News and Blog
Common Fears in Addiction
Addiction recovery is a long road. During recovery, it’s common for people to experience a range of emotions, especially fear. Nearly everyone who enters rehab feels some level of fear or trepidation. The questions they have are many: Will this work? Will I be able to open up and talk about what’s happening? Do I really need this? Will withdrawal be too intense? And, after the final day of treatment, many struggle with an even larger question: Will I be able to stay sober? If fear is holding you back from seeking addiction treatment, it can be helpful to assess
Do Not Let a Relapse Cause You to Give Up on Sobriety
You were probably pretty excited when you first got sober—and rightfully so. After all, you had just overcome a huge challenge in order to reset your life and get back on track. Drugs or alcohol (or both) had been damaging your mental and physical health, your ability to work or study, and your relationships. It was not a sustainable situation, so you did the thing you needed to do: got help and got sober. It only makes sense that you would feel joyful in those early days of recovery (though, in some cases, those joyful feelings can indicate something called
Be Flexible and Make Yoga Part of Your Recovery Plan
The Value of Staying Present in Recovery In a couple of previous blog posts, we have discussed the value of mindfulness practice—a form of meditation that helps people live in the present moment rather than ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. Much of mindfulness practice involves sitting quietly with your eyes closed while bringing your attention to the rhythm of your breathing. This routine can help you learn to stay present in your day-to-day life. Mindfulness can be truly impactful for many people—including those in recovery from a substance use disorder. But it isn’t a good fit
Walking the Balance Beam Between Boredom and Burnout
Picture a gymnast on a balance beam. For the moment, imagine the athlete standing with both feet on the beam maintaining their balance without any apparent effort. You’ll note that we used the word “apparent.” That is because it does take effort to stand still on the balance beam. But a gymnast has trained and trained and trained to make it—and a whole lot of other ridiculously difficult things besides—look easy. But at every moment, the gymnast is working to maintain their balance so that they don’t lean too far one way or the other. After all, leaning too far
How Substance Use Disorders Relate to Sadness, Grief, and Depression
While we hesitate to talk about emotions in terms of “positive” or “negative” feelings, we do acknowledge that some mind states can be particularly problematic for those in recovery from a substance use disorder. Emotions or states of mind that a person would rather not be experiencing can linger—and when they do, they can make a return to drugs or alcohol seem like a quick and easy escape. Let’s take a look at the ways to manage sadness, grief, and depression so that your recovery is not upended. Sadness is Normal. It is also Temporary. We all feel sad from
When There is Less Light, You Might Not Feel Quite Right
This time of year, it can sometimes seem as if the sun never shines. That can be particularly true if you have to be at work or school early and you put in a long day. In those circumstances, you might find yourself leaving home in the dark and returning in the dark during the long winter months. And even if the sun does make an appearance at a time when you might notice, you might decide it is far more comfortable to stay inside where it’s warm than to venture out to catch a few winter rays. After all,