What you eat while recovering from addiction is extremely important. There are now many studies showing the impact your diet has on your mood. So far, all of these studies have found that a diet high in fat, sugar, and processed foods make you more anxious, irritable, and depressed, while a diet rich in whole…
Relapses are extremely common during addiction recovery. A common base estimate is that 40 to 60 percent of people relapse during the first year. Other estimates suggest that at least 90 percent of people recovering from alcohol use disorder relapse at least once before they can maintain a stable recovery and the same may be…
For most people, the early days of recovery are an exciting time. In treatment, you often confront old issues, make new friends, and find hope for perhaps the first time in years. After treatment, you have to adjust to the challenges of living on your own again and applying what you learned to real life.…
Finding a job after treatment can be challenging. In addition to the normal challenges of job hunting, people recovering from addiction may have to explain employment gaps, job loss, and possibly jail time. What’s more, since addiction typically begins at a young age, many people will have lost educational opportunities, perhaps dropping out of high…
In some ways, addiction is all about comfort. Using a substance you’re addicted to relieves pain temporarily and staves off withdrawal. It’s a safe little refuge from uncomfortable feelings. Having your habits and rituals built around addiction is predictable. Unfortunately, comfort is not the same as happiness. In fact, comfort can make you miserable. What’s…
Self-care is extremely important in recovery. It includes the activities you specifically do to maintain your recovery and the things you do just to stay healthy and happy. In reality, there’s no separation between things you do for yourself and things you do for recovery. This might include going to therapy, exercising, eating, getting enough…
Therapy is essential for anyone trying to recover from a substance use disorder or a mental health issue. Therapy is where you uncover what drives destructive behavior and where you learn strategies for emotional regulation, processing trauma, and living a more fulfilling life. Therapists are experts in mental health and experienced therapists have a process…
People recovering from substance use disorders often feel like they have much to apologize for. Addiction can distort your priorities and make you do things you would otherwise never do. They may do things that leave their loved ones feeling hurt, betrayed, and angry. Apologizing and making amends are well-known parts of the 12 steps…
When you’re considering whether to invest your time, money, and effort into a treatment program for a substance use disorder or mental health issue, there’s really only one thing you want to know: Will it work? This is a surprisingly hard question to answer. While a common estimate for treatment success rates is that between…
It’s good to have a hobby in addiction recovery. Hobbies keep boredom under control, challenge you to learn new things, and give you a sense of accomplishment. Trying to learn something new or complete a project gives you a sense of purpose and direction. Immersing yourself in a hobby is also an excellent way to…
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