On the road to recovery from your addiction, you face an uncertain future. As an addict, your life revolved around one thing. You were consumed by your need to get the next high. Now, without that drive, you may be wondering what to do with yourself. How will you spend your time? How will you …
Alcoholics in recovery are in a vulnerable state and need the love, support and understanding of everyone who cares about them. Family ties and the bonds of friendship are powerful healing tools, and any person going through a life crisis related to substance abuse can be helped tremendously by the loving efforts of the people …
When a friend or loved one with a drinking problem enters into recovery, naturally we want to do everything in our power to support her path to wellness. But at the same time, we recognize the situation is fluid and we know that the person we care about is facing a long road back to …
The process of recovery from addiction presents many challenges, but one of the most significant is overcoming the psychological grasp of “triggers” or “cues” to use drugs. Relapse is a daily reality in treatment centers, and one of the main reasons it’s so common is that triggers and cues to use exert a very real …
Breaking the Cycle of Triggers, Relapse and Addiction Read More »
Getting sober can be a life’s work—it may seem like a monumental effort, sometimes overwhelming. Right when you think you’ve got a foothold, something always goes wrong—something outside of you, beyond your control, that sucks you in and demands that you face and deal with situations and people that push you to your absolute limit. …
Don’t Let Family Dynamics Threaten Your Recovery Read More »
By now, the tinsel and streamers from New Year’s Eve celebrations have been swept away, party attire carefully put back into garment bags and closets, and it’s back to work and time to get serious about recovery goals. Faced with 12 months ahead and a list of resolutions you have no idea how to tackle, …
Drugs and alcohol are mind-altering substances. When you are deep in your addiction, these substances change who you are. Getting your next fix becomes your purpose in life—getting money to get the next fix, or enjoying the brief pleasure from finally getting it. Your world revolves around your addiction. Many addicts fear giving up their …
The time from Thanksgiving to New Year’s can be an especially stressful time for those in recovery, particularly those who are newly sober. But you don’t have to shut yourself off from life and become a hermit for three months for fear of falling into relapse. There are safe and sober alternatives. Knowing the five …
“We aren’t a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn’t want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life.” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 132) Ten steps for making your sober life more fun and rewarding than the drinking days: Dive in head first. You can choose to stay aloof, sit …
It’s not so bad, being an addict. And for those of us who fit that description, most have discovered that the biggest hurdle to jump is neither the actual quitting, nor the emotional and physical withdrawal symptoms. It is making the pure and honest admission that you have become what you feared, and if you …