The First 30 Days in Recovery: What To ExpectRecoveryBy Promises AustinDecember 29, 2010If you’ve just come out of treatment for drug or alcohol abuse, or if you are welcoming home someone from treatment, the prospect of what to expect during the first 30 days in recovery is probably pretty frightening. There’s good reason for that. In fact, the early days of recovery are the most critical. It’s…
Learning How to Trust Yourself AgainPersonal ResourcesBy Promises AustinDecember 14, 2010Starting out your new life in recovery involves taking chances, making decisions that can be life-altering, trying out healthier behaviors and working the 12-steps to firmly ground yourself in sobriety. It’s an incredible undertaking, a journey that, according to recovery experts, is ongoing. You’re never done with recovery. You are, as they say, in it…
Don’t Let Alcohol or Drug Abuse Make You a StatisticAlcohol AbuseBy Promises AustinDecember 13, 2010“Thousands of people die each year as due to drunk and drugged driving. The lives of thousands of family members and friends left behind are forever scarred,” said Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administrator (SAMHSA) Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. “Some progress has been made in reducing the levels of drunk and drugged driving through…
Settling into Your New Life in Recovery from AddictionRecoveryBy Promises AustinDecember 7, 2010You’ve completed treatment and are now back home. Congratulations! You’ve made a huge first step toward your goal of living clean and sober. Frankly, it can’t have been easy. Going through treatment is tough for most people – no matter how committed they are to overcoming problems with substance abuse or process addictions. While you’re…
Recovery Pitfalls and Common Sense Ways to Get Past ThemRecoveryBy Promises AustinNovember 23, 2010Most individuals entering recovery from substance abuse or addiction to various behaviors are well aware that life isn’t going to be a breeze for the first few months or so. If you’re about to enter or have just entered recovery, you’re probably pretty familiar with the litany of pitfalls that you might encounter. What you…
The Origin of AddictionDrug Addiction InfoBy Promises AustinNovember 17, 2010The addiction to illicit substances such as drugs and alcohol can be a life-threatening disease. There is no cap to the age of people who abuse illegal substances as it can range from young adolescents to the elderly. With the number of drug and alcohol abusers continuing to rise among Americans, it becomes a curiosity…
Tips to Support Recovery During the HolidaysRecoveryBy Promises AustinNovember 16, 2010Holidays can be stressful for anyone, particularly for those in recovery. Besides the temptations to party hearty that seem to be everywhere, there are also the feelings of depression and being left out to contend with. Don’t let the holidays get you down or cause you to slip. Here are some tips to support recovery…
A Love Affair With AddictionDrug Addiction InfoBy Promises AustinOctober 28, 2010A great deal of people think that the majority of drug and alcohol users are young adolescents and college students when in reality, a large number of 30s-50 year olds are experiencing addiction problems as well. Studies have shown that deaths from illicit drug over doses have risen 800% since 1980 and that is due in large part to the immense amount of prescription drug abuse that often fills the homes of suburban families. For the middle-aged, drug and alcohol abuse not only exists because of past experiences or genetics, but many use substance abuse as a mask to numb the pain from major life changes such as losing a job, getting a divorce, or experiencing some sort of trauma. These changes bring with them an intense load of stress, and often times the people who experience these situations cannot handle them and they turn to substance abuse to handle the depression they are feeling. So the question becomes: is there a connection between depression and substance abuse?
How to Handle Rules and Emotions After Treatment For Substance AbuseRecoveryBy Promises AustinOctober 18, 2010Probably the first thing you want to do after completing treatment is just take a deep breath of fresh air. Probably the last thing you look forward to doing is starting in with a slew of rules designed to keep you on the straight and narrow. Then, there are all those pesky emotions that start…
Pace Yourself in RecoveryRecoveryBy Promises AustinOctober 10, 2010Anyone who’s ever embarked on an endurance run knows the importance of pacing. The simple fact is that you can’t run flat out and expect to still be standing – or even make – the finish line. The same concept holds true in recovery. To be successful in long-term recovery, you simply must learn how…
