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… Continue Reading 3 Ways Music Can Strengthen Your Recovery
You are probably familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. This is when you have a traumatic experience, but instead of recovering over the following weeks and months, you are plagued by symptoms related to the trauma. These symptoms typically include avoiding anything associated with the trauma, re-experiencing the trauma in the form of flashbacks… Continue Reading What is Post-traumatic Growth?
Addiction relapse rates vary considerably, depending on the person and the drug. A commonly cited statistic from The Journal of the American Medical Association estimates that relapse rates are between 40 and 60 percent, while other estimates put the rate of alcohol and opioid relapse at closer to 90 percent in the first year. The… Continue Reading 4 Reasons Women Relapse After Addiction Treatment
Relapse rates after treatment can be very high. Depending on the drug, how long you’ve used it, and which studies you consult, the relapse rate might be as low as 40 percent to as high as 90 percent in the first year. What’s more, relapse is much more likely if you’re a man. One study… Continue Reading 6 Reasons Men Relapse After Treatment
Making the transition from life in treatment or a sober living home back to life on your own can be tricky. If you have been used to living in a structured environment around sober people, the sudden freedom and social pressures of normal life can be difficult to navigate. One solution to this problem is… Continue Reading The Benefits of Sober Roommates
Most people who develop substance use disorders have some kind of dual diagnosis. They don’t just have an addiction; they have an addiction and something else. That ‘something else’ might be an anxiety disorder, a personality disorder, bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, or schizophrenia. A very common dual diagnosis is addiction and depression. For most… Continue Reading What Comes First, Depression or Addiction?
There’s a common belief that drugs and alcohol make you more creative. This is perhaps understandable, since many of the great writers, artists, and musicians have used drugs and alcohol, too often to the point of addiction and self-destruction. Also, drugs and alcohol make people feel more creative. However, studies have shown feeling more creative… Continue Reading 4 Ways to be More Creative without Drugs or Alcohol
With the holidays coming up, you be looking for gift ideas for a friend or loved one recovering from addiction. Generally speaking, people recovering from addiction like the same things as everyone else, although anything related to drugs or alcohol is clearly off limits. However, you might want to give something that lets her know… Continue Reading 5 Holiday Gift Ideas for Someone in Recovery
As the holidays approach, one hazard to beware of is the anniversary effect. The anniversary effect is when a certain time of year reminds you of a difficult experience. For many people, the first holiday season without a loved one can renew the pain and grief that had started to subside. Or it could be… Continue Reading Holidays and the Anniversary Effect
Hypnosis has been around for centuries and has long been a staple of TV and movie plots. You may also have seen stage shows in which unassuming audience members were made to believe they were chickens or Robert De Niro. As entertaining as these depictions are, they are not an accurate representation of hypnotherapy, or… Continue Reading Can Hypnosis Be Used to Treat Addiction?