You Deserve Freedom

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Managing Cravings is Key to Lasting Sobriety, Manage cravings for drugs or alcohol
There are some things we can count on in our lives. The sun will come up in the morning (even if we would like to sleep in). Winter follows fall (whether we like the cold weather or not). The moon will move through its cycles (though we may disagree about how—or if—that impacts behavior). Here...
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Three “Be”s for Recovery,
Frequently, we think of things in groups of three here in this blog. We offered “Three Recovery Tips: Make a Budget, Tidy a Mess, Start a Journal.” We highlighted “Three Groups that Can Be Great Supporters of Your Sobriety.” We have provided “Three Hobby Suggestions to Support Recovery.” And we have considered “Three Roadblocks to...
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What if You and Your Partner Aren’t on the Same Sobriety Page?, Sobriety, Sobriety Partner
Two Great Things That Might Not Go Great Together You have reclaimed your sobriety. You are in love. Taken one at a time, each of those things is simply wonderful. Taken together, however, those two things can be in conflict—especially if your partner does not want to give up drugs or alcohol. Whether your partner...
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nighttime anxiety, Avoid Allowing Evening Anxiety to Upset Your Sobriety, Anxiety, Insomnia, Relapse triggers, Caffeine,
Do you experience higher levels of anxiety in the evening? There is a good chance that you, like many others, find nighttime to be the part of your day during which you feel most anxious. That anxiety can disrupt your ability to get the rest you need—and that can be the beginning of a negative...
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Three Hobby Suggestions to Support Recovery
For many of us, it seems like our time is a scarce resource—and a resource that is mostly used for other people. We give 40 hours (probably more) each week to our boss. We give hours to our families or partners in the form of household chores or running kids from here to there or...
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Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, Symptoms of PAWS
There is Withdrawal—And Then There is Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome We write about the challenges of withdrawal fairly frequently. The symptoms of withdrawal from any number of substances can be extremely difficult to withstand. A person using drugs or alcohol can easily find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place: they want to quit...
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Are Your Personality Traits Linked to Substance Use Disorders?, Personality Traits Associated with Substance Use Disorder Development, Predisposed for Addiction, Predisposed for Addiction,
Can a Personality Test Reveal Your Propensity for Addiction? You have probably taken a personality test at one time or another. Maybe it was one of the many silly “tests” that show up on social media. They ask you a few questions about yourself and then reveal which member of the cast of Friends or...
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Step by Twelve Steps – An Introduction to Alcoholics Anonymous
Most of us have a pretty good idea of what an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting is like—at least in broad outline. People gather together in someplace like a church basement, share something from their lives and recovery journey (if they are so inclined), and enjoy some coffee and cookies. That much has been depicted in countless...
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Loneliness, Do Not Let Loneliness or Languishing Lead to Relapse,
Recovery Advice Brought to You By the Letter “L” If you or someone you love is a Sesame Street fan, you might remember Bert and Ernie’s duet called “La La La.” It is not as famous, perhaps, as “Rubber Duckie” or “I Love Trash” or “C is for Cookie,” but it is a solid exploration...
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