Tag: Addiction

The Healthy Advisor: The Emotional and Financial Strains of Addiction with Cheryl Canzanella

The Healthy Advisor: The Emotional and Financial Strains of Addiction with Cheryl Canzanella

As the staggering number of Opioid overdoses and deaths continue to increase, so does the threat on family finances and retirement dreams. Cheryl Canzanella knows that all too well.

In August 2017, she lost her husband to an accidental overdose, exposing her to the horrific realities of the opioid crisis.

Since his death, she’s made it her mission to educate employers and her peers in the financial services industry on how the Opioid epidemic is not only ripping families apart emotionally but also financially by diminishing careers, draining financial assets, and crushing retirement dreams.

Join WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton and Cheryl Canzanella, a Retirement Solutions Advisor at Movement Mortgage, in discussing the emotional and financial strains of addiction and how the financial industry can become part of the solution through awareness, education, and empathetic client support.

Cheryl touches on: 

  • How her husband’s struggle with substance use disorder affected her life
  • Addiction signs and red flags
  • Financial burdens and challenges faced by families dealing with addiction
  • How she first talked about her husband’s death and the realization she wanted to share his story more openly
  • The role financial advisors should play in the Opioid epidemic

Resources: 

Connect With Cheryl Canzanella:

Connect With Wealth Management:

About Our Guest:

With over 23 years of experience in the insurance and financial services industry, Cheryl has joined Movement Mortgage as a Retirement Solutions Advisor to continue her passion for helping individuals reach their retirement goals. Although she is not a licensed loan officer, her primary focus is working with financial professionals to offer strategies of using a Reverse Mortgage for Financial and Estate Planning. She is an active member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), where she serves at the local, state and national levels and had the honor of serving as the past president of NAIFA Northeast Florida and has been awarded the NAIFA Florida President’s Award. Additionally, in 2019, she was recognized as the NAIFA National Young Advisor Team Leader of the Year. She is a member of Financial Planning Association (FPA) and Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS). 

 

If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at diana.britton@informa.com.

The Healthy Advisor podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever podcasts are found.

The Healthy Advisor: When a Child Struggles With Opioid Addiction With Lori Eisel

The Healthy Advisor: When a Child Struggles With Opioid Addiction With Lori Eisel

When Lori Eisel first found out her son had an addiction problem, she tried to do everything in her power to get control over the situation and help him. But even years later, he is still on the road to recovery.

In this episode, Diana Britton, managing editor at WealthManagement.com, speaks with Lori Eisel, president of fee-only financial planning firm Arcadia Financial Partners, who shares the struggles and achievements faced by both her son and herself in dealing with this addiction. Lori recounts the lessons she’s learned about addiction, and how she found the help and support she needed to get through it.

She’s become an advocate for awareness around Opioid addiction and supports families facing similar circumstances. She’s also supporting Ohio’s Recovery Within Reach campaign, a new program to help financial advisors in the state to spot the signs of a family facing the emotional and financial costs of opioid addiction, and how to help them through those struggles. 

Lori discusses: 

  • How she tried to help her son with his addiction
  • What she has learned about addiction and how she has shifted her mindset
  • Why she didn’t hide her son’s addiction from others in her community
  • The toll her son’s addiction has taken on her and the family
  • The Ohio initiative to help financial advisors with clients facing addiction

Connect With Lori Eisel:

More Addiction Resources:

Connect With Wealth Management & NREI:

About Our Guest:

Lori Eisel is the president of fee-only financial planning firm Arcadia Financial Partners in ​Pickerington, Ohio. For more than 25 years, Lori has dedicated her career to helping people make good financial decisions. She holds a master’s degree in Family Financial Management from The Ohio State University, where she also served many years as adjunct faculty and continues to be a frequent presenter and guest speaker. She is a Certified Financial Planner, an Enrolled Agent, and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst​. Lori received the Women’s Choice Award in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. ​She was also chosen to receive the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce ATHENA Leadership Award in 2019.

If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at diana.britton@informa.com.

The Healthy Advisor podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever podcasts are found.



Transparency With Diana B.: An Advisor’s Battle With Stomach Cancer, Addiction and Himself

Transparency With Diana B.: An Advisor’s Battle With Stomach Cancer, Addiction and Himself

About 12 years ago, Steve Melen had just started a new job as an advisor at Morgan Stanley, was remodeling his house and had a new baby girl when he got the shock of his life; he was diagnosed with stage III stomach cancer. Not long after, he went through a very serious surgery, with doctors removing several of his organs, including his stomach. But the real problems started after he left the hospital.

In this episode of Transparency, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton is joined by Melen, who shares the intimate details of his battle with cancer. He would later come out of a complicated treatment with an addiction to pain medication and later on, alcohol. Listen to Steve’s story about how he found the strength to change his life for the better. 

In this episode, you will learn:

 The story of Steve’s diagnosis and battle with cancer

  • What lead to his addiction to pain meds and how he eventually kicked them
  • How Steve’s fears, insecurities and broken relationships lead him to self-medicate with alcohol  
  • What his “rock-bottom” moment was
  • What kind of psychological toll health issues could have on one’s family and caregivers
  • How Steve got past the addiction and started being open and honest with others about what he went through
  • About Steve’s new beginning
  • And more.

 Tune in now to hear Steve’s very personal and emotional story about overcoming cancer and addiction.

 Resources:  WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton | Contact Diana | Debbie’s Dream Foundation