Recovery

A young man who entered recovery of his own volition shared that he sought crisis intervention because, “I just felt like something bad was going to happen soon.” Fortunately, he followed the sense of impending doom and found his way into treatment. Sometimes it happens that way. There is an epiphany, a moment of clarity, […]

Being in recovery is a challenge, especially around the holidays.  But there are plenty of coping strategies to include in your game plan for holiday joy. Rewarding yourself for your hard work in getting and staying sober is one of the most fun holiday sobriety strategies.

When lost to addiction, you often hurt the ones you love. In recovery and aftercare programs, you will have the chance to show thanks to those who stood by you. Not only can it bolster your relationships with others, but it can also improve your relationship with yourself. “Addiction, at its core, is a constant

By Frank Sanchez, PhD, LMFT, Clinical Director, Promises Young Adults Program Maggie knew she needed help with her drug problem and advocated to be in rehab, but she was having extreme difficulty with her family members. There was a toxic relationship with her older sister. Her mother had severe mental health issues. Her father tried

Choosing to enter a program in a drug treatment center is an important first step in addiction recovery. Organized treatment programs offer a structured multidisciplinary environment designed to address various components of addiction recovery, including emotional and psychological factors, and medical concerns. But when treatment is successfully completed, there is a critical next step during

If you’re a recovering alcoholic or drug addict, giving up the substances you depended on to get you through the tough times is … tough. Even tougher is staying sober. In order to maintain your sobriety, you need a little help from your friends — and not the friends you used to drink or use

Finishing a drug rehab program is just the first step to the rest of your sober and healthy life. To continue taking positive steps forward and to prevent a relapse, you’ll need ongoing support, resources and tools. Why not carry those very resources with you wherever you go? The urge to use can creep in

While you’re going through the taxing and difficult process of recovering from an alcohol addiction, choosing an AA sponsor is one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make. A great AA sponsor wears many hats. Depending on your needs, your AA sponsor will be your confidante, guide, advisor, teacher, sounding board, comrade-in-arms or

One of the hallmarks of addiction is a persistent denial about one’s own condition. Many of us rationalized our behavior in order to feel better about how much we were drinking or using. “It’s only until I’m through this rough patch,” we might say. Or, “Everyone drinks/uses like this during the holidays.” If we’re lucky,