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Union Gospel Mission: February 9, 2016
By Dave Edwards, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Fantasy: The word conjures up all kinds of thoughts, feelings and images in one’s mind....
2 min read
Union Gospel Mission: February 5, 2016
The following is a firsthand account of addiction and recovery written by a former resident of Women's Recovery at Anna Ogden Hall. Jessaca finished...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: January 29, 2016
Always Numbing JR Mills first started drinking at 14 with her mom who was an alcoholic. In high school, a friend offered her meth. “I was addicted...
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Merrily Roe, former staff writer: January 16, 2016
“Addict” is like a bright red, sticky label that obscures the person behind it. It’s as though nothing else about the person matters. She’s an...
2 min read
Phil Altmeyer, Executive Director: January 15, 2016
“Addiction” is a strong word. Most of us probably wouldn’t use it in reference to ourselves or we’d use it in a joking manner like, “Yeah, my...
2 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: September 24, 2015
By Merrily Brast, Staff Writer Jeff LeBlanc believed he was stupid. “I just couldn’t get stuff and nobody could tell me why other than that I’m...
4 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: September 10, 2015
By Barbara Comito, UGM Director of Marketing & Communications In early summer, the UGM Marketing & Communications team (two graphic designers, a...
3 min read
Union Gospel Mission: April 10, 2015
In the second part of this series on relationship addiction, UGM LIFE Recovery Counselor Yvonne Wilhelm answers questions about how this type of...
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Union Gospel Mission: April 8, 2015
This post is the first in a 2-part series on relationship addiction by UGM LIFE Recovery Counselor Yvonne Wilhelm. How would you define relationship...
1 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: March 20, 2015
By Merrily Brast, Staff Writer At the beginning of 2013, Shannon Duval was sitting in a jail cell. She had lost her children, her job, her home and...
2 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: March 17, 2015
In "The Reason Why," the author gave a description, through her story, of why she believes many women get involved in unhealthy relationships or turn...
3 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: March 13, 2015
In all honesty, it is easy to judge addicts. But there are stories behind each face. And once these stories are heard, it becomes harder to judge....
1 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: March 11, 2015
Recently, a friend shared this letter with us. She wrote it to her son, who is struggling with addiction, but has hesitated to give it to him. "It...
2 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: February 27, 2015
In the first part of this interview with UGM LIFE Recovery Counselor Jan Vetter, she described depression and the role it can play in addiction and...
3 min read
Merrily Roe, former staff writer: February 25, 2015
Depression is common among those beginning recovery at UGM. In the first part of an interview with Jan Vetter, UGM LIFE Recovery Counselor, Jan sheds...
5 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: June 3, 2014
This is the second of a 2-part interview with Mental health Counselor Dave Edwards on how addiction affects all our lives. The first part, How do you...
4 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: May 1, 2014
Addiction is so much bigger than drugs & alcohol. In this interview, Dave Edwards, a Spokane mental health professional and former UGM counselor,...
3 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: April 1, 2014
This is the second of two posts on UGM’s self-evaluation process. The first, “The courage to ask why I do what I do” explains how the process plays...
3 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: March 26, 2014
Change requires courage. Often when I forget why I am here – why I am writing yet another newsletter story, wracking my brain for a bit of Facebook...
5 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: February 21, 2014
Just say no. Not even once. DARE to keep kids off drugs and alcohol. The problem with these anti-drug slogans is twofold: 1) their simplicity belies...
5 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: February 13, 2014
When the actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died of a heroin overdose, public reaction ran the gamut from disgust to sympathy. One controversial church...
2 min read
Union Gospel Mission: January 3, 2014
When I say “counseling,” what do you picture? Most of us probably imagine two people in a quiet room, seated in comfortable chairs, talking. You’ve...
6 min read
Barbara Comito, former marketing director: December 19, 2013
My Attempt to help Sammy and Ambre By Barbara Comito, UGM Staff Writer I met Sammy and Ambre in Freeway Park (a mere plot of grass and trees in the...
Union Gospel Mission: July 1, 2013
Approximately 240 people attended the 1st Annual Afternoon of Hope Luncheon at the UGM Center for Women & Children in Coeur d’Alene to learn more...
2 min read
Union Gospel Mission: February 1, 2013
“I believe what drives people to bad behavior, whether it’s addiction or abusive relationships or being abusers, is brokenness of heart. They harden...
