Author: Patti Clark

I grew up in the 1960s and 70s. And Dick Van Dyke was a mainstay on our TV. He was one of my favorite actors. I loved his TV show with Mary Tyler Moore. And of course, he was wonderful as the sweet chimney sweep in Mary Poppins. His life on TV and film seemed so happy and calm compared to the chaos I was growing up with, in my dysfunctional home with my alcoholic parents. Little did I know that Van Dyke quietly struggled with addiction as well. He has admitted in interviews that he started drinking as a…

“The opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it’s connection.”Johann Hari  I got sober the first time in Tucson, Arizona, two days before my 30th birthday. I had a wonderful support system of like-minded women who nurtured me and helped me find my feet in early sobriety. Then after several years clean and sober, my husband and I moved to New Zealand. It was a huge move for me — away from my sister, who is also in recovery, and away from my supportive group of sober friends. I was full of grief and fear at losing my connections. After a…

I loved this book! It captures the absolutely insane nature of co-dependency. This book is for anyone who has ever dealt with the crazy-making behavior of their own, or a loved one’s co-dependency. This isn’t just a book; it is an experience not to be missed. Dr. Michaud’s writing is both lyrical and raw, capturing the nuances of the human spirit. I felt like I was sitting over a cup of tea with her, while she shared her own story and the tools she has used herself and offered to the people she has worked with. As someone who has…

“Hank, why do you drink? Hank, why do roll smoke? Why must you live out the songs that you wrote? Stop and think it over Try to put yourself in my unique position If I get stoned and sing all night long It’s a family tradition” Family Tradition, Song by Hank Williams Jr.   As I was reading an article in The Guardian about Sir Anthony Hopkins talking about his memoir and his addiction, I thought about a line he used:   “Drinking was a family tradition … ” And boy, could I relate! First of all, I couldn’t help but hear Hank Williams Jr.’s song in my head about his own family tradition, referring to his father, Hank Williams Sr.’s alcoholism and addiction to pain killers which eventually led to…

A nerdy look at a great reason to stay sober!

When I was in my 20s and bartending in Alaska (yeah, talk about a kid in the candy shop!), I had a T-shirt that said: So many men, so little time! I thought that was so funny — now I can’t believe I actually wore that! Then, in my 30s, raising two young children, I had a T-shirt that said: So many books, so little time! (I would wear that one if I still had it.)    But through it all, the T-shirt that would have been the most appropriate is: So many addictions, so little time! Addiction was never just…