“Dear Diary…”Maybe that’s what you think of when someone suggests keeping a journal. You might imagine some starry-eyed teenager mooning over a crush in page after page of purple prose. Or an angst-filled young person detailing all the ways the world is unfair to them. It might be hard to imagine how keeping a journal...Read More
Most of the time, we do not think too much about air. Our bodies naturally breathe in and breathe out without requiring our attention. The air is there, we need the air, and our respiratory system just takes care of things on our behalf.It might also be said that most of the time, we do...Read More
It is possible you first started taking drugs or drinking alcohol because it seemed like a quick route to having more fun and feeling happier. After all, many people turn to substances as a way to escape the stress and challenges of daily life. Alcohol and drugs are sometimes seen as a good way to...Read More
Most of the time, when people talk about substance use disorders, they are imagining an addiction to a single substance. A person is addicted to cocaine or to prescription painkillers or to alcohol and so on. But substance use disorders are not always an either/or proposition. Sometimes they are a both/and proposition. And when that...Read More
Misinformation Misses the Mark When It Comes to Recovery — Part TwoIn a recent entry, we began the process of replacing some bad information about substance use disorders and recovery with good information. As we noted last time out, there are little snippets of so-called “accepted wisdom” out in the world that everyone seems to accept...Read More
Misinformation Misses the Mark When It Comes to Recovery — Part OneHave you ever heard that you need to wait at least 30 minutes after eating before you go swimming? Or have you been told that sitting too close to your television will damage your eyes? Or how about being told that if you swallow...Read More
In a recent entry, we started a Casey Kasem-inspired countdown of our favorite pop culture references across our blog. Numbers ten through six included:Budgeting is Important (Popeye)A Collection of Quick Tips (Classic Catchy Songs)Recovery is a Journey (“Life Is a Highway” and “It’s the Climb”)Questions of Willpower Don’t Apply to Recovery (Green Lantern)Hearty Laughter Help Buoy...Read More
If you have read a number of our blog entries, you may have noticed that we have a tendency to use various aspects of pop culture—songs, movies, comics, and more—to make our various points about sobriety and the recovery journey. In this entry, we will use another staple of pop culture—the countdown, as popularized by...Read More
When you think about the key parts of treatment for substance use disorders, detox and rehab probably come to mind right away.And that makes sense. After all, medically supervised detoxification is what allows a person with a substance use disorder to safely reclaim their sobriety. And rehabilitation—including group and individual therapy—is the part of the...Read More
