Do you remember being a small child and asking for the newest Nerf gun or Barbie doll when you passed the toy aisle? Do you also remember being told no by a parent who offered no explanation other than a simple, “Not right now.” How frustrated were you with...
I was recently asked to do a group with the young men at Spearhead Lodge. After asking the Universe for inspiration I created a group that included a short writing assignment, meditation, and then ended with a prayer. My hope, as always, is that I could somehow be a...
Alcoholism can take absolute and categorical control of your life. If you're asking yourself "how did I get here and how do I stop," you're already on the road to success. Acknowledging the problem and the impact that it has on your life is the first and often most...
As a child, I was given everything I needed, along with most of the things I wanted. I grew up in a household full of love, encouragement, and fun. I was afforded every opportunity to succeed. My parents were, and still are, my biggest fans and supporters. My father...
I’m sitting here in the San Juan Mountains of Western Colorado. I’m on vacation. This is a time when conventional thinking would say, “Sit back, relax, you deserve a break.” Maybe I do, and I’m certainly finding the scenery and pace of mountain life relaxing. But I have also...
My how I love to deliver this message but bristle with antagonism when it is delivered to me! Have you ever considered the reason we hang on so tightly to a situation or person that causes us pain? Think about that carefully for a minute. What could possibly be...
As seasoned addiction treatment and recovery specialists, the team here at Spearhead Lodge is painfully aware of the growing increase in individuals with a drug or alcohol addiction, as well as the drastic increase in opioid overdoses recently. However, the sheer magnitude of the problem is staggering. Earlier this month,...
Codependency…that dirty little word. What is your immediate reaction upon hearing the term codependency? Most folks glaze right over it but for those of us who are in an all-out battle with it, the word feels deeply personal. Codependency can be characterized by things such as shame, people pleasing, poor boundaries,...
Throughout the course of my journey in recovery there have been ups and downs, times of joy, and times of tribulation. One of the greatest joys of my recovery is the fact that my two oldest sons have joined me on this journey. I believe that because of their...
The brain is designed to screen out information just as much as it is to take it in. It has to be, there is way too much going on to successfully process it all. One example is how you are able to focus on your conversation in a loud,...
By Mandy Baker, Clinical Director, Spearhead Lodge Spearhead: A leading element, force, or influence in an undertaking or development – Merriam Webster’s Dictionary We hear a lot about addiction these days-in the news, at our church, from our friends and family, and at our places of employment. Stories of overdoses, crisis...
By Alex Penrod, Recovery Manager, Spearhead Lodge According to the most recent Survey on Drug Use and Health: “drug use is highest among people in their late teens and twenties. In 2013, 22.6 percent of 18 to 20 year-olds reported using an illicit drug in the past month” (National Institute on...
