Many people find themselves having a hard time making the decision to get the treatment they need for a substance use disorder. Often, that hesitancy is grounded in fear of—or at least nervousness about—the unknown. That is only natural. Even when we find ourselves in a bad situation, muddling through can seem preferable to taking...Read More

If you are a regular reader, you may have noticed that frequently in these blog posts, we refer to “co-occurring mental health disorders”—mental health issues that impact a person’s life at the same time they are dealing with a substance use disorder. We often emphasize how important it is to address mental health disorders alongside...Read More

In a recent blog post, we took a look at a few terms and phrases that might be described as “recovery jargon.” We covered the process known as urge surfing to fend off cravings. We defined the phrase “dry drunk.” And we took a look at the vagaries of the pink cloud, which can cause...Read More

You need to understand the language of recovery. Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with two people who work in the same field—a field different than your own? At some point, the conversation turns to work and what each of you like, hate, and tolerate about your gigs. Maybe your two companions start...Read More

Words Really Do Matter Sometimes people don’t think too hard about what they say. And sometimes that can have more serious consequences than one might expect. Think, for example, about the kinds of words that are commonly used to describe a person struggling with a substance use disorder. He’s an addict. She’s a drunk. They...Read More

Routine in Recovery As a general rule, we are believers in the power of routine in recovery. A good slate of routines can go a long way toward helping you maintain your sobriety. For example, it is a good idea to have a set of routines around things like attending 12-Step (or other) recovery meetings,...Read More

You have probably heard the old song that opens: “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.” It is a nice thought, isn’t it? As the summer arrives in full force, it is nice to think that perhaps the living will, in fact, be easy. Turns out, however, that the season of the year has very little...Read More

How Can You Help Your Loved One? When someone in your life is struggling with drugs or alcohol, it is only natural to want to help. It is also natural to wonder just how you can help. After all, a person with a substance use disorder is often unpredictable, unwilling to listen, and unable to...Read More

In the first entry in this miniseries about the different kinds of therapy, we explored cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, and family systems therapy. Finding the Right Therapeutic Approach Our point, as you may recall, is that “therapy” is a generic word that can be applied to quite a...Read More

Codeine Misuse Can Lead to Bigger Problems When you think about the opioid epidemic in the United States, the odds are pretty good that codeine does not immediately jump to mind. Instead, you may think of codeine as a mild cough suppressant and source of pain relief. That is entirely understandable. Codeine has been around...Read More