Substance abuse counselors provide a necessary support system for individuals recovering from eating disorders, drug and alcohol issues, gambling addictions, and other behavioral issues. By forming a relationship built on trust with their patients, counselors provide the support, resources, and judgement-free guidance that patients can utilize on their road to addiction recovery. Counselors in this…
Everybody seems to be going on less sleep these days, especially people in recovery. Insomnia is not a friend to many who enter recovery. Sleep deprivation can have serious ramifications on how a person thinks, feels, and acts. Low mood, impulsivity, and increased likelihood of relapse are all possible issues that may come as a…
Families can play an enormous role in supporting a loved one to seek help with addiction. When family stands alongside their loved one, they demonstrate their unconditional love for them and their ability to express hope for their journey. However, they sometimes get forgotten about in the midst of the loved one’s battle with addiction.…
Regret is a strong emotion to have. It can hold you back from going forward in life and alter the course of your recovery. There are simple ways to let go of shame and guilt about what happened in the past and move forward. When you look ahead, you are able to see the future…
Learning how to live in recovery is something everyone has to discover on their own. Even when they feel like they might have it figured out, the work of recovery has so much more to offer. Self-care is part of the crucial journey. Self-awareness is important when assessing how to best take care of yourself…
Eating healthy is not just a matter of comfort or desire. It is actually better for you in recovery if you can fill your body with nutritious food because it has been deficient of vital nutrients after so many years trapped in addiction. Oftentimes, people don’t realize in recovery how much their bodies needed good…
Even when you spend time thinking about recovery and about the past, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will have anxious thoughts. It can come from many different things, including medication changes, recovery from drugs or alcohol, and just adjusting to life without being able to numb out. Cognitive distortions, or filters of the world around…
Going home after finishing rehab can feel exhilarating (and nerve-wracking). So many things have changed, and yet, so many things are still the same. Feeling like a new person in old skin can be challenging at times. With recovery, there are some things people can do to get started with that to-do list, including seeking…
Tension can be a difficult thing to address in recovery. It pops up unexpectedly and may linger for a while, depending on what is going on. The hidden signs of stress left unaddressed, can become triggers to use substances or some other means of coping. Even for people who have been in recovery awhile, stress…
The anniversary of a loss or painful experience can bring up difficult memories. It may be triggering for someone in recovery to want to use drugs or alcohol to numb that pain. With the right tools, that person can learn how to navigate it and stay sober. Every day is one step away from addiction,…