When we think of our addictions, we tend to define them as an ongoing problem we have with an addictive substance or behavior. We know we’ve formed a dangerous dependence, but we aren’t always sure why. We usually associate our addictions with mental and emotional health issues, such as our depression and anxiety, the traumaticRead More
One thing we learn in our recovery is just how widespread the misunderstanding and misinformation continue to be around both addiction and mental illness. People who don’t struggle with addiction often don’t have the information, experience or understanding to really comprehend what we’re going through, and sometimes they can’t connect with us in real waysRead More
As we’re working to recover from our addictions, many of us discover that one of our greatest triggers to relapsing is being bored, feeling fulfilled, and not having enough to occupy our time in useful ways. We don’t have healthy ways to express ourselves creatively. We don’t have outlets to help us stay productive andRead More
Many of us can relate to feeling as though we’re living with an inner critic that is constantly assessing and criticizing everything we do, think and feel, from our important life choices to mundane everyday decisions, from our mistakes and wrongdoings to our usual slip-ups and bad habits. We see everything around us with aRead More
Sometimes our recovery can feel separate from our daily lives, from the routines we grew accustomed to, from our work and relationships, from the lifestyles we’ve created for ourselves. It can be hard to figure out how to combine the work we’re doing in our recovery with the rest of our lives. One way weRead More
Those of us struggling with behavioral addictions, or process addictions as they’re sometimes called, have a unique set of challenges relating to our recovery. Behavioral addictions can include any behavior, process, or combination thereof that we become dependent upon. We can become addicted to anything that brings us feelings of release, relief, detachment, escapism, distraction,Read More
We might think of our attitude, our outlook, and our ways of thinking and feeling as all being totally separate from our recovery. We think of our recovery as abstinence from our drug of choice, and all the work we do as part of our recovery program – the therapy, the support group meetings, communicatingRead More
Many of us, unfortunately, are confronted with situations and circumstances, relationships and interpersonal dynamics that leave us feeling as though we’re being denied our dignity. We’re mistreated and looked down upon. We’re told we’re less than human and shameful because of our addictions and mental health issues. We’re treated like monsters and criminals, told we’reRead More
One common habit we can fall into that detracts from our recovery is blaming our addictions for all of our many problems and seeing it as the culprit behind why we’re so unhappy in our lives. We see our addictions as the source of all our issues, so understandably we begin to resent our addictionsRead More
As we’re working to recover, we learn that our recovery is a journey comprised of many different chapters, chapters of self-discovery and expansion, and chapters of releasing the past. We discover that there are some chapters we have to close in order to move forward. As hard as it can be to let go, weRead More