Negativity and painful experiences can drain a person’s joy for life. There is nothing that compares to the healing properties of laughter. The more a person has a sense of humor, the easier it is to face the challenges of life and overcome adversity. Laughing is one way to combat negative experiences and feelings in…
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Although carfentanil and fentanyl sound alike, they are not the same drug. Fentanyl is a very potent drug, more dangerous than morphine, and highly addictive. Carfentanil is 100 times stronger than fentanyl, with minimal contact running the risk of being lethal. Learn more about these two potentially lethal drugs and how to understand their differences…
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Guilt and shame go hand-in-hand. When we take time to look at them, we see how closely aligned they are in a person’s heart and mind through life experience. Shame is all about thinking the person is bad because they drink, do drugs, or behave a certain way. Unfortunately, shame can get in the way…
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Pets and animals have a certain way of supporting our journey through sobriety that other things cannot. Addiction recovery takes a toll on the mind, body, and spirit. It is a lifetime of maintenance work, planning, and setting up relapse prevention strategies to keep you from going back to drugs or alcohol. There are many…
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Summertime is when people get their t-shirts and shorts on, barbeque pits outs, and invite friends over. It is a time to go outside and play while the sun shines endlessly and it seems like everyone is happier and more social. For people with sobriety, the first, or subsequent, summers can be fraught with worry,…
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Everybody is born wanting to please their parents or guardians. It is natural for a child to want to do what makes their parents happy because it normally wins them praise and affirmation. Sometimes, no matter what a child does, their parents disapprove or find ways to tear the child down so the child will…
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Recovery from mental health and addiction is almost a misnomer. The reality is people are not able to fully recover from addiction, they simply live with the reality that they can no longer use drugs or drink. Mastery over both addiction and mental health issues means recognizing the challenges of coping with triggers, cravings, and…
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Everybody has a critic deep inside them. It just comes out more for some than others. It can take away the joy and anticipation of feeling like you are doing great work in your recovery when you feel like a still-small-voice in your head will not stop saying negative things. A critical inner voice can…
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If you procrastinate, you likely have a difficult time staying on task and getting things done. Maybe you postpone, delay, and even put things off so long you cannot possibly finish it in time. This may be affecting your work, home, family, friendships, and other areas of your life causing more stress and anxiety than…
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People who let their minds wander may be better at solving problems in life than those who try to think about all the possible solutions. Not only that, but people who overthink and overanalyze can harm their mental and physical health over time. Resilience comes from the ability to let go and experience life as…
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