Moving forward after relapse is a normal part of drug and alcohol recovery. While it’s natural to complete rehab and think, “I’m cured!” no one is ever really cured of addiction. Addiction shares much in common with progressive, chronic diseases such as cancer. While you’re never really ‘cured’ of cancer, cancer can go into remission....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
It’s Bound to Happen When you have made the decision to become sober and are in recovery from your alcohol addiction, it is inevitable that there will be a situation or occasion where you will find yourself being offered a drink. Whether it is a wedding, a neighborhood gathering, a work-related function, or any of...Read More
In a perfect world, a person would go through detoxification and treatment for a substance use disorder and never again feel the urge to return to drugs or alcohol. But of course, this isn’t a perfect world, and cravings happen. Have a Plan In reality, nearly every single person in recovery for a substance use...Read More
Recovery from a substance use disorder is an ongoing journey—and the trip is not always smooth. That is why it is so important to develop a range of skills that can help you maintain your sobriety when the going gets tough. Work-Related Stress One of the many things that can make recovery difficult is stress...Read More
When you think about it, it is kind of amazing how frequently we fail to do something we know we really ought to do, and the roadblocks we face. You know you should go to bed, so you won’t be exhausted in the morning. But you stay up to binge a few more episodes...Read More
Emotions have a way of sneaking up on a person. One moment, you are feeling perfectly fine, but then a stray memory makes you feel sad. Or you are working steadily on a project, but then a series of small setbacks add up to mounting feelings of frustration. Or you are feeling down in the...Read More
Family Systems Therapy can be particularly beneficial in the context of addiction recovery. Substance use disorder, (formerly known as substance abuse), and addiction not only affect the individual struggling with the addiction but also have a significant impact on the entire family unit. Family members may experience feelings of helplessness, anger, guilt, and anxiety, and...Read More
You’re sitting at home one night watching your favorite show or reading a new book or helping your kids with their homework when all of a sudden the lights go out. It’s a blackout. After you find a couple of flashlights or light a few candles, you will turn your attention to the source of...Read More
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...Read More
