If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Part of our ongoing work in recovery is making sure we’re not still carrying limiting beliefs within us that don’t serve us. For many of us, these beliefs have become so ingrained in us that we’re not conscious ofRead More
Those of us living with addiction and mental health issues have developed habits over the years that reinforce our addictive patterns along with the mental and emotional health challenges we experience. These habits feed our addictions and our overall lack of well-being. When we have habits that we consider to be bad habits, that constituteRead More
One of the most important things we gain from our experience with addiction is a changed perspective, on not only the addiction and mental health issues we’re struggling with, but also on how to prevent them from developing in other people. We acquire wisdom and intuition that can help us identify when other people areRead More
One thing we learn in our recovery is just how widespread the misunderstanding and misinformation continue to be around both addiction and mental illness. People who don’t struggle with addiction often don’t have the information, experience or understanding to really comprehend what we’re going through, and sometimes they can’t connect with us in real waysRead More
Our experiences with addiction are full of the coping mechanisms we use in order to try to make things easier on ourselves, to try and escape our pain, to self-medicate and distract ourselves from the issues we feel are too painful to think about. Staying in denial and lying to ourselves are two of theRead More
Sometimes as we’re undergoing the recovery process and learning how to heal ourselves, we still feel burdened by feelings of shame, embarrassment and disappointment that we’ve carried with us throughout our lives. These feelings are so strong that we become inclined to keep our experiences to ourselves. We’re hesitant to share our stories with otherRead More
As we’re working to heal from addiction and mental illness, one thing we want to make sure we’re confronting is how self-critical we are. Many of us live with an inner critic that is constantly putting us down and making us feel as though we’re inadequate and unworthy. Our natural responses to our inner criticRead More
An important part of our recovery is our commitment to the goals we set – our goals to get sober and stay sober over time, to change our unhealthy habits and develop new ones, to repair our broken relationships, and to heal our mental and emotional health issues. Our goals can be positive sources ofRead More