Person-First Language
Using person-first language is a means to destigmatize language that emphasizes the disorder, disability, or disease that is only one part of the person and bring the focus back to emphasizing the person as a whole. For example, instead of saying “I am an addict,” using person-first language would say “I am a person with an addiction.”
While we often automatically due this with physical ailments (i.e., “I am a cancer patient,” not “I am cancer”), person-first language is not used when addressing mental health conditions. Use person-first language when you want to emphasize that you are a whole person rather than a condition.
Finding Hope in the Heat: Preparing Our Garden for the Future
As the August sun bears down with full force, our garden is showing the wear of a long, hot summer. Many of the vegetables that once thrived are now wilting, drying up, or completely gone. It’s easy to feel discouraged when looking at what’s been lost. But even in the middle of all this heat, there’s still something powerful growing—hope.
The end of a season doesn’t mean failure. It means transition. Our garden may be winding down for summer, but that only means it’s time to start planning for what comes next. Fall is just around the corner, and with it comes a fresh start. There’s a quiet kind of excitement in choosing what to plant next, in clearing out the old to make space for the new.
Much like life, gardening reminds us that growth doesn’t always happen in the way we expect. Sometimes, things have to fade away so something better can grow in their place.
It’s a reminder to look forward—to invest in the future rather than dwell on what didn’t survive.
As we begin prepping the soil and mapping out our fall crops, we’re not just growing vegetables—we’re cultivating hope, purpose, and resilience. And that’s something the August sun can never burn away.
Embracing the New: Coping with the Emotional Weight of Life Transitions
Life is full of changes. Some are exciting, and some are hard. Starting something new—like moving, changing jobs, or ending a relationship- can bring up many emotions. You might feel sad, nervous, or even a little lost.
Even when change is good, it can still feel like a loss. You may miss your old routine, familiar places, or people you knew. It’s normal to feel grief when things change. Grief isn’t just for losing a person—it can come from any big goodbye.
But change also brings a chance to grow. This isn’t the end—it’s the start of a new chapter in your life.
First, let yourself feel your emotions. Don’t try to hide them. Talk to someone you trust, write in a journal, or speak with a counselor. It helps to share what you’re going through.
Next, look ahead. Think about new routines you can create or places you want to explore. Make your new space feel like home. Try something fun—get a pet, visit a park, or find a new restaurant.
Stay connected with people who matter to you. Even if they’re far away, phone calls, video chats, or texts can keep you close. Also, take small steps to meet new people—say hello to neighbors, join a group, volunteer, or find a local church or gym.
Remember: the past helped shape who you are, but you decide who you become. Letting go doesn’t mean forgetting—it means making space for something new.
A 5th grader once told me, after losing his pet hermit crab, “Don’t be sad because it’s over. Be happy because it happened.” Wise words I’ll never forget. You’re just beginning a new chapter. What will your next story be?
Sandra McQuinn, LCDC, LPC-A
August 30th is National Grief Awareness Day.
Grief is something that doesn’t go away or shrink; it stays with us, and over time, we learn to live with grief. Grief isn’t just someone passing in your life; it can be simply missing someone who may no longer be around. Some days may feel better than others, often coming in waves. Grief doesn’t follow timelines; it defies logic.
Unfortunately, there is no set time for when you will get through the grieving process. It can be exhausting to hold something that has nowhere to go. Grief is often seen as depression, sadness, anger, and frustration. Grief can also be reframed as carrying love that may have nowhere to go and can sometimes be exhausting to hold.
Ways that we can honor grief are to try to write letters to the people that we miss, reflecting on the past, and discussing memories of loved ones with others. If you find that you would like to discuss and process grief with a therapist, the Warriors Refuge has therapists available to simply talk about your loved ones.
Mariam Hasnain, LMFT-A
Setting Boundaries
In personal relationships, our values guide our boundaries. Here are some examples of setting boundaries in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction:
· If my loved one, addicted or not, asks me to lie for her, I need to think about how I feel about myself when I lie. Because my value system says it is not good for me to lie, I will refuse that request.
· If I have a loved one in recovery, or a family member who is a patient in an addiction treatment program, I will think about whether my use of alcohol or my relationship with them is most important to me, and act accordingly, based on my values.
· If I am addicted to alcohol, I will think about which is more important: My sobriety or attending a family function where everyone will be drinking. If I decide to attend, I will plan in detail how to protect my sobriety. I may just go for a short time. I will have a plan for how to leave and what to do to prevent relapse.
Is there a best way to communicate boundaries? Al-Anon says it best: “Say what you mean, mean what you say, just don’t say it mean”.
From an article from Hazelden and the Betty Ford Foundation
