Finding Purpose May Be the Key to Happiness
We all dedicate a large majority of our lives striving towards happiness. We may try to find it through money and material wealth, service to others, love and companionship, or professional success and power. We sometimes turn to artificial means to generate something close to the experience of happiness by using drugs and alcohol, risking […]
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 […]
When Addicts Charm Their Way Through Treatment
Although addiction can happen to anyone, and there is no single personality type that accompanies addiction, there are certain traits and attributes that commonly occur alongside addiction. One personality profile that seems to show up often in treatment centers is the charming intellect. These are the people that charm the wits out of everyone they […]
8 Ways to Handle Drug and Alcohol Cravings
Dealing with cravings is one of the biggest challenges when recovering from addiction. Considering this, surprisingly little is known about cravings, what causes them, and how long they last. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4041083/] We do know they are typically linked to certain cues–people, places, and things we associate with drugs and alcohol. We also know that cravings aren’t […]
Why Making Comparisons is Bad for Addiction Recovery
It’s normal to feel a bit disoriented when you enter treatment for the first time or enter a specific program for the first time. The way most people respond to this kind of uncertainty is to start looking around at what others are doing. As a social species, we are strongly influenced by the opinions […]
7 Ways to Support Your Loved One During their Inpatient Addiction Recovery
Watching your loved one struggle with addiction can make you feel helpless and heartbroken. When they finally decide to seek professional help in the form of an inpatient recovery program, the emotions surrounding that decision can be very complex for everyone involved. While you will surely be proud of them and hopeful for the future, […]
5 Reasons Long-term Aftercare is Critical to Addiction Recovery
Many addiction recovery programs and treatment centers have evolved their techniques and strategies exponentially over the past decade to incorporate new research and methods that prove successful for clients with addictions. One clear factor in determining success in lasting recovery is the availability of quality aftercare for people who have recently completed an initial inpatient […]
6 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Group Therapy
Group therapy plays a central role in nearly every quality treatment program and for good reason. Studies show that group therapy is a cost-effective way to treat many conditions, including addiction. More importantly, group therapy offers a valuable opportunity to learn and practice skills that are hard to acquire on your own or in private […]
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, […]
Secrets Behind Relapse: Why Some People Struggle to Recover
It can be incredibly difficult to take that first step towards recovery, but once you’re in it, what about relapse? A commonly feared term, relapse occurs when a person takes a few steps back towards addictive behaviors after having practiced abstinence in recovery. Misconceptions surrounding relapse indicate that a person is a “failure” or that […]
