When you think of someone with alcohol use disorder (AUD), do you think of someone who is obviously intoxicated, who can’t hold down a job or maintain relationships, whose life is a mess? While that may be true for some people with AUD, high-functioning alcoholics look fine from the outside, seeming to have it allRead More
We’ve all been there. You’re at your weekly therapy appointment, discussing an important issue. But just as you arrive at the brink of a breakthrough, your therapist looks at the clock and says, “That’s all we have time for this week.” Sometimes, it seems like there just aren’t enough minutes in a once-a-week therapy appointmentRead More
In the early stages of recovery, many people are extremely confident that they’ll never want to use again and can’t imagine having a relapse. But we now recognize that relapse is a normal part of the recovery process. It’s not at all unusual for someone to relapse at least one time on their journey toRead More
Summer cookouts, wedding receptions, holiday events, Friday night dinner parties. For people who have never struggled with addiction, these events just sound like fun reasons to get together with friends and family. But for people in addiction recovery, social gatherings can be fraught with triggers. You may be around other people who are still using.Read More
“I’m not good enough.” “Nobody will ever love me.” “I don’t deserve to be happy.” If you grew up in a dysfunctional family, these thoughts may be familiar to you. That’s because traumatic early experiences can be devastating to your sense of self-worth. We carry the negative messages we receive in childhood into our adultRead More
Many people feel stuck in patterns of behavior they can’t understand or explain. In ways both small and large, they may sabotage their relationships, their careers, even their physical health. And while some people are aware that past trauma can be the root cause of mental health and addiction issues, most don’t realize that traumaRead More
For those who have experienced trauma, it can be hard to predict what might trigger an emotional reaction. Smells, sounds, anniversaries of traumatic events – almost anything has the potential to bring back a painful memory, leaving you overwhelmed with emotion and anxiety. When triggered, you may experience what many people describe as the fight-or-flightRead More
As kids, we explore all different types of creative expression. We paint, draw, build, write, sing, and dance regularly – as part of our schooling and on our own or with friends. As we get older, many of us put those pursuits aside, especially if we don’t feel we have a strong aptitude. But artRead More
Most of us have heard of “fight or flight.” But those aren’t our body’s only options when responding to a frightening, traumatic, or painful experience. Some of us become emotionally numb or feel disassociated from our surroundings. This “functional freeze” state is associated with our body’s natural “fight flight freeze fawn” instinct when danger isRead More
Stigma and discrimination in relation to mental illnesses have been described as having worse consequences than the conditions themselves. So why, with increased awareness and so much positive talk about the importance of whole-person health, does mental health stigma still persist? And why do we have such a hard time talking about our own mentalRead More