In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, it states that alcoholism is a disease of self-centeredness. This can also be said of addiction to any substance or any unhealthy behavior, such as gambling or sex addiction. While you were actively addicted, your need to drink or drug trumped any other need or it definitely came…
Do you feel like you don’t fit in when you go to meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous? Many people who are newly sober feel uncomfortable at first and resist the idea of going to AA or NA meetings. They may express reasons why they feel they don’t belong and are quick to insist…
Getting sober can be a scary experience. In order to live a life that doesn’t include drugs or alcohol, you have to give up the substances that have been giving you at least some degree of relief from the uncomfortable feelings that often happen in life. You may also have to give up habits, such…
As an alcoholic or addict, you probably know that your own choices and thinking got you in a lot of trouble and, eventually, to the halls of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Recovering from active addiction requires changing the unhealthy thoughts that led you to drink, drug and make other bad choices. It requires that…
Like most people, my views as an adult are a direct result of my early family life and upbringing. I was raised by my mother in an extremely open and liberal milieu—my world was filled with art, music and books. The bright, chaotic primary reds and yellows of post-modern art hung on the walls of…
When a person is addicted to drugs or alcohol, she is struggling with a disease that makes her very selfish. She lives only to feed her need, and others are often shoved aside. Addicts commit crimes to get drugs. They neglect family. Some are even abusive to those they love. At the very least, addicts…
One of the biggest threats to recovery from addiction is getting caught up in negative emotions. Resentments are among the most powerful of these emotions, and for many recovering alcoholics and addicts, resentments can trigger the urge to use and are a threat to addiction recovery. A resentment is defined as a feeling of persistent…
By Heather Rolland, LCSW Can you imagine applying to become a parent as if it were a competitive job? Imagine the job description: physical care, emotional care, financial support … and then all the potential contingencies. Navigating the first 18 or so years is hard enough, but for some parents, the next few steps—the letting…
Recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction is a personal journey. Along the way, people with more experience at addiction recovery than you have will make suggestions to you on how to stay away from a drink or a drug for a day. Most people will not try to dictate to you what you need to…
Video game addiction may not be an officially recognized condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM), but most addiction experts wouldn’t deny its existence. The DSM-5 lists Internet gaming addiction as a condition that warrants more evidence before it can be formally recognized, but it’s widely expected to be fully included…
