“I’m different from everyone else.” This belief lies deep in the hearts of most addicts. Believing that we’ve been wronged and viewing the world as a harsh, unfair place allows us to continue our destructive behaviors. And while addicts have faced a number of obstacles that others have not, we are more helpful to others…
By Meghan Vivo As the health care system in the U.S. falters and more Americans embrace the concept of “alternative” medicine, acupuncture and other forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are becoming more widely used. Approximately 38 percent of adults and 12 percent of children in the U.S. use some form of complementary and alternative…
“Courage to start and willingness to keep everlasting at it are requisites for success.” – Alonzo Newton Benn Everyone has an idea of what it takes to be a success. This also applies to what it takes to be a success in recovery. There is no one way that is better than another, however, so…
“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” – Oprah Winfrey, American television host, actress, producer, and philanthropist (born Orpah Gail Winfrey, 1954) Sometimes when we set our minds to something, a course of action, a belief, even an opinion of another, we’re often…
“There is no such thing as a minor lapse in integrity.” – Tom Peters, American writer on business practices, best known for In Search of Excellence (born 1942) When we have been through treatment for addiction – or even if we have not – and are entering our period of early recovery, we often carry…
People in recovery know all about anger issues. They vividly remember the constant arguments, things that set them off with the least bit of provocation, the explosive emotions and sometimes violent behavior from when they were deep into their addiction. Many thought that just going into rehab for substance abuse would magically make all that…
Anyone who’s in recovery knows that things can get a little rough at times. Sometimes, it seems as though the situation is more bleak than hopeful. There’s a whole new way of life to get familiar with, schedules to make and keep, 12-step meetings to attend, trying to come back from many months or years…
Once you’ve achieved sobriety – you’ve gotten clean and sober from alcohol or drugs – you might be tempted to think that you’ve done all you need to do. If it’s one thing that research studies have taught us, however, it’s that people in recovery who fail to actively work it are destined to relapse.…
Searching for ways to help improve your recovery chances? This is a good sign that you’re on the right track. But recovery from substance abuse or process behavior addiction, as you know, isn’t always smooth sailing. It’s easy to get a little lost somewhere along the way. We’ve done some of the legwork for you…
Let’s face it. There are many things we all wish we could do over again – including those of us who are in recovery. In fact, it’s not stretching it to say that those in recovery anguish more over what’s happened in the past than most people. This is especially true during the first few…
