Addiction, clinically referred to as substance use disorder (SUD), is a disease in your body. When reward pathways are triggered in your brain, the neurotransmitter known as dopamine increases. This plays a central role in how the human mind reacts to pleasure. Anything that feels...
During treatment, and especially when transitioning back to life outside of treatment, individuals working to establish their sobriety will need to engage in sober hobbies. As we know, a hobby is an activity or interest that individuals participate in for relaxation or pleasure. Before recovery,...
Addiction can rob you of so many things, including the opportunities to grow and learn how to take care of yourself. Not unlike Peter Pan’s Lost Boys, you can be stuck without the skills you need to take care of yourself and establish more independence....
Fear is a very powerful emotion that leads to other emotions. One such emotion is anger. When your anger is expressed in unhealthy ways, it can lead to behaviors that you regret. Learning to live a life without fear offers many positive benefits. One of...
If you're experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the National Crisis and Suicide Hotline at 988. Stigma dictates that men should never express or share emotions with others unless that emotion shows dominance (i.e. anger). This has led to an unhealthy practice of stifling emotions and isolating...
Healing from substance abuse involves many facets. One of those facets is addressing your eating habits. You should create a framework for your healing by learning to eat healthily and regularly, including snacks. Eating consistently will contribute to your overall health and recovery. It's best...
Whether by choice or by necessity, recovery can often leave you alone during the holidays. This can make an already very difficult time of the year that much more difficult emotionally. Facing the holidays in early recovery is challenging enough. How do you navigate recovery...
Developing a framework for relapse prevention is done through careful examination of each individual's needs. Each person has a different approach to treatment and a specific recovery plan that works for them. Relapse prevention methods work in the same way. Building Your Prevention Plan Since each individual...
Fear of failure can keep you from achieving your goals, but fear of success can actually threaten your long-term recovery. Why are some people afraid to succeed? What does a successful recovery look like, and why is that so frightening for some people? What fears...
In sports, sometimes scoring a point or two or winning a single game is enough to establish your spot on the team. In recovery, though, you need to earn your place again every single day by establishing and keeping your daily routines. Recovery is like...