Living with an emotionally distant, rageful father left Deanna Broaddus hungry for attention and solace. Men – lots of men – were her first recourse, and then alcohol and drugs. Except for a suicide attempt at age 18, Broaddus did well, working and pursuing a master’s degree so that she could follow her passion to| The Phoenix Spirit
My life was ruining my life. The things I once loved had begun to consume all my time, all my relationships and all of me. From an outsider’s perspective, I looked as though I was at the peak of my profession. I’d traveled, met some amazing culinarians both here and abroad, been in magazines and| The Phoenix Spirit
Eating disorders don’t discriminate. But people with a history of substance use disorder are at a higher risk for developing a potentially life threatening eating disorder. Clients may get sober only to use eating disorder symptoms — bingeing, restricting/dieting, and/or purging — instead of their drug of choice to cope with challenging emotions. This is| The Phoenix Spirit
Shame definitely has a place in our lives when we’ve done something wrong or hurt someone else. But it has no place in our lives when all we are doing is simply being a human being or being different in some way we cannot help.| The Phoenix Spirit
We are well into the New Year now, and we’re either slogging through our resolutions and changes, or they’ve been tossed aside as old habits come creeping back. Whichever side of the coin you fall on, inspiration and motivation for better health isn’t hard to find. It seems everyone around you is on your side| The Phoenix Spirit
It’s hard to imagine myself drinking or using again. It’s been so long since the last time I got drunk or high that it seems like an alternate life. The old me is a far away, distant memory. No more hangover headaches punishing me for the previous night. That past life of alcohol and drugs| The Phoenix Spirit