The statistics are sobering and discouraging: about one-quarter of American women will become victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives, while one in eight will suffer from an addiction to drugs or alcohol. But these two problems should not be seen as entirely separate. In reality, the connection between substance abuse and…
The road to recovery is a unique journey that each newcomer takes once the commitment to sobriety has been made. How many times has someone new to the clean and sober state wished for a guide to living in sobriety, one that could prove useful in avoiding the common mistakes and setbacks – or just…
Life is filled with challenges, interpersonal conflict, physical and emotional pain, loss, and stress. It doesn’t matter who you are – no one goes through life unscathed. Some people also experience significant trauma, be it a childhood scarred by abuse, neglect or the tragic loss of one or both parents; a near-death experience as an…
There are many tools available to assist alcohol and drug addicts with their recovery once they make the decision to be sober. Physicians, rehabilitation facilities, licensed therapists, support groups, and 12-step recovery systems such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are available to individuals hoping to kick a troublesome habit. Recently, a company called the…
If it seems as though many days are a tough struggle just to get through, and you’re in early recovery, the good news is that you are not alone. Many other newcomers to sobriety are feeling the same. But that doesn’t help you much when you have to figure out a way to not only…
It can be a life-altering experience to go through rehab and find that you have entered recovery without a clue what to do next. Granted, you probably heard a few recommendations during the final phase of treatment, generally centering on relapse prevention and the advice to live one day at a time. Most of this…
“He can who thinks he can, and he can’t who thinks he can’t. This is an inexorable, indisputable law.” – Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter and sculptor, one of the most-recognized figures in twentieth-century art, best-known as the co-founder (with Georges Braque) of cubism (1881-1973) If we stayed in the mud, clinging to our addiction, we’d…
There are many reasons men who are struggling to remain sober from alcohol or drugs relapse. Taken in reverse order, the four most common reasons are: They refuse to give up the friends, connections, and world of their addiction. There is a saying in 12-step recovery: To achieve lasting sobriety, you only need to give…
For human beings, dreaming of a brighter future is as natural as breathing, eating, and sleeping. We all have ambitions and personal missions, things we are determined to accomplish and absolutely convinced we will accomplish if only we are given the opportunity. Our dreams are chicken soup for the soul, keeping us motivated and optimistic…
For drug addicts and alcoholics who are new to recovery and the peer support group experience, finding a good sponsor can mean the difference between success and failure. In some extreme circumstances, it can even mean the difference between life and death. That might sound overly dramatic. But addiction is a life-threatening illness, and the…
