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
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 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
There are various forms of denial we experience when it comes to addiction, and for many of us who identify as addicts, we’re often most in denial about the devastating effects our addictions are having on our lives. We try to avoid the painful truth of our problems by focusing on the seemingly positive effectsRead More
For many of us who struggle with addiction, we are often challenged to think about things differently in order to heal ourselves, to develop a new mindset around both our illness and our recovery, and to approach our journey with a new perspective. We are often filled with so much fear and resistance around ourRead More
As we’re struggling with addiction and mental illness, everything we do, every choice we make, every pattern we let ourselves perpetuate, is either empowering or disempowering us. When we feel empowered, we feel confident. We know how strong and powerful we are. We have faith in ourselves. We feel grounded and secure in our abilityRead More
As we’re working to recover, it’s so important that we start to become more aware of our patterns, our thought patterns, emotional responses, behavioral patterns and choices. For much of our lives, we’ve been unaware of our patterns, practicing, continuing and perpetuating them without being conscious of them. Recognizing our patterns is an important partRead More
Our struggles with addiction and mental illness have a way of overtaking our entire lives, robbing us of our joy and our sense of self. We feel lost, confused and disconnected from ourselves. Our mental and emotional pain cause us to feel empty, distraught and inconsolable. When we are in this place of suffering, itRead More
There are as many types of traumatic events as there are people who experience them. Trauma can be physical, emotional or psychological. Trauma can arise from: a terrible accident, violence, neglect, rape, grief, assault, witness to a trauma, physical abuse, war, bullying, a serious illness, crime, and catastrophic acts of nature like tornadoes, floods, hurricanes.Read More