Why Sleep Is Important to Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinSeptember 26, 2015Making the commitment to do something proactive to overcome drug and alcohol addiction is an excellent first step, one that’s crucial to learning how to live a healthy and happy life without the crutch of addictive substances. But the road to recovery is often fraught with unexpected turns, not the least of which is attempting…
Mindful Walking: Take a ‘Walkabout’ in Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinSeptember 24, 2015Mindful walking was introduced to the Western world by the Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese writer and teacher who first brought his unique brand of Buddhism, known as mindfulness, to the U.S. in the early 1960s. Hanh defines mindfulness as “our ability to be aware of what is going on both inside us…
How the Jewish High Holy Days Relate to Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinSeptember 14, 2015The High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are considered the most sacred on the Jewish calendar. The autumnal holidays signal a time of personal reflection and reconciliation of attitudes and behaviors that occurred in the previous 12 months. Prayer, fasting, asking for and offering forgiveness, as well as time in synagogue await…
How to Make Positive Changes in Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinSeptember 13, 2015Now that you’re in recovery from drug addiction, you have made it past some very big hurdles. You have made huge life changes and you should be proud of your accomplishments. However, recovery does not mean you can stop improving yourself and your life. Once you are out of rehab and back to so-called real…
10 Ways Sleep Helps Speed Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinAugust 14, 2015Getting a good night’s sleep is always a recommended way to awake refreshed and renewed. It’s even more important when you’re in recovery.
Hobbies Can Help You Stay on Track in Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinAugust 12, 2015Drinking heavily or using drugs takes a lot of time and energy. Once you’re in recovery, you’ll likely have a big void in your life. Finding positive activities to fill the empty hours is key to not only a successful recovery, but also a healthier, happier life. Hobbies — from rock climbing to antique collecting…
How to Overcome the Shame of Addiction RecoveryBy Promises AustinJune 28, 2015Shame is a natural and normal human feeling, and it is particularly normal to feel shame when you have an addiction. This doesn’t mean that it is right, helpful or useful to feel this way. The reason you feel shame as an addict is because we all still view addiction as a moral failing. Whenever…
How to Be a Good Friend to a Recovering Addict RecoveryBy Promises AustinJune 14, 2015Recovering addicts need all the friends they can get. Social support from friends, family members and the community is essential to a good recovery and to maintaining abstinence. As the friend of someone in recovery, you can be an important part of that social circle, but you might not be sure how. It’s normal to…
The Mindful Path to Addiction Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinMay 11, 2015The mindfulness movement has its roots in Eastern philosophies and meditation techniques such as those found in Tibetan Buddhism, Indian yoga and Chinese Taoism. The common thread connecting these philosophies is the idea of slowing down, focusing on the breath, the present moment, and directing one’s attention to the immediate experience of life. The goal…
Video Game Addiction: A Recovery Story RecoveryBy Promises AustinMay 1, 2015Andrew Doan, MD, PhD, is a trained eye surgeon, father of three, a professor — and a recovering video game addict. Astonishingly he made it through medical school at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine while playing a real-time strategy game like StarCraft for 7 to 14 hours a day. He’d started gaming at the…
