The world according to Fames

Hello again Planet Famers! Yes I know, I know.... long overdue. I think it's time we circle back though, and continue on with my blog series on addiction. So buckle up, and let's continue our dialogue! We have covered, What is Addiction, Alcoholics Anonymous, and SMART Recovery. Today, I would like to take a look at Harm Reduction. Harm Reduction Therapy, a relatively new way of looking at addiction treatment in the United States, is a radical departure from AA and SMART Recovery. Harm Reduction does not necessarily promote abstinence as the only solution for addiction. Instead, it focuses on reducing the damage caused by the addictive behavior. It does not oppose abstinence, but rather recognizes that some individuals seem incapable of maintaining total abstinence. With that aim, Harm Reduction aims to minimize the harmful effects on drug and alcohol use. The Harm Reduction Coalition does an excellent job, in my opinion, of explaining the main principles of Harm Redu...

Hello planet Fames! I am so sorry to have left you all in the lurch for so long! As you all know from my previous couple blogs, things had just built up to the point where I needed to step away from things for a minute and regroup. 2018 was honestly a tough year, I think a lot of people would agree, but for all the challenges and obstacles we were never broken! That is something we can all be proud of! We may have been beaten up a little bit. Knocked down a few times. In spite of it all though, we got back up! We refused to quit! That is something to be proud of! My challenge to all of you, is to carry that determination with you into 2019! Let's make this year our year! I am not normally one of those, "New year, new me!" people. In fact...I'm still not. I don't believe in that kind of mentality, because I believe every experience and challenge we face makes us who we are! It's not about becoming a "New you", it's about becoming a better you!...

Hello Planet Fames!! I've done it yet again! It have been far too long since my last blog, and for that I apologize! First I want to wish everyone reading this, a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing, recharging, and safe time with your friends, family, and all your loved ones! :-) Know you you are loved, cared for, and valued beyond measure by me! I am so very thankful you are in my life! :-) If you can't tell, I am feeling pretty damn good! I am happy to report, that I am starting to feel like my old self again! I've talked about it a little, hinted at it, I've even given tips on how to do self care. I think it's time I put the cards on the table, and get honest with everyone. I feel I can do this now, because I am finally starting to feel like my old self again! My name is James, and I have been struggling with "burnt out". I've probably been feeling this way since March of this year, but I have been too..proud.....

Good morning Planet Fames! I sincerely hope that everyone is doing well, and making sure to take care of themselves! I know, I know, it's been over a month since I posted one of my "weekly" blogs. I will start off by apologizing for that. As the title of this blog suggests, sometimes, life gets in the way of the things we want to do. That isn't intended as an excuse, more as an explanation. Well, that, and I am going to tell you a little bit about what has been going on in my life. As most of you that know me are well aware, I work a lot. Some would say I work far too much... usually, I would disagree with that, but lately I have been under enough "extra" stuff at work that I have to agree. Between multiple new clients, current clients growing, industry changes, and even changes within current clients, I have been burning the candle at both ends. Hell, I've basically thrown the candle into the fireplace and used a flamethrower on it! HAHA! Whil...

Good morning Planet Fames! I hope you all had a great week, and are enjoying a much deserved weekend with friends and family! This week's blog, I am going to step away from our series discussion on addiction and mental health. I have had something on my heart for a few days now, and I just feel like this is God message that I need to share. I promise to come back to the series next week. There has been a lot on my mind, and on my heart recently. As most of you that know me, know, I am a very private person. I don't like to share things that I consider personal, or my emotions and feelings, with others. Lately though, there have been a lot of....challenges and struggles that either I, or people I care about, have been going through. So much so, that my heart and my soul have been heavy... No, I am not going to share what these things are. One, because a lot of them are not mine to share; and two, because that isn't the message that is on my heart this morning. I kn...

Good morning Planet Fames! I hope you all had another great week and weekend! Where does the time go?!? Can you believe it's already September 17th?! It's crazy! Make sure you are taking time for yourself, and the things that are really important in life! If you don't, you'll wake up one morning and wonder where the time went! First, I'd like to address last weeks blog. We dove into the topic of treatment, specifically Alcoholics Anonymous. I may have been a little "harsh", in some peoples opinions, and that was intentional! Again, I am a fan of AA! While I admitted it isn't the "program for me", I think for some people it is a life saver. I love the social aspect, the simplicity, and the accessibility. While I believe that AA has flaws, as does everything, I am not against it. I believe if a program helps just one person, that program is worth exploring! The reason I may have come across as "hard" on AA, is because I believe ...