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Loneliness, Do Not Let Loneliness or Languishing Lead to Relapse,

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 of...
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Substitute Addiction

A Substitute Addiction Sampler

What defines success in recovery? At the most obvious level, success in recovery could probably be defined simply as not using drugs or alcohol. If you are maintaining your sobriety, you are succeeding in recovery, right?In many cases, that formula—not drinking or using drugs = recovery success—is sufficient. But some people in recovery find themselves sober...
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Affirmations in Recovery

Be Your Own Cheerleader with Affirmations in Recovery

Is your inner voice a snooty critic or an enthusiastic cheerleader?For many, many people, the answer to that question is likely to be “snooty critic.” You might count yourself among them. Maybe your inner voice is constantly criticizing you or reminding you of mistakes and regrets. That situation is extremely common, but it isn’t terribly...
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Substance Use Disorder Treatment Includes Tackling Trauma,

Substance Use Disorder Treatment Includes Tackling Trauma

Life is complicated—and sometimes we do not fully realize how our experiences in the past might influence our behavior and challenges in the present. Traumatic experiences, for example, often underpin mental health and substance use disorders that develop later. At Bel Aire Recovery Center, we are committed to asking the right questions and finding the right...
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Countdown to Reclaim Calm and Manage Anxiety. As for the exercise itself, it is all about your senses, starting with your sense of sight.

Count on This Countdown Technique to Manage Anxiety

When you hear the word “countdown,” what comes to mind? Our guess is that you think of quite a number of things before you think about a way to manage anxiety.You might think of the countdown to a rocket launch. You might think of a weekly countdown of the most popular songs in the country. You...
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First Holiday Season in Recovery? Give Yourself the Gift of Reduced Stress

First Holiday Season in Recovery? Give Yourself the Gift of Reduced Stress

The holiday season can be a source of great joy and inspiration. We have even suggested that the late-year holidays can serve as a roadmap to getting sober. But the holidays can also be a time of significant stress—and that can be a problem if you are newly in recovery from a substance use disorder....
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recovery to-do list, Three Recovery Tips: Make a Budget, Tidy a Mess, Start a Journal

Three Recovery Tips: Make a Budget, Tidy a Mess, Start a Journal

When you are in recovery from a substance use disorder, you might feel as though there is a long list of things you should do. The first, most important thing on that list is, of course, don’t drink or use drugs. But there are plenty of other things on the recovery to-do list:Go to 12-Step or...
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A Roundup of Details About Different Drugs: Part 2, cough suppressant, codeine,

A Roundup of Details About Different Drugs: Part 2

In a recent entry, we looked back to some previous blog entries that provide details about the dangers of different kinds of drugs. Last time out, we considered cocaine, PCP, and opioids. Of course, those are far from the only drugs that can lead to a substance use disorder. In this entry, we will highlight...
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Pill - Xanax, Different Drugs

A Roundup of Details About Different Drugs: Part 1

We cover a lot of ground in this blog, tacking all sorts of issues related to substance use disorders, treatment, and the recovery journey. There is, if we do say so ourselves, a pretty impressive collection of content to be found here.But with lots of content comes the danger that it can be hard to...
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Restart After a Relapse

Try a Restart After a Relapse

It always seems to happen when you are trying to do something important. All of sudden your phone or your computer or your tablet seems to slow to a crawl. Images won’t load, applications or programs crash or freeze, and no matter how many times you click on something nothing seems to happen. It is...
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