When someone mentions the word “steps” in relation to recovery, it is only natural that your mind might jump immediately to the 12 Steps that are at the center of the Alcoholics Anonymous program.AA and those famous steps have been helpful to many people in recovery. While many of the steps refer to God, others...Read More

When you were in the grips of a substance use disorder, you were likely beset by cravings. That is to say, you experienced a strong desire for drugs or alcohol nearly all of the time. And if you tried to give up those substances on your own, you almost certainly experienced even stronger cravings as...Read More

The world is filled with things you are supposed to remember. The PIN for your bank account, for example. The password for your favorite streaming service. Your wedding anniversary. What time you agree to pick someone up—and where you are supposed to pick them up from. It can be overwhelming.And that is why it can...Read More

Many people worry that going through treatment for a substance use disorder will not really work for them. Sure, they might get sober and stay sober for the duration of residential treatment. But then they have to head back out into the regular, everyday world—the place they were when they were abusing drugs or alcohol....Read More

It is probably unavoidable. If you are struggling with a substance use disorder, you are likely going to receive a lot of advice—whether you seek it out or not. Friends, family, coworkers, clergy—heck, sometimes even strangers on the street—are going to have something to say and won’t hesitate to say it. Generally speaking, these folks will...Read More

FamilyWhether you are close or estranged or somewhere in between, your family may loom large in the early days of your recovery. There may come a moment when you have to decide how much you want to share with your immediate and extended family members about your recovery journey.On the one hand, the more open...Read More

Money plays a huge role in our lives. An outsize amount of our time is spent earning money, spending money, and worrying about money. When money is tight, we tend to feel a lot of stress about it. After all, you need money for just about everything. One clear example of how money and issues...Read More

Alcohol Use DisorderAddiction to alcohol can be difficult to face—and it can be easier to reframe your drinking as simply something you do socially or that you happen to enjoy rather than as a problem. But alcoholism, which is known in the medical community as an alcohol use disorder (AUD), is not about good times...Read More

How do you feel about traveling by airplane? Some people love it. Other people hate it. And plenty of people fall somewhere in between. Regardless of your personal feelings about flying, you are probably fairly familiar with the various steps that are involved when you are catching a flight. In this blog post, we are going...Read More

It probably is not a surprise that substance use disorders and mental health disorders often go hand in hand. In fact, they can be so entangled that it can be difficult to determine which arose first. Did you start using drugs or alcohol as a way to self-medicate against the symptoms of a mental health...Read More