The 12 R’s of RecoveryFamily Resources, Recovery, Staying SoberBy PromisesFebruary 4, 2020Recovery from addiction to alcohol and/or prescription or street drugs is a long process. It can be overwhelming to think about. Many addicts cringe just thinking about the initial withdrawal process and never follow through to get started on the road to recovery. For the ones who do—and perhaps you or one of your loved…
Avoiding Boredom Can Help You Beat AddictionMental Health, Personal Resources, Staying SoberBy PromisesJanuary 23, 2020What do you do when you’re bored? Most people reach for a book or the remote control or rustle through the cupboards to find a snack, but many people turn to drug and alcohol use to bide the time. When life seems dull and monotonous, drug addicts and alcoholics often start thinking about getting high…
Taking Inventory of the Relationships in Your LifePersonal ResourcesBy PromisesMay 21, 2015You may be familiar with a Boy Scout rule that encourages cleaning up after yourself: “Leave the campground better than you found it.” This isn’t always easy in practice, especially for those whose behaviors in the throes of addiction left chaos and damage in their wake. To begin anew, taking inventory can be an enlightening…
Enjoying Life Without DrinkingAlcohol AbuseBy PromisesMay 4, 2015Getting sober doesn’t mean living a life that is always dreary and somber. Some of the best days of your life are still ahead, but it may not seem like a lot of fun at first. You may feel nostalgic when you think of some of the parties you’ve attended and the wild excitement of…
What Is a Recovery Coach and Do I Need One?RecoveryBy PromisesMarch 29, 2015As 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…
Beginning a Journey of Recovery From CodependencyRecoveryBy PromisesFebruary 8, 2015When 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…
Stay Out of Your Loved One’s RecoveryRecoveryBy PromisesJanuary 31, 2015When 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…
Self-Centeredness vs. Self-Care in Addiction RecoveryRecoveryBy PromisesJanuary 20, 2015In 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…
Why and How to Detach With LoveFamily ResourcesBy PromisesDecember 12, 2014When you love an alcoholic or addict, you probably experience a lot of unpredictability and pain in your life, including both extreme highs and extreme lows. You get caught up in frequent drama and are obsessed with trying to change situations you can’t control and you may spend time, money and energy trying to fix…
Learning to Trust Your Adult Child in RecoveryRecoveryBy PromisesDecember 2, 2014By 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…
