Our experiences with addiction can come with some very complex interpersonal relationship dynamics that can be very hard for us to understand. One of these dynamics is our resistance to the compassion and support of our loved ones. Most of us would probably assume that anyone would want to be helped while struggling with somethingRead More
If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). We use our addictions in many different ways, often as coping mechanisms for our difficult life issues and as our means of self-medicating from our mental and emotional pain. Our drugs of choice can become our go-to remedies forRead More
Dissociation is one of the many mental health issues that can accompany addiction. Dissociation can exacerbate our addictions and function as co-occurring disorders alongside them. When we’ve dissociated ourselves mentally and emotionally, we often will experience disconnected, fragmented thoughts, as ways of self-identifying. We might be delusional and imagine things that aren’t real. We mightRead More
Worsened Health Outcomes When we aren’t aware of our trauma or how to heal from it, the energy of it tends to accumulate within us, causing us pain long after the initial source of trauma. That painful energy is stored not only in our subconscious minds but in our physical bodies and energy systems asRead More
The work we do in recovery is as much about transforming our inner world as it is achieving sobriety. In fact, the health of our thoughts and emotions can ultimately determine how well we do in our recovery and how successfully we achieve sobriety. This means that if we are at odds with ourselves andRead More
Disconnecting From Our Trauma and Ourselves Many of us have experienced trauma so destabilizing and so painful that we disassociate from it, meaning we disconnect from it, forget it happened to us, or think we haven’t been impacted by trauma at all. We suppress our memories and force ourselves to try and forget them. WeRead More
If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). When addressing the root causes of our addictions, many of us discover that the violent traumatic experiences we’ve lived through in our lives have had intense emotional effects that contribute to our addictions. For many of us, these severeRead More
Self-Limiting Mentality As we’re doing the work to recover, one thing that can hold us back most is the mentality we’ve created for ourselves around our recovery. Many of us have a recovery mindset that is full of fear and self-doubt. When it comes to both our addictions and our recovery, we often feel stressedRead More
If you or a loved one is struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). As we’re working to recover, many of us are dealing not only with our own recovery but with that of our loved ones as well. Very often, our family members, partners, and friends areRead More
Avoiding Shadow Work Our struggles with addiction have a way of disconnecting us from our inner selves, making us feel lost, confused, aimless and empty. We can feel as though we don’t know who we are, what our purpose is in life, and if we’re ever meant to be happy. Our recovery is a processRead More