Codependency in Recovery
Building healthy relationships and getting support from others is essential during recovery. However, people who are trying to get clean often struggle with codependent relationships. Codependency recovery programs allow people with addiction histories and their loved ones to establish balanced, constructive relationships. What Is Codependency? At first glance, codependency can look like a loving, helpful […]
What is Emotional Sobriety and How Do You Practice It?
Physical sobriety means that you abstain from alcohol and drugs. While that’s essential for recovery, emotional sobriety is also important. Emotional sobriety involves being able to regulate your feelings so that you can cope with all aspects of life without returning to drugs. What Is Emotional Sobriety? Many people are confused after they complete a […]
The Difference Between Recovering Alcoholic and Recovered Alcoholic
What may seem like nuance in the land of Alcoholics Anonymous can actually be an enormous philosophical difference that shapes beliefs and the actions in the 12 Step program. One of these is the difference between a recovering alcoholic or saying you are a recovered alcoholic. Sometimes A.A. members will even get bent out of […]
Helping a Loved One in Recovery: How Family Members Can Recognize the Signs of Relapse
Recovering addicts face many obstacles as they try to stay sober in recovery, with the threat of relapse an ever-present danger. Now that the person you care about so much has completed their stay at rehab and returned back home, they will need your support and encouragement more than ever. Relapse is a real danger […]
What Attitude in Recovery Really Means For Your Sobriety
“The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God’s universe. The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in […]
How to Slow Down When You’re Overwhelmed in Recovery
When we get sober, we straighten out mentally, spiritually and physically. We learn to handle our problems with a different attitude. However, life continues to happen, and life at times can be downright overwhelming. Even the most spiritual people on the planet go through trials and tribulations, and it’s no different for someone working on […]
Finding Equilibrium: What to Expect During Recovery
When it comes to getting clean and sober, you always hear stories, opinions, and suggestions surrounding mental health, but what about our physical health? How do we focus on the thing that is keeping us alive? Our bodies are truly magical, and we see the real magic after we have abused it for years with […]
Talking to Family and Friends About Your Recovery
When we are in pain, it can be difficult to find the right words to reflect how we feel. It can be especially tricky when we have suffered from a relapse along our mental health journey, but communication is the bridge between the whole of humanity. We can’t expect people to assume how we feel […]
Transitioning Towards Healthy Coping Mechanisms
We’ve probably all heard the term ‘coping mechanism’ especially if we’ve been in treatment before. Coping mechanisms are behaviors we enact in moments of tension, stress, and trauma. When we are struggling with addiction, we can teach ourselves negative coping mechanisms such as drinking after a bad day or spending time with someone who isn’t […]
When You Are in Recovery and Your Partner Still Drinks
Making the decision to seek treatment for alcohol addiction usually comes after a long string of embarrassing incidents, health issues, problems with job performance, and tension within relationships. Many intimate partner relationships involve a great deal of alcohol use. Couples often get to know each other over drinks when they begin dating and may use […]
5 Tips for Balancing Work and Addiction Recovery
Getting back to “normal” after completing a long-term inpatient addiction recovery program can be a challenge. Normal might mean something entirely different now that you have committed yourself to a sober lifestyle. You may have to find new friends, new hobbies, and even a new job. Whether you had the luxury of taking time off […]
5 Ways to Enjoy Being Sober When Everyone Else is Drinking
For those of us that have struggled with alcohol addiction, many of the real challenges in recovery come after we have completed a treatment program. While admitting you have a problem and asking for help is a necessary and critical step in your recovery, the situations you will face in the real world during early […]
Nutrition and Recovery from Addiction
When we think about getting clean and sober, we are likely to imagine treatment facilities, counselors, and twelve step meetings—each undoubtedly a significant part of recovery. Often overlooked is the vital roles diet and nutrition play in our ability to recover. Yet there is an impressive amount of research to back up the idea that […]
7 Reasons to Find a Sponsor in Recovery
The concept of a sobriety sponsor has been popularized through Alcoholics Anonymous and many references to the 12-step-program made in popular culture. If you are considering entering a treatment program for the first time, or returning to treatment after relapse, you may be wondering if it is the right time for you to seek a […]
How Impulse Control Fits into Addiction Recovery
Once we’re on the path towards recovery, we’re able to start learning of the many ways addiction affects our mind, body and spirit. When addiction is active, we’re more likely to say and do things that we wouldn’t otherwise do when we’re sober. For example, we may lie to loved ones about our substance abuse, […]