It is a common belief that a person with an addiction is “fixed” or cured during drug rehab. But because addiction is a chronic disease, even after completing drug or alcohol rehab, there’s still work to do. Thanks to detox and treatment, you have cleansed substances from your body and gained new insights in therapy …
New Year’s Eve is a time of celebration with friends and family. If you’re committing not to drink this year, then it can also be a challenging time. Just about everywhere you go, there is alcohol present during this festive occasion. Navigating the evening can be difficult. However, it is possible to have a sober …
Relapse is more the rule than the exception in addiction recovery. In fact, relapse is considered a component of addiction, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which says, “Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences.” Instead of viewing relapse as …
One of the greatest challenges to getting sober is re-discovering your identity outside of drinking. Before you began rehab, going to the bars, hanging out at parties, drinking during the game, or unwinding with a glass of wine may have been your normal routine. One of the ways to disassociate with alcohol is to engage …
You can’t always control your circumstances. You can’t control the bills or how others act. And, you can’t control certain things that happen. You can, however, control how you react. More importantly, you have the power to control your level of stress. With the right stress management techniques, you have the ability to navigate through …
With winter quickly approaching, the holiday season is in full swing. Holidays are a chance to connect with family and loved ones, but for those in recovery, sober holidays can be difficult. While 19.7 million Americans struggle with a substance abuse disorder, addiction, or alcoholism annually, even more, Americans are actively recovering. In fact, 10% …
September is National Recovery Month, a time to remember that miracles do happen. Just ask the millions of people once held captive by drugs and alcohol who are now living rich, rewarding lives in sobriety. Among them is Abby B., who started drinking at 13 and who remembers feeling so hopeless at the height of …
‘Life Doesn’t Stop When You Get Sober. Life Begins’ Read More »
Entering recovery can be a frightening time for some, even at the same time as it’s exciting. You don’t know what to expect when first starting out, as embracing a life of sobriety isn’t something that most people have at the top of their dream goals. Early recovery can also be a very lonely time, …
Kristin Waite-Labott, a recovering drug-addicted nurse, vividly remembers the first time she took the opioid painkiller fentanyl. “There’s getting high and there’s getting lost, and I just feel like I got lost once I took that.” She was a talented and respected ER nurse at the time, as well as a loving mother, a trusted …
A Drug-Addicted Nurse’s Story of Recovery: A Tale of Hope Read More »
In the fall of 2014, the winningest athlete in Olympic history didn’t want to be alive anymore. Michael Phelps had just been arrested for DUI and he was “in really a dark place,” he said. The swimmer’s blood-alcohol level was at 0.14. With Phelps’ weight at the time at about 225, he would have had …
After Rehab, Michael Phelps Says ‘Anything Is Possible’ Read More »