The dependence phase of addiction happens when we have started to abuse a substance or behavior and are beginning to become mentally, emotionally and physically dependent upon it. This particular stage in our addictive cycles can be especially hard to detect, and it can take us by surprise and feel as though it has hitRead More
There are countless different ways in which we use our addictions to try and help ourselves cope. Sometimes what we’re most seeking when we turn to our alcohol and/or other drugs of choice is a feeling of numbness, a sense of nothingness, an emptiness as a way of coping because our mental and emotional painRead More
As the family members, friends and loved ones of addicts, we know all too well how hard it is to watch them suffer after years of struggling with addiction and mental illness. We want nothing more than to help ease their pain and see them come out on the other side, renewed, healed and transformed.Read More
We tend to associate peer pressure with the experiences that children and young adults go through, when their friends and peers coerce them into experimenting with drinking, drugs, or trying other things they’re not comfortable with, such as unknown substances and behaviors that they fear might be harmful. What many of us don’t realize isRead More
As the loved ones of recovering addicts, and many of us being recovering addicts ourselves, we are all too familiar with the long, exhausting process of waiting to see if our loved ones will change, if they’ll get the help they need, if they’ll finally do what’s best for themselves and for our families. ManyRead More
When we break down our addictions and look at them more closely, we see that there are in fact different phases of our illnesses that are characterized by how we operate with our drugs of choice, including both the substances and the behaviors that we become dependent upon and addicted to. We might associate addictionRead More
Many of us living with addiction have created enormous undue pressure for ourselves by having this unrealistic expectation that we should be able to quit alcohol and/or drug use on our own, without help or professional treatment. While some people are able to get clean or sober on their own, many of us simply aren’tRead More
If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). We tend to think of our addictions as the behaviors we engage in and the substances we become dependent upon, both of which are actually the surface symptoms of deeper underlying issues and not the root of the addictiveRead More
Sometimes as recovering addicts we question what line of work to get into following our struggles with addiction, especially if we’re feeling vulnerable and prone to relapse. Many might assume that choosing a career in addiction and mental health would be too risky and would create too much temptation for us to give in toRead More
As we solidify our recovery program, a great deal of the mental and emotional work we want to do revolves around exploring the underlying issues that have been fueling, perpetuating and exacerbating our addictions and mental health issues. We often focus more on the immediate symptoms we’re experiencing, the relapses in our addictive cycles andRead More