Andrew Mullen explores secondary trauma through the body-level cost of caring. He shows how empathy, exposure, and old survival patterns can leave healers reactive or exhausted—and why boundaries, reflection, release, and self-tending are part of ethical care.

Jessie Monreal writes a raw letter to children of addiction about confused grief after losing a parent to substance use and suicide. With honesty and compassion, she names anger, love, relief, guilt, forgiveness, and the possibility of breaking cycles.

Andrea Durrheim examines teen social media risk without pretending bans can solve everything. The article urges parents to build trust, model healthier habits, teach online literacy, and help teens balance safety, autonomy, connection, and mental health.

Michelle Wyrick explores why depression is real, painful, and disabling, while many explanations remain incomplete. Part I questions oversimplified narratives of chemical imbalance and calls for greater curiosity about biological, medical, genetic, and environmental contributors.

Nicole Runyon warns that excessive screen time can weaken real-world connections, deepen isolation, and increase risks for anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidal outcomes among children and adolescents. She offers practical steps for parents to rebuild trust, boundaries, and human connection.

William Stauffer argues that addiction care systems are becoming increasingly isolated from the people doing the work. He examines broken feedback loops, flawed metrics, shrinking treatment capacity, and the essential role of authentic face-to-face dialogue in long-term recovery outcomes.

Sandy Rivers examines the double standard faced by mothers with substance use disorder. Drawing from family history, clinical experience, and her daughter's recovery, she shows how shame blocks treatment and why women recover better with dignity, allies, relationships, and community.

Sandy Rivers, MA, CASAC-M, RCP, shares how SUD in the home can force children into adult roles, chronic stress, hypervigilance, health problems, and isolation. Her granddaughter’s story shows why children need practical, relationship-based support long before adulthood.