Sometimes we view our relapses as evidence of our failure. We believe that because we weren’t successful with our recovery this time, we won’t ever be. Sometimes we use a relapse as an excuse to start actively using again. Bouncing back after a relapse means taking inventory of where you got off track, identifying what…
Mindfulness is the practice of becoming conscious in everything we do, in our thoughts, feelings, behaviors, habits and patterns. When we become more mindful of how we are operating mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually, we start to figure out what we need to change in order to be successful in our recovery. Meditation is one…
Self-help groups for addiction include 12-step groups, SMART Recovery, Refuge Recovery, LifeRing, and others. Of these, 12-step programs like AA and NA are by far the most popular, with more than 100,000 AA groups alone worldwide. SMART Recovery is the largest non-12-step program with about 1500 groups in the US. What newer groups like SMART,…
An important part of working to prevent relapse is learning what our triggers are. It can help us to look back at the times when we were actively using, to figure out what things increased our urges to use and decreased our willpower to avoid using. For many of us, stress is the biggest trigger…
Living with addiction means we’re often struggling with inner turmoil, tumultuous interpersonal relationships, challenging circumstances, stress, anxiety and depression. At the root of our pain is a lack of inner peace. We don’t feel grounded, centered, stable or secure. We don’t feel at peace with ourselves, our lives, our relationships. Attaining inner peace doesn’t mean…
Relapsing can be painful and overwhelming, but luckily there are some things we can do to help prevent ourselves from getting to that point. We can take active steps to help ourselves take our lives back and to release ourselves from the grips of addiction. Avoid Toxic Relationships When we are caught in the cycles…
Many of us grow up learning to hate ourselves, and very often it is our self-destructiveness that fuels our addictions. We feel insecure and lack self-confidence. We struggle with feelings of low self-worth and self-esteem. We carry a lot of shame and regret. Our self-image is based on our lack of self-love, and we often…
There’s much about being a teenager that makes drug use and addiction more likely. According to the CDC, more than 60 percent of teens have tried alcohol, more than 35 percent have used marijuana, and more than 14 percent have misused prescription drugs. While some experimentation among teens is inevitable, it is not inconsequential. Most…
Relapse is a difficult and sometimes painful part of the recovery process. There are some warning signs that can signal the onset of a relapse. Becoming more aware of these warning signs can help us to seek out support for ourselves or for loved ones when needed. Depression affects many of us struggling with addictions.…
When we are struggling with addictions, it’s not uncommon for us to give up on ourselves. We lose faith in ourselves. We don’t have hope and don’t feel optimistic about our futures or our chances for recovery. When we give up on ourselves, we tend to give up responsibility for our lives. We can sometimes…
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