Many men and women begin using drugs as a way to cope with life. They were restless, irritable, and discontent, and found relief from their psychological and emotional suffering in drugs and alcohol. For a time, self-medicating with substances may...
Many of us relied on drugs and alcohol to provide a false sense of happiness. The illusion was fleeting, and we spent incredible amounts of time and energy attempting to give ourselves brief moments of happiness and relief through intoxication....
12-Step recovery programs focus on the development and maintenance of a spiritual awakening and psychic change as a means of recovering from addiction and alcoholism. By having the vital spiritual experience through working the 12 Steps, an...
Sometimes the best thing we can do when faced with a stressful situation is take a moment to breathe and focus on the present moment. When we stay in the moment and accept the present situation as is, we are in less danger of building up feelings...
Twelve step fellowships stress the importance of giving up self-will and trusting in something greater than yourself. We learn to stop trying to assert our will over every facet of our lives. Instead, we learn acceptance of the unchangeable and...
Twelve Step recovery is about more than just sobriety. It is also about building friendships within a community of other men and women attempting to recover from addiction and alcoholism. Many of us felt alone and ashamed of our addiction, but were...
Many people begin to feel better after detox—so much better, that they may feel they don’t need to stay for the full duration of treatment. Leaving treatment against medical advice (AMA) can ruin a client’s chances of recovery. There are many other...
Although many people believe that relapse is part of the process of recovery, it does not have to be. Relapse is preventable by adhering to a recovery program and maintaining awareness of potential risks. Effective treatment encourages the...
Relapse is a frightening prospect. We have worked so hard to achieve sobriety and the thought of entering back into the world of addiction seems unthinkable, but it does happen. If we do relapse, we need to keep in mind that it does not mean we are...
Our past reliance on drugs was akin to a relationship. Drugs became our closest friends—we relied on them for a fleeting moment of relief from our inner turmoil, and overtime the relationship grew into complete dependence. Saying goodbye to...
