Newcomers to the rooms of 12-step recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous may hear the word “member” and think that there is some sort of process required to officially join. Fortunately, this is not the case. There are no dues, fees, secret handshakes, or passwords to become a member of a 12-step recovery group. All you…
Addiction is a disease that entirely takes over our lives. We come to rely upon substances to control every aspect of our feelings. We use on good day, on bad days, on days when we are overwhelmed, and on days when we are bored. Using drugs becomes our only source of enjoyment and comfort, relieving…
Rock bottom is a complicated concept. Many people assume that rock bottom must include serious consequences such as financial problems, homelessness, and jail time or legal problems. However, rock bottom is a different experience for everyone and can be entirely internal. Peg O’Connor, in a 2014 Psychology Today article entitled What’s Wrong With ‘Rock Bottom’,…
Words like “God” and “spirituality” can make newcomers to recovery run for the door. After all, what could spirituality possibly have to do with addiction recovery? The answers may be surprising. Spirituality and living by spiritual principles is a major part of many recovery programs. The concept is that addiction is a complex disease that…
Therapy and the development of coping skills are an important part of treating addiction. However, therapeutic treatment is only on part of the puzzle. For treatment to be effective, the problem of addiction must be addressed from a variety of angles, including every mental, physical, and spiritual aspect of the disease. That is not to…
Detoxification and achieving sobriety is a strong step toward overcoming addiction, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. The real work begins when we leave treatment and reenter the world. Many people in recovery share similar stories of achieving sobriety, only to relapse shortly after treatment or after a brief period of sobriety.…
Many people do not understand the true nature of the disease of addiction. Rather than accepting that addiction is a chronic and compulsive disease, they tend to assume that addiction is the result of immorality. This misconception about the nature of addiction can lead to shame and low self-worth among men and women suffering from…
Addiction is a complex issue. Some argue that it is solely a brain disease, some who argue that it is entirely spiritual, and some who argue against addiction being a disease at all. The truth is that addiction is a disease, albeit a complicated one. It affects the mind, body, and spirit in ways that…
Heroin overdoses have become much more common and much more dangerous in recent years with the introduction of powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl. According to the Center for Disease Control, “heroin-related overdose death increased fivefold from 2010 to 2016, and from 2015 to 2016, heroin overdose death rates increased by 19.5%, with nearly 15,500 people…
Residential Treatment provides a safe place, free from external stressors, for us to learn more about our addiction, our recovery, and ourselves. We begin developing necessary tools and coping skills that will help us manage our recovery and sobriety as we reintegrate into society when residential treatment has ended. There are several options for us…