Many people who enter a drug rehab to overcome their addiction also have other underlying problems. It could be depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, panic attacks, or other psychiatric issue that both aggravates and fuels their addiction. The fact is that many people with drug and alcohol addiction also have a co-occurring psychiatric disorder. Some have…
Who in recovery from addiction doesn’t have skeletons in his or her closet – well, not actual skeletons, but actions, thoughts or words we now find repugnant, disgusting, disloyal, illegal, immoral and much more? The truth is that you can’t go through the horror of addiction, then treatment, and into recovery without facing squarely some…
You’re out of treatment and about to begin your first few days and weeks of recovery. Now what? Just the prospect of being on your own again is both liberating and more than a bit scary. That’s perfectly understandable, since you’ve just left a structured environment where if you ever had a problem, there was…
Among the many things newcomers to recovery need to consider is how to best manage their sobriety. A lot of this has to do with attitude. You can have the right intention – to stay clean and sober – and still be defeated by outdated and misinformed ideas about addiction. One of the earliest to…
When you find yourself at a plateau in recovery – not moving forward, but not losing any ground, either – you’re in a period of stagnation. For some in recovery, stagnation seems almost comfortable. The status quo is okay because they’re not using, so they’re semi-confident in their ability to maintain sobriety. But life is…
If you’re in recovery, you know the importance of regularly attending your 12-step meetings. It’s something you first learned about and likely participated in during treatment – if you had formal treatment. If you never went to treatment, but are trying to maintain sobriety on your own, 12-step group meetings may be all you have.…
When it comes to addiction recovery, there are varying views on the number of pillars upon which such recovery depends. Instead of getting involved in a debate over which number is correct, the more important concern should be how comprehensive such lists are. Do they cover all the basic requirements for recovery? If so, it…
For those individuals who are dealing with epilepsy or seizures, the outlook can seem dim. They may have lost their ability to see the light at the end of a dark tunnel or maybe they fully believe life has lost its joy because their condition limits what they can safely do. One medication that is…
Treatment’s over – yippee! Before you rush out and entangle yourself in some questionable activities or hang out with so-called friends you used to use with, think about what you may be jeopardizing. Sure, treatment for your addiction was a huge undertaking – and probably a lot more than you ever imagined. But that part…
Getting back on your feet after treatment for addiction can sometimes prove quite frustrating. Often those new to recovery throw themselves into their jobs, figuring that if they keep busy, they’ll avoid temptations to use. While keeping busy is a good strategy, overdoing it at work can sometimes have the opposite effect. If you sap…
