Over the past three years, comedian Robin Williams has survived two near-death experiences. In 2006, following decades of abstinence from drugs and alcohol, Williams checked himself into rehab after his 26-year old son and other family members had grown increasingly alarmed about his relapse into drinking. And in March, Williams halted his “Weapons of Self [...]

Dr. Al Gordon, my college advisor, was something of a stickler for words and their meanings. A tragedy, he would say, is not an event in which many people are killed unexpectedly. Earthquakes and airplane crashes are disasters of epic proportions, according to Dr. Gordon, but they are NOT tragic. The American Heritage dictionary defines [...]

Friendship 101. Here’s one way to look at addiction and recovery: We drank to fit in, and at the end of the day, our drinking turned us into outcasts. It’s not about alcohol, it’s about us. Drugs and alcohol are not the problem, we are the problem. Our sense of isolation is our disease.