What’s the Difference Between an Alcoholic and a Functioning Alcoholic? Alcoholism, Recovery, Substance AbuseBy The Ranch TNJune 10, 2020Popular culture has helped shape an image of the “classic alcoholic” in people’s minds. Usually, we imagine an alcoholic as a middle-aged man who looks a bit disheveled and staggers in and out of bars all day and all night. He is so easy to recognize because he makes no effort to hide his drunken…
Supporting a Loved One After Rehab Helpful Articles, RecoveryBy The Ranch TNMay 29, 2020Read on to learn about a graduate student who finds herself addicted to drugs and finally enters treatment to learn healthy coping skills. She learns how to ask for help and the importance of supporting a loved one after rehab. Supporting A Loved One After Rehab Terran had entered Columbia University’s graduate program as a…
Rebuilding Relationships Damaged by Addiction Helpful Articles, RecoveryBy The Ranch TNMay 23, 2020Many times, addiction can damage the relationships that you have with people. While you cannot spend the rest of your life feeling bad about the things you have done in the past, it is important to recognize that your relationships may have been badly damaged by your addiction or alcoholism. In recovery, you will need…
What to Expect at Your First AA Meeting Helpful Articles, RecoveryBy The Ranch TNMay 20, 2020If you have admitted to yourself that you have a problem with alcohol, you may be considering attending a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. You may feel somewhat anxious and are wondering what to expect. You may have heard any one of a number of rumors about AA and other 12-step programs. For instance, you may…
On Putting Your Recovery First Addiction, Articles>Early Recovery, Articles>Recovery at The Ranch, RecoveryBy The Ranch TNMay 16, 2020“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.” Joseph Conrad, Polish-born English novelist, and writer (1857-1924). Everything in our lives has to take a backseat to our…
Best Ways to Start Off in Recovery Articles>Early Recovery, Articles>Recovery at The Ranch, RecoveryBy The Ranch TNMay 14, 2020Looking ahead at recovery can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, you’re excited to get started on your new life post-treatment. On the other hand, you’re filled with doubt and uncertainty over just how all this is going to work. What should you do? Just plunge ahead and hope for the best? Don’t…
How Routine Helps in Recovery Articles, Articles>Addiction Treatment, Articles>Recovery at The Ranch, RecoveryBy The Ranch TNMay 12, 2020Many people mistakenly associate the word routine with an activity that is boring and repetitive. When you’re in recovery, however, the word takes on entirely different connotations. The truth is that establishing and adhering to a routine can help someone in recovery in many different ways. What are those ways? How does routine help in…
The Challenges of the First Year Sober RecoveryBy The Ranch TNMay 11, 2020If you have relied on alcohol or drugs for any length of time to escape from reality or to relieve bad feelings, learning to live sober can be very challenging. The intense symptoms of withdrawal from substance use disorder are only the beginning. Although you may wish you could just get through detox and then…
Support Group Meetings Vital to Your Recovery RecoveryBy The Ranch TNMay 7, 2020If the idea of sitting among a group of fellow recovering addicts sharing their stories makes you uncomfortable, you are not alone. You may not like the idea of participating in a support group. However, it may be important to your recovery. Of course, there is no single treatment or recovery practice that works for…
How You Can Help a Family Member in Recovery RecoveryBy The Ranch TNMay 4, 2020When you love an addict or an alcoholic, you probably have spent a long time hoping and praying that they would get sober. If your loved one has finally made the choice to recover, families and loved ones of addicts must find ways to help the addicted individual during early recovery. Read on to learn…
