Trauma affects our lives in so many ways. Our thoughts and emotions can feel controlled by our trauma, causing us to feel stuck in the past. As desperate as we are to move forward and live peacefully, the flashbacks and memories of painful events seep into our lives involuntarily and we find it increasingly difficultRead More
Addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a difficult journey to begin and can be even more intimidating if we also suffer from outside issues. This is referred to as dual diagnosis. Those of us who are in recovery and also struggle with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder,Read More
When it comes to sex and love addiction, many of us have preconceived ideas surrounding the qualities and symptoms this addiction includes. We hear the term sex addiction, and sometimes we believe that it only implies the obsession and craving for sex. The aspect of love addiction isn’t something we’re familiar with or fully understand.Read More
Traumatic experiences from our life can be damaging mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Events that are considered traumatic come in many different forms. The range of trauma is wide and highly personal. This means that the healing process will be unique from person to person. Treatments and therapies for those who are suffering from PTSD,Read More
Our behaviors in active addiction center around a mental obsession. Our bodies experience a phenomenon of craving towards alcohol and other drugs due to this obsession. It is this exact infatuation that can convince us that our repetitive drinking and using was acceptable or necessary, even when we desperately wanted to stop. Our behaviors don’tRead More
Even when we are feeling our worst, when life has become overwhelming and working through our trauma seems too difficult, sometimes we are still hesitant to accept help. Our friends and family suggest we may benefit from speaking with a therapist. We’ve seen therapy sessions in film and television and heard the stories from thoseRead More
When it comes to addiction, many of us believe that alcohol and other drugs are the sources of the problems in our lives. As we begin the work of our 12-Step program, we come to learn that the underlying issues we have are inside of ourselves. Alcohol and other drugs were our solutions to theRead More
Moving to a new city or location can be a daunting thought when you are in recovery. If you have lived in one place for a long time and started your journey in recovery there, it can be frightening to leave. Whether you are relocating for your career or other circumstances, separating from the meetings,Read More
Accumulating time sober allows us to reap many rewards in our lives. We become responsible, reliable members of society. For many of us, the reintegration process includes beginning a new job or continuing one from before getting sober. One of the incredible blessings of recovery is that we may find ourselves accepting positions that weRead More
Once upon a time, you were a newcomer in your recovery program. You knew very little about how the 12-Steps works and what a sponsor was. In fact, you knew even less about what you were supposed to do next. Walking into your first meeting or group session, you felt vulnerable, confused, possibly even scared.Read More