Manifest Destiny brought early settlers of America westward. Everything out west held promise of a better life, especially in California. From the prospect of the gold rush to the modernization of cities like San Francisco, something special was happening on the other side of our maturing country. The allure of the west and of California…
Drugs like suboxone and methadone are used to treat opioid addiction by delivering enough narcotic to reduce the symptoms of withdrawal. The theory is that these medications will keep a person addicted to opioids from using them by replacing their drug of choice with a safer prescription medication. Suboxone, in particular, contains naloxone, an opioid…
“Progress, not perfection” is a common phrase used in the rooms of recovery fellowships. The concept is derived from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. After presenting the 12 steps, the Big Book states: “Do not be discouraged. No one among us had been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We…
Addiction is a disease that strongly affects our thinking and brain chemistry. We will always search for an excuse not to seek help because we have such a strong compulsion to continue using drugs that we will trick ourselves into thinking that our life is manageable. Generally, if we find ourselves asking the question of…
Many of us have been through tremendous amounts of pain and suffering during our time in active addiction or alcoholism. We came to a point when we realized that we were unable to gain control over our drug or alcohol use. This point in our lives, when we were finally ready to surrender, is often…
Occasionally, people in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous will say that they work a selfish program or that A.A. itself is a selfish program. They may be seeing that A.A. has a focus on self-development and creating a personal relationship with one’s higher power, and from that alone, make the assumption that selfishness is part…
Online businesses always seem to know what people want and how to push everyone towards that “one thing” they “need to have right now.” The shopping mousetrap is creating a new age of online shopping addiction. Learn some of the signs you may be influenced to shop too much online and how to seek help.…
If you have chosen to seek help for addiction, that was a conscious decision that will benefit you the rest of your life, including family and loved ones. When you put the work in, you will discover how much better life can be. It has likely been a struggle for quite some time to get…
Sports participation is a highly visible aspect of 21st-century life as more people dive into sports for recreation and competitive leagues. It builds health, self-discipline, strong character, and promotes teamwork. Many benefits can be found psychologically and physically speaking but it can be detrimental if it becomes addictive. Find out why sports addiction can be…
Recovery is about empowering you to take charge of your life by learning to value feelings, opinions, and needs. When you find the courage to challenge childhood beliefs, healthier relationships can be born. A common fear among codependents in early recovery is that they will become selfish. Recovering codependents remain more caring than other people…