The open discussion of addiction to drugs and alcohol, along with other mental health issues, was once almost forbidden. These types of problems were kept hushed up, with great emphasis placed on how shameful it was to have these kinds of problems in your family. Men were labeled as weak, women were simply said…
How can someone avoid addiction relapse? By knowing and planning for the stages of relapse: emotional, mental, and physical. Self-care is the biggest step toward emotional healing in addiction recovery. It may sound like jargon, but it’s actually a meticulous therapeutic process made up of lots of small, calculated steps. When you’re stressed, frustration, or…
Addiction can not be solved overnight; no mental health problem is that easy. Just because you have completed treatment does not mean you have recovered. The physical cravings were only a part of the problem. The drive to use drugs runs much deeper, and it takes a while to build a new lifestyle that does…
Time management is an essential skill for any working man. Creating a balance between personal needs and work needs while maintaining accountability and responsibility to work and relationships takes discipline and smart time management. Addiction and alcoholism are full-time jobs. Prioritizing the brain in such a way that nothing else matters, men who are living…
You’re in treatment, working hard every day to learn how to stay sober. Each day- you’re doing it! You’re staying clean and sober while gaining invaluable tools for living a lifestyle of recovery. Though you experience physical cravings and occasional psychological cravings, you really don’t want to use. You’re finding value in recovery. At…
Perhaps you have been addicted to drugs and alcohol for ten years, on and off, but consistently enough for the last ten years. Finally, you’re ready to go to treatment. For thirty days, maybe 45-60, you’re in the residential setting. You live in a safe place, you have nursing staff awake and available 24 hours…
Acupuncture can be used specifically for detox purposes. The ancient practice operates on the belief that the body is full of pressure points which are connected to channels that communicate with different organs and have different emotional meanings. When a certain point is tender, for example, it could simultaneously mean that you are struggling to…
We don’t always want to own our addiction or our recovery. Going to treatment for drug and alcohol addiction comes with a lot of shame because of the stigma associated with addiction. In time you’ll find that your addiction isn’t something to be ashamed of, nor is your recovery. You can own the fact that…
Treatment is a time to learn, grow, and heal. Here are the five most important ways to make the most out of treatment so you can live a happy and healthy life in recovery. Take every opportunity to ask questions: Now is not the time to have any shame or humiliation about asking a “dumb”…
Addiction treatment has made many strides over the last decades. Many evidence-based treatment options have proven to be effective in helping people overcome addiction. Cognitive-behavioral therapy was discovered in the 1960s as a way for doctors to help patients change their ways of thinking. During the session, doctors would help turn negative thoughts and behaviors…