The way that we react to the situations life presents to us depend entirely on our perspective. If we are pessimistic, a situation will seem much worse than it is. If we approach our day with a sense of optimism, however, the opposite is true. As a result of the suffering and hardships we have…
Prayer and mediation are suggested by 12-Step recovery fellowships as a means of improving “improving our conscious contact with God as we understood Him.” However, prayer and mediation can be effective tools of improving our overall well-being regardless of our chosen recovery program. When we pray and meditate, we are able to let go of…
Many of us develop routines in our recovery that keep us feeling safe and protected from anything that could potentially put our sobriety at risk. While these habits are wonderful for us, we can’t allow our lives to be controlled by such strict adherence to routine. There is an entire beautiful world out there, and…
Treatment is a time to develop the tools necessary to maintain sobriety when one reenters the “real world”. When we leave treatment, we are not cured of addiction. We are at the beginning phase of entering into a lifetime of sobriety and personal growth, free from the constraints of addiction. Our chances of maintaining our…
Inhalants, as the name suggest, are a group of drugs that are inhaled by user to achieve a high. These drugs are capable of doing tremendous damage to the brain and body, the effects of which can be far worse than many “hard” drugs. The fact that these drugs are legal to buy make greatly…
One of the first steps toward entering into a life of sobriety is detoxifying our bodies of any remnants of drugs or alcohol. The process is uncomfortable, but a happy future in sobriety it waiting for us at the end. Determining how long it will take for acute symptoms of withdrawal to diminish is difficult,…
Coping skills are the behavior patterns we exhibit when faced with problems. For most people suffering from the disease of addiction, their only way of coping with external stressors was by using drugs or alcohol. In sobriety, however, it is imperative that we develop healthy mechanisms and behaviors to handle these stressors. Anxiety and fear…
Alcoholism is a complex disease that encompasses the mind, body, and spirit. It affects every aspect of our life and those around us, damaging our relationships and well-being at every level. Acceptance of the disease is difficult, and many people believe that, although their lives are no longer manageable as a result of their drinking,…
Not all drugs create physical dependence and subsequent withdrawal symptoms. Marijuana and many psychedelics and hallucinogens, for example, do not cause a user to go into a state of withdrawal when discontinued, but still carry the potential for addiction. A person addicted to drugs that do not create physical dependence is still at just as…
Euphoric recall is the tendency for a person recovery to look back at their past drug or alcohol abuse in a positive light, often reexperiencing the feelings of the past situation. During euphoric recall, a person will only remember the euphoria associated with their drug or alcohol abuse without remembering the suffering and pain of…