My aunt has been addicted to cheap pink wine fore 13 years. When I was a teenager I remember finding a giant bottle tucked away in the fridge near her bathroom. She used to say, “I just like having a glass before bed…it helps me sleep.” But even then I knew there was more to it than that.

This woman I knew as energetic, happy and fun transformed into a mean, foul being who constantly played the blame-game when she explained why she drank. “Your mother and uncle have always been awful to me…they made me this way.” I never loved my husband…he made me this way.”

Listening to her go on and on was not only angering, but utterly draining. I’d leave her house after a visit and feel exhausted by the toxic energy she spewed at me. It was in that last moment, when I pulled out of her driveway, that I decided I’d never set foot in her house again.  Read More »

A couple months ago, I read the book “Beautiful Boy” by David Sheff, which chronicles the author’s experiences as a father of a drug addict. Because his son, Nic, was known for his writing (even publishing a piece in Newsweek while still in high school!), his father’s publishers were interested in him writing about his own journey. In “Tweak,” Nic chronicles his experience from his point of view.

Having read “Beautiful Boy,” I can say that “Tweak” not only complements “Beautiful Boy,” but also provides an alternative route to the same ending. “Tweak” is aimed at a younger generation. And even though it is basically an addict discussing his horrible experiences with drugs, Sheff never preaches or seems pretentious. He remembers who his audience is; young, hip and liable to experiment.

Nic has wild adventures, rivaling hardcore experiences in books like “A Million Little Pieces” (only, you know, they are real).  From running with gang members in San Francisco, to shacking up with an old classmate in his parents’ summer estate, he’s not kidding around. He doesn’t shy away from the gritty reality of drug abuse, even though he has relapsed several times and doesn’t believe he’s completely over his addiction. It’s interesting because even though he realizes how horrible his addiction is, he admits that he can often not stop. This book portrays the reality and helplessness of addiction wonderfully and really paints addiction as a disease. Read More »

It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. And in the game of Bad Habits, you will always come out a loser. As I laid in a tanning bed, I thought about how this bad habit was going to affect me in the long run. Even though I love the immediate benefits of this vice (golden, sun-kissed skin!), I can’t help but worry about my future as a leather-skinned freak. Is the bronze skin of today worth the skin cancer of tomorrow? Let’s examine the dangerous games we play and weigh whether the consequences are worth the benefits:

Tanning

Why We Do It: I am addicted to the healthy glow I get from taking a 20 minute nap in my favorite tanning bed! I feel more relaxed, have less acne, and generally feel less self-conscious. When I’m feeling confident, I can stand up straighter, smile bigger, and show off my legs without feeling embarrassed. I feel like confidence enhances my life and I don’t want to go through my heyday without it. Read More »

Amy Winehouse gets more press for her cracked-out shenanigans than her songs, and today is no different. The Grammy-winning songbird and drug addict was photographed this morning at the doorway of her London home in a mesh tank top, eating cheese on toast, and sporting a brand-new, mop-top hairdo.  While her hair certainly looks healthier than it did during the days of her iconic, ratty beehive, that’s about all of Amy that’s looking better these days. As she ix-nays the up-do, let’s take a look at the past fashions of Ms. Winehouse:

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If you’re as addicted to caffeine as I am, you are probably broke (not to mention a real gem in the early morning hours). But, like any good junkie, you’re more than willing to flip the couch cushions in search of a few quarters, or sell your kidney to pay for a grande White Chocolate Mocha on your way to school.

I have to admit, I’m a huge Starbucks fan, and am usually fine with shelling out a few extra dollars to indulge in something tastier than Folgers. Still, I need a new winter wardrobe… so I’m weaning myself off of overpriced coffee drinks (that taste like dessert) and makin’ my coffee at home.

I know it’s a bold move, but after playing around a bit I have learned a few things: 1) Making your own coffee can save you billions, and 2) It is really, really easy. Here are a few tips:

1. Flavor it Up.

Whenever I make my own coffee, no matter how good the brand, or how carefully I measure the coffee-to-water ratio, it always seems to taste like dirt. My solution? Flavor, flavor, flavor. Syrup, syrup, Equal, syrup. Seriously, who just gets a latte from Starbucks? Everyone has their signature: the Pumpkin Latte, Caramel Macchiato, White Chocolate Mocha…what do they have in common? Manufactured taste. Instead of shelling out $4-$5 a day for Starbucks, buy a bottle of Torani Syrups. This brand is used in tons of coffee shops across the country, so you might not even taste the difference. Read More »

Amy Winehouse may be totally cracked out, but that doesn’t mean her brain isn’t working. The girl is innovative. When it comes to doing drugs, this woman will try anything. Like, I don’t know, mixing it with everyone’s favorite sugary treat: cotton candy.

