The first thing a person usually wants to do when they are newly sober and out of treatment is to find a job. Some are able to rely on loved ones or government assistance programs until they are truly ready. Others will have to go back to work right away. Interviewing and working while trying […]
Category Archives: Recovery
28
Jul
Jul
One of the mysterious aspects of art therapy is how it allows us to get lost in our own world – while also helping us find ourselves at the same time. For decades, we’ve used a variety of artistic modalities to help us understand our perceptions of the world, even in unconventional ways. For many […]
27
Jul
Jul
We hear the word “surrender” quite often. We hear it in our history classes when we learn about wars. We hear it in church when people talk about God. We also hear this term in regards to recovery. But how do you actually surrender, and what or who is it that you surrender to? The […]
27
Jul
Jul
Prior to recovery, most people with substance use disorders become quite adept at using drugs or alcohol to numb themselves from their emotions. Using helps protect them from feeling pain, heartbreak, fear, or disappointment – at least temporarily. That’s why a lot of people start using in the first place. Our addiction may help us […]
24
Jul
Jul
If you have ever been in treatment, you have probably heard the term “craving” before. It’s often said that we have a three-part disorder – mental obsession, spiritual malady, and the phenomenon of craving. The phenomenon of craving is the main distinction between those of us who have a substance use disorder (SUD) and those […]
23
Jul
Jul
The first step in recovery is admitting that we are powerless over drugs or alcohol and that our lives have become unmanageable. Addicts often live their lives in a self-centered way – doing whatever we want to do whenever we want to do it. A lot of us come from chaotic homes where our environment […]
21
Jul
Jul
When we were teenagers, many of us had secret journals that we kept under our beds. In these journals, we would chronicle our thoughts and feelings for the day, writing about who we talked to, what they said to us, how we felt about it, and of course, who caught our eye romantically. These journals […]
16
Jul
Jul
Most people don’t consider reading as a part of addiction recovery, yet there are many benefits that you can gain from it. Of course, detoxification, therapy, and support groups will always be part of the recovery process – they are what help people to become stabilized, to process their emotions more effectively, and to discover […]
16
Jul
Jul
Addiction recovery is one of the hardest, most rewarding processes of a person’s life. Because it pushes us to re-discover ourselves, we come out stronger than we ever thought possible. Resilience is at the heart of recovery, and part of becoming more resilient is learning how we can love ourselves – through the good and […]
14
Jul
Jul
Nobody enjoys being in a bad mood, yet we all experience it. When this happens, pretty much anything can annoy us – and when we’re feeling grouchy, it may be hard to even pinpoint how that bad mood came about. In addiction recovery, it’s important to consider what it means to be in a bad […]
