“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…
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Relapse means using substances again after being sober for a period of time. If you are in recovery from addiction, relapse is a fear that you face every day. Each day is a new opportunity to live a successfully sober life, but it is also a chance to slide back into addiction. As an addict…
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Looking 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…
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The early years in a child’s life are the most important years of their life. In these years, their bodies and brains are in development and will learn how to cope with life’s difficulties as they go through the path of adulthood. It is extremely important to pay attention to your child’s mental health during…
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Many 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…
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If 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…
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There are many risk factors that come into play when a person develops an alcohol dependence. Both environmental and biological influences play a role in addiction. One of the environmental risk factors that can be very powerful in this relationship is past experience with trauma. It is unclear how trauma affects the decision-making process involved…
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Women are twice as likely to develop PTSD as men are. This may occur because women are also more likely to have sexual trauma both as children and as adults. Sexual trauma is an extremely adverse and traumatic event whenever it occurs. Additionally, 1 in every 3 women will experience a sexual assault in their…
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If 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…
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People with a dual diagnosis suffer from both substance use disorder and a mental health disorder at the same time. Mental health professionals and addiction specialists are well-aware that these individuals often have worse outcomes than those who only deal with one issue. A team of Norwegian and American researchers identified the factors that commonly…
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