Each of us has a different and unique experience with mental illness and addiction, and we each will have to undergo a journey of self-exploration to figure out what might have caused these issues in the first place. Many of us feel as though we can very clearly identify the root of our mental and […]
Category: Resource Center
Humility, Pride, and Recovery
Humility teaches us that we have a lot to learn from others and it’s okay to accept help. Pride closes us off to other people and ourselves. Here’s why it’s important to drop the pride and embrace humility in recovery. Part of our recovery work involves shedding certain personality traits and character defects as we […]
Finding the Best Recovery Program
There’s a lot to think about when making the decision to enter treatment. Here are a few things to consider. When we’re truly ready to do the work to recover, it’s easy to feel confused and overwhelmed in the search for the best treatment facility to meet our needs. The process can be daunting, scary, […]
How Can Dissociation Impact Our Recovery?
Sometimes when we dissociate, or numb and detach ourselves from our pain, we’ve detached from certain truths and not others. Sometimes we can be fully aware of the extent of our addictions, and even of our mental health issues, but the reality of it all is just too much for us to bear. We feel […]
How Does Dissociation Relate to Our Addictions?
Dissociation is one of the many mental health patterns we can develop, especially after we’ve endured crippling trauma, grief, loss, and other painful experiences. Dissociation can lead to habitual behavioral patterns that we often aren’t conscious of but that can become our default habits. It can morph into anxiety disorders or identity/personality disorders. Dissociation refers […]
How Can Loss Affect Our Recovery?
As recovering addicts, we’re no strangers to loss. We’ve lost loved ones to their addictions. We’ve damaged and lost relationships because of our problems with addiction. We’ve experienced a great deal of tragedy, trauma, and grief related to addiction in our lives. The losses we’ve sustained can play a huge role in our recovery, both […]
Positive vs. Negative Thinking
When we obsess over positive thinking, it’s easy to forget the lessons that our difficult thoughts have to teach us. Let’s learn the healing power of negative and positive thinking. It’s all about how we work through it. The importance of positive thinking is fundamental in our recovery from addiction and mental illness. We learn […]
SMART Recovery
Exploring the goals, beliefs, and philosophy of SMART Recovery, which offers support and independence to those of us in recovery. SMART Recovery, or Self-Management and Recovery Training, is a network of addiction recovery support meetings that help people find independence from their addictive behaviors. Their focus is on abstinence, self-empowerment, and personal freedom from any […]
Custody Battles and Addiction
Custody battles can be an extremely painful time. It’s necessary to gather the tools we’ve learned in recovery and remain calm and sober during these trying times. Many of us struggling with addiction are also grappling with the difficulties of divorce. One of the most challenging aspects of divorce is a custody battle. These can […]
Our Lasting Regrets
Painful memories and feelings of remorse can drag us down. When we start talking about them, they start to lose their power over us and true healing begins. We come to associate our addictions with the many things we regret. These regrets might include the ways in which we’ve hurt the people we care about, […]