KMPH Fox 26 Central San Joaquin Valley News Source in Fresno, California Entertainment, News, Sports and Weather | Great Day Learns About Addictions

Great Day Learns About Addictions

Great Day Learns About Addictions
By Kianey Givens

Monday on Great Day, Kim, Kopi, and Liz learned about a variety of different addictions, from alcohol and drugs to shopping and food.

They talked with a variety of people about their own personal experiences with addiction, whether they were addicts themselves or someone in their family was, and how they were able to get help.

The morning began with Joseph Banuelos. His addiction to alcohol destroyed his life. He lost his career as a police officer and hurt his family. Joseph was able to get help through the West Coast Post-Trauma Retreat. He now works with the WCPR and counsels other first responders and helps them to fight their addictions and deal with stress of their job.

Following Banuelos, the crew spoke with a woman whose life was rocked when she learned that her son was addicted to methamphetamines. Sherill Calhoun thought her son was going through teenage rebellion but it was actually an addiction. Sherill proves that addiction knows no boundaries when it comes to socio-economic classes. She is the wife of Kings County District Attorney Ron Calhoun. She offered insight on warning signs and emphasized the importance of parents becoming educated and involved in their children's lives. After learning about her son's addiction, Sherill became active in meth education programs in Kings County like the Kings Partnership for Prevention.

Compulsive eating was another hot topic on the show. Sharen, a compulsive eater, spoke openly about her ordeal with the addiction. She shared the signs which indicate someone is a compulsive eater. She also explained the difference between simple overeating and recognizing that you have a problem. Sharen is a member of Overeaters Anonymous and let us know that if you need help, there are plenty of support groups and meetings here in the Valley.

KMPH Community Correspondent and Marriage and Family Therapist Paul Mavrogeorge also joined the show to discuss two very different, but serious, addictions; pornography and shopping.  Paul explained that an addiction is an unhealthy attachment to something. Addictions start small, for example an addiction to pornography could start by looking at naked pictures on the internet. The addiction then spirals out of control until someone is looking at videos of people performing various sex acts for hours at a time.

As with other addictions, people addicted to shopping are trying to mask deep seeded feelings. Shopaholics hide their purchases from their loved ones, rack up debt on secret credit cards, and can cause serious trouble in their relationships.

Toward the end of the show the Great Day crew spoke with Carrie Randazzo from Touchstone Recovery. Touchstone Recovery is a located in Clovis and is an intensive in-patient recovery center that deals with alcohol, prescription and street drug abuse. When it comes to paying for in-patient services, Carrie says that most insurance programs cover the costs and if you are uninsured there are federal programs in place to help.

To watch any of the segments from Monday's addiction show, click on the video link on the page.