There 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…
Wouldn’t it be great if you got exactly what you wanted all the time? In a perfect world, the people around you would act the way you wanted them to act and they would say what you wanted them to say. You could work when you wanted to work at a job you totally loved,…
This is the first in a two-part series. In many addiction recovery programs, regular physical exercise is considered to be a top line behavior. Extensive research in exercise physiology demonstrates that exercise helps alleviate stress, increases a sense of well-being and boosts self-confidence. In recent years, addiction treatment centers, addiction therapists and addiction experts have…
As the song goes, “We all need somebody to lean on.” This is especially true when it comes to recovery. You cannot go it alone. Beating addiction is one of the most important things you will ever do for yourself and your family in your lifetime. But once you place yourself on the path of…
In 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, each of the 12 steps contains words such as “we,” “us” and “ourselves.” These words help to remind each individual in the program that recovery is not a solo journey and that together we can do what none of us can do alone. In order…
The prospect of dating as a recovering addict is daunting. In the past you relied on drugs or alcohol so much that meeting and getting to know someone while sober must feel like a foreign experience. You might lack confidence when you’re sober or worry that no one will want to get to know you…
Making it through detox and rehab are major accomplishments, but transitioning back into the real world isn’t always easy. There is no graduation date for recovery, and getting out of rehab is just a step on our journey. In a lot of ways, time spent in a treatment center is safe and sheltered. We are…
When you’re in a relationship with an active addict, you live in a world filled with unpredictability, hurt, fear and sadness. At times it may seem like the addict is ruining your life, yet you can’t seem to leave or to stop hoping things will get better. You may believe with all your heart that…
When you love an addict or alcoholic, you have probably watched him or her deteriorate in front of your eyes into a shell of a person. He went downhill, slowly at first, and then more rapidly until he gradually became a shadow of his former self. As you witnessed what drugs or alcohol did to…
After spending months or years revolving your life around drinking and drugging, spending time in a rehabilitation facility has helped you get a fresh start. You are probably beginning to understand the nature of alcoholism and addiction. Treatment has separated you from your drug of choice and allowed you to start to get used to…
