How to Identify the Enablers in Your Life Personal ResourcesBy Promises AustinMay 7, 2015You’ve been through rehab and done the hard work of getting sober. You’re back to the real world and striving to make real changes in how you live your life so that you can be healthy and happy while maintaining your sobriety. You have loving family and friends on your side to support you, but…
Stress and Addiction: A Vicious Cycle Personal ResourcesBy Promises AustinApril 23, 2015Around one in five Americans experience extreme stress, and stress has been closely linked to addiction in a multitude of studies. Stress Awareness Month aims to shine the spotlight on stress, to help us all think about ways to reduce our stress and, in the process, to help us move away from poor coping mechanisms…
5 Surprising Ways Meditation Can Help Reduce Stress Personal ResourcesBy Promises AustinApril 17, 2015While stress is nearly unavoidable in this non-stop world and it’s all too easy to fall prey to ever-present stress, this doesn’t mean you have to live with it. Indeed, stress is best when banished because unchecked stress can lead to potentially fatal heart attacks, strokes, ulcers and many other serious medical conditions. What’s a…
How to Deal With Stress in Addiction Recovery Addiction Treatment, Dual Diagnosis, Mental Health, Personal Resources, RecoveryBy Promises AustinApril 13, 2015There are certain things you can count on as you go through life sober, and one of them is that you will feel stressed from time to time. Sooner or later things happen in life that challenge your feeling of serenity and leave you feeling overwhelmed and anxious. The question isn’t if you will experience…
Should Addicts Date Addicts? Personal ResourcesBy Promises AustinFebruary 3, 2015If you are a recovering drug addict and single, you will probably eventually consider dating other addicts. At meetings, you come across a wide assortment of people, and some may seem pretty interesting or attractive. Before you jump in head first, you may want to consider whether dating another addict is a good idea. There…
Facing Fears in Addiction Recovery Addiction Treatment, Drug Addiction, Mental Health, Personal Resources, Recovery, Relapse PreventionBy Promises AustinJanuary 2, 2015Getting sober can be a scary experience. In order to live a life that doesn’t include drugs or alcohol, you have to give up the substances that have been giving you at least some degree of relief from the uncomfortable feelings that often happen in life. You may also have to give up habits, such…
Step Four: Minding My Own Business Personal ResourcesBy Promises AustinNovember 25, 2014Mindfulness is the heart of my recovery. I’ve said it in AA meetings, I’ve said it in NA meetings, I’ve said it to my sponsor and I’ve said it to my friends. I’ve also written about it here, in many different contexts: from mindfulness and exercise to mindful walking, mindful cooking or describing a mindful…
The Decision Every Codependent Needs to Make Personal ResourcesBy Promises AustinNovember 20, 2014When you love an addict, the disease of addiction has a big impact on your life. It may happen quickly or it may happen slowly, but you ultimately develop a problem of your own. It’s called codependence. When you have this problem, your life revolves around someone else’s decisions. Life has become unpredictable and upsetting.…
Which Personality Types Are More Prone to Addiction? Personal ResourcesBy Promises AustinNovember 19, 2014Psychologists and psychiatrists use the term personality to describe the core characteristics of outlook and behavior that distinguish each human being. An individual’s personality traits can have a major influence on whether he or she gets involved in substance use or develops serious substance problems. In a study published in October 2014 in the journal…
Helper’s High: How Doing Good Can Make You Feel Good Personal ResourcesBy Promises AustinOctober 18, 2014By Edie Weinstein, LSW @EdieWeinstein1 “Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” — Ann Herbert The term “random acts of kindness” has long been part of the vernacular. For some people, it may take the form of paying the toll for the person behind you on the turnpike. For others, it could…
