There are many signs we might be struggling with addiction, and changes in our behavioral patterns are some of the most obvious telltale signs we have a problem. If you’re questioning whether or not addiction might be an issue for you, try to become more mindful of the behavioral changes you experience, both after usingRead More
Many of us struggling with mental illness and addiction have been conditioned to think that we are powerless over our thoughts and feelings and that we have no control over how we’re affected by them. We may have experienced episodes of depression so strong and so debilitating we felt incapacitated by them. We may haveRead More
Those of us struggling with addiction and mental health issues are no strangers to panic attacks and to the debilitating, paralyzing pain of panic. Sometimes when we think of our panic, we’re only considering the symptoms, the intense fear, the physical manifestations of hyperventilating and accelerated heart rates, our racing thoughts, and our inability toRead More
Our inner demons are the thoughts, feelings and beliefs we feel cause us the most pain, that we obsess about and dwell on, that we feel haunted, consumed and tortured by. We feel unable to escape the voices of our inner demons that are constantly telling us what to do, how to think and howRead More
The losses we experience, and the accompanying grief, can be such a huge blow to us that we suffer in extreme ways, with both our mental health and our addictions taking a turn for the worse. We struggle with depression, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, insomnia and eating disorders. We often increase our drug use andRead More
When we are in pain as adults living with addiction and mental illness, the source of our pain is often the unmet needs of our wounded inner child. The ways in which we were impacted as children, the traumas we endured and the losses we sustained don’t disappear as we get older. The ramifications ofRead More
If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). When living with addiction and mental illness, a common and very painful occurrence for many of us are the traumatic breakdowns we experience. We break down mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. We feel as though we can no longerRead More
Our mental health issues, which include our addictions, can cause us to feel as though we have no control over our own minds, our choices and our actions, and our lives as a whole. This can be a terrifying and debilitating feeling. We feel powerless, hopeless, defeated and weak. We feel as though we haveRead More
When we’re working to recover, we place the majority of our emphasis on abstaining from our drug of choice and figuring out how we can prevent ourselves from relapsing. We practice coping skills to help us manage our self-destructive impulses. We look for ways to handle the temptation of our addictive urges and compulsions. WeRead More
If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Many of us who struggle with addiction and mental health issues find ourselves facing what is often described as an existential crisis. More than just an ordinary crisis where we’re dealing with difficult life circumstances, complex situations and toughRead More