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 have provided a sense of comfort, but addiction is a chronic and progressive disease—eventually, our…
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. When we make the decision to get sober, we often have no idea how to…
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 individual’s motivation, desires, and thinking changes—one is no longer interested in drugs or alcohol, and instead focuses on…
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 of anxiety about what may or may not…
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 faith in a higher power. When we make the decision to “turn our will 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 surprised to find that there are communities composed entirely of people who have…
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 factors related to one’s addiction that require a longer period of time to…
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 development of coping strategies and recovery-based daily habits that can keep relapse from occurring. Relapse is a…
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 unable to ever recover. Rather, we must look…
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 something that we grew to depend on so strongly can be difficult, and we often go…