Empathy and empowerment. These are things we preach about daily but still fatally struggle with, especially when considering those who suffer from mental illness and addiction. You don’t even have ...
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Why Practicing Self-Care in Recovery is Critical
If you spend any time on social media, you probably feel like you know the terms “self-care” and “mindfulness” well enough now to write a book. The spawn of wellness ...
Doctor Manipulation: How an Addict Will Manipulate Psychiatrists to Get Drugs
If you’ve known someone who has struggled with addiction, chances are you’re all too familiar with the fact that addicts manipulate. Manipulation accompanies the struggle, no ifs, ands, or buts. …
Anhedonia: Lack of Pleasure After Quitting Heroin
When dreading the thought of getting clean, a lot of the concern centers around the painful process of detox. Opiate withdrawal in particular is so miserable that it’s earned the ...
“Clean” Addictions: Compulsive Behaviors in Recovery
Ever wondered why AA and NA meetings are full of donuts, cookies, coffee, and post-meeting chainsmokers? It’s not just a way to tempt newcomers into staying for the long haul. …
Why Did My Boyfriend Get Me into Drugs?
It’s a sad tale, and unfortunately all too common. The stage: a relatively normal, functional girl grows up in a loving and secure home. She ambles through life learning how ...
Being Honest to Family About Your Recovery
Working a program requires a unique head space. It’s like all normal decision-making gets turned upside down, and recovering addicts find themselves reeling and relying on counselors for how to …
The Small Window for Addicts Wanting Help
The mind of an addict is chaotic. Even once they’ve hit rock bottom (or somewhere close), the rational mind remains chained beneath chemical dependency. Addiction hijacks the brain in a …
Separating the Addict from Their Addict Behavior
One of the most gut-wrenching results of addiction is how it turns people we love into strangers. Somewhere along the line, loved ones who once thrived with shining personal traits ...
Avoiding Treatment: What are Stages of Change?
We all know the story… and perhaps have acted it out a few times ourselves, too. Some substance habit causes major life problems, yet somehow rehab gets put off over ...