ca We're always interested in hearing from individuals or organizations who are working in substance use disorder treatment or prevention, mental health care and other spaces that lift up communities. This includes people living those experiences. If you or someone you know has a story to share or an interesting approach to care, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Subscribe to Our Email List to get new episodes in your inbox every week!
"The Mommy Wine Culture" with Celeste Yvonne
Dec 6 2023
"The Mommy Wine Culture" with Celeste Yvonne
Mommy Wine Culture is the pervasive message that alcohol helps women survive motherhood. That message couldn’t be more flawed and destructive. Celeste Yvonne pulls back the veil on what's really plaguing mothers and discusses her new book, It's Not about the Wine. Celeste Yvonne is a writer and certified sober coach with over twenty years of experience as a communications professional in corporate America. Her essays on parenting, the mental load of motherhood, mommy wine culture, and sobriety resonate with mothers everywhere and have been featured in the Washington Post and on Good Morning America, Today Show, and Refinery 29, among others. She is also a contributing writer to the Wall Street Journal's and Publishers Weekly bestseller, So God Made a Mother. As Celeste says in her book, “Alcohol is not the answer; it actually keeps us from being present during this precious time of motherhood.” Celeste’s book and her other works can be accessed at https://www.celesteyvonne.com We're always interested in hearing from individuals or organizations who are working in substance use disorder treatment or prevention, mental health care and other spaces that lift up communities. This includes people living those experiences. If you or someone you know has a story to share or an interesting approach to care, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Subscribe to Our Email List to get new episodes in your inbox every week!