Maybe it was born out of desperation (“I have to think of a way to get my coke fix without whipping a vial out of my nappy hair!”), or boredom (“Doing lines gets really old after a few years…”), but however she cooked up this idea doesn’t matter. Because she did.

Winehouse has recently purchased a cotton candy machine which she fills with her tasty coke/candy concoction.

Seriously, we can’t make this stuff up. We just wonder what tasty mixture she’ll think of next: Crack Fries? Ecstasy lollipops? Heroin hamburgers? Horse tranquilizer milkshakes?

Mmmm. Horse tranquilizer milkshakes….

[Photo courtesy of www.ninjadude.com]

Hi, my name is Lauren and I’m a cupcake-aholic.

My addiction has taken over my life. Sometimes, when I am driving home from anywhere, I suddenly find myself at the local bakery or grocery store, frosting all over my chin, and have no idea how I got there. There was even that one drunken night when I woke up with half a cupcake in my bed.

And I finished it.

I cannot walk past a cupcake shop without stopping in and trying a few, and I have been known to spend Saturday nights at home with a box of Dunkin Hines cupcake mix, my oven and a jar of icing.

I have been battling this addiction for years and it is tearing my life (and pants) apart. I am working to kick the habit, but I am not strong enough to do it cold turkey. I now consciously avoid streets that house any sort of mini cake delight and have in turn turned to the internet to feed (or not so much) my urges.

Yes, I am now a subscriber to cupcake porn. Read More »

I fancy myself quite a connoisseur of romance. I am a girl who has seen nearly every romantic comedy in existence, whose reading materials of choice consist of happily ever after type articles and books, and who is able to read a romantic undertone into nearly every song she hears. I suppose to say I am a romance connoisseur is an understatement; I am a love-junkie.

It can, and has been argued that the fine line between the real-life reality and expectation of romance, and the “fiction” type I hold on to seems to be a line I have blurred—possibly to an unrecognizable point. To put it simply, I think I might have a problem.

My name is Rory and I am addicted to romance. I am addicted to the idea of romance—the indestructible, all consuming passion for another person. I have fallen in love with every romantic gesture, declaration, and scene from every romantic comedy, I have swooned at every love song written, and I have melted with every romantic note or Hallmark card I’ve seen. I have used romantic comedies, sitcom relationships, happily ever after ending stories and love songs to develop my idea of love that is, well, completely and utterly unrealistic. Read More »

As the go-to sympathetic listener to Every.Single.Friend of mine, I hear my fair share of happy stories, sad tales and a generous amount of scandals. But by far the most conversations we have revolve around the complete a-holes that my girlfriends deliberately date. I seriously cannot fathom why my beautiful, smart and funny friends seek out men who are sure to treat them horribly — that is when they pay any attention at all. Here is my condensed list of guys to avoid, and here is to hoping you can spot them as easily as your girlfriends do when you date them.

1. The Hottest Frat God Alive (at least he thinks so).

HFGA can usually be found sipping Natty Lite with his bros in his designated spot at everyone’s favorite bar. He charms the ladies with his sparkling smile and 9-year-old, never washed favorite hat. He can (and usually does) hook up with whomever he feels like, making them the lucky lady for the night. This luck expires the morning after as his conquest climbs out of the sketchiest window at his fraternity house so none of his brothers (or her friends) will notice. Read More »

Alright, I have a confession. My name is Jen, and I’m a Mountain Dew addict. It’s my drug. It’s my euphoria. It’s my baby blanket of comfort and warmth and all-is-well-in-the-world. And right now, I’m sitting with a two-liter bottle cradled in my lap like a lime-green toddler.

I know what you must be thinking. EVERYONE has their weaknesses. But mine’s a little out of control. Sure, some people cross the street for Starbucks instead of Dunkin’ Donuts. Sure, some people can’t make it through a bad day without a pint of the gooiest, most-fattening Ben and Jerry’s flavor (uh, did you know our favorite boys now make Cake Batter? Yeah, I know. Look out waist-line, plus-size ahoy).

But do they base their entire college existences around their indulgences? I think not. Read More »