You have heard the expression, “ Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” It is an idea dating back to the 1600s—and many of us simply accept it as true. We believe that if we apply our willpower, we can find a way to accomplish just about anything. It’s a nice, motivational idea. But it...Read More
Core Principles There are times when advice becomes so familiar that it is easy to stop hearing it. For example, if you are in recovery from a substance use disorder, you are likely familiar with the 12 Steps (or some variation on that theme) associated with Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous. You might even be overly...Read More
To Languish Is to Struggle Many people are struggling right now. The public health emergency (which is, unfortunately, ongoing) has upended our lives in so many ways. And while we have dealt with all of the changes—and the changes to those changes—brought on by the pandemic, there have been plenty of other things that have...Read More
Loneliness Is the Enemy of Sobriety In a recent blog entry, we discussed the various ways in which staying single in the early days of recovery can be a good idea. Rushing into a romantic entanglement can add complications to an already challenging situation and is often not the best strategy for maintaining your hard-won...Read More
The modern world—and social media in particular—has changed the way we think about the word “friend.” Heck, in current usage, the steadfast noun can even be used as a verb, as is: “Hey, I friended you. Why haven’t you accepted my friend request?” Friends vs Acquaintances But let’s face it, the vast majority of people...Read More
Misconceptions About Addiction Imagine yourself sitting at a table with three other people. Maybe you have come together for a meal or to play cards or just to enjoy each other’s company. The conversation wanders here and there, as conversations do, until one person—maybe it’s you—mentions a mutual friend who has been drinking too much....Read More
When a person is struggling with a substance use disorder, their relationships often fall apart. Maybe they have let their coworkers down again and again, so their work relationships are strained. Maybe they have borrowed money from family or friends to support their habit and failed to pay it back. Maybe their erratic behavior has...Read More
Members of the armed forces—particularly those who spend time in combat zones—face many challenges during their time in the service. And for many, those challenges follow them home in one form or another after their service has been completed. As a result, many veterans turn to drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism. In fact,...Read More
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could go through life and never feel anger—not because we’re suppressing the emotion, but because we simply don’t have anything to feel angry about? Anger in Recovery But in reality, of course, we have plenty to be angry about. Like getting cut off in traffic. Or the boss dropping...Read More
