We often think of social media as a harmless tool for connecting with people and expressing ourselves. We use it to share updates of our personal and professional lives. We use it to stay in touch with loved ones. We find helpful quotes, insightful articles, and uplifting material online. For many of us, though, socialRead More
Being the loved one of an addict can be a uniquely challenging experience. When we live with a loved one struggling with addiction, the challenges can increase exponentially. What is it like to live with an addict? What can we expect to experience and learn from living with an addict? The Turmoil and Instability ofRead More
Experiencing addictive cravings and trying to withstand all the temptation they bring with them can be overwhelming and destabilizing, to say the least. We feel so strongly tempted by our drugs of choice that we feel as though we need them. We think there’s no way we can manage without them. We feel totally consumedRead More
When we’re thinking about the emotional contributing factors to our addictions, we can’t overlook the pervasive theme of a lack of self-worth for so many of us. We see ourselves as inadequate and inferior to other people because of our addictions and the mistakes we’ve made. We feel worthless and undeserving of success and happiness.Read More
Even when we’re wholeheartedly committed to our sobriety and invested in our recovery, we can find that there are persistent impeding factors that can threaten to derail our progress. Some of these impediments might be unavoidable. Others we can be mindful of and prevent as we’re doing the work to recover. Sometimes these impediments jeopardizeRead More
Many of us struggling with addiction find that we’re also coping with serious physical health challenges. We use our drugs of choice not only to escape our psychological and emotional difficulties but also to cope with our physical pain. We might have painful physical health symptoms that we’re desperate to relieve ourselves of. We mightRead More
One of the things we find ourselves trying to work out for ourselves in recovery is why we used our drugs of choice so excessively and in such dangerous amounts, risking overdose and serious harm, and putting our lives at risk. We’ve mixed different drugs in huge quantities, not knowing what the potential drug interactionsRead More
It’s not uncommon for us to experience feelings of resistance and complacency as we’re working to recover. We get tired of doing the intense work required of us. We feel as though we need a break. We can feel devoid of hope, optimism, and motivation. We want to stay energized as much as possible inRead More
Sometimes in recovery, we feel enthusiastic about our sobriety. We look forward to all the promising developments in store for us. We’re excited about all the changes we’re making. We feel energized and motivated. Sometimes, though, we can become complacent in our recovery. We lose steam. We feel burned out. We lose inspiration and passion.Read More
Living with addiction often means we grow accustomed to having to live with certain emotions that can be intense, overwhelming, and overpowering. Sometimes we assume that those emotions are unavoidable and that there’s nothing we can do about them. Other times we try relentlessly to rid ourselves of them. The emotional ramifications of addiction canRead More