Addiction rarely happens right away. You might hear stories about someone who tried cocaine or heroin once and became addicted immediately. If those stories are true, they are rare exceptions. Usually, addiction develops gradually and by the time someone realizes she’s addicted, she’s already stuck. No two people have the exact same experience of addiction,… Continue Reading What Are the Stages of Addiction?
Gratitude is one of the pillars of a positive mindset. Feeling grateful takes your attention off all the things you don’t have and puts it on the good things you do have. As a result, you feel safer, happier, and more optimistic. That kind of attitude is contagious and it helps to strengthen relationships, which… Continue Reading 4 Things to Be Grateful for in Recovery
In broad terms, addiction is similar for most people. It involves regular use, physical dependence, fixation, frustration, and loss of control. Whether you’re a man or a woman, you can probably recognize the familiar features of addiction. However, there might also be some important differences between the ways men and women experience addiction. It may… Continue Reading Is Addiction Different for Men and Women?
Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, and dialectical behavioral therapy, or DBT are both common models of psychotherapy used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, and addiction. Each has its uses and they may be used together or separately. In fact, DBT is a specific form of DBT, so in a sense, they… Continue Reading What’s the Difference between CBT and DBT?
The idea behind neurofeedback is simple and powerful: When you can actually see what your brain is doing you have much more control over your mental states. Learning new skills requires immediate feedback. When you learn to write your name it’s much easier when you can see where the pencil is going and make corrections.… Continue Reading How Neurofeedback Can Help You Beat Addiction
“Kaizen” is a Japanese word that means “improvement.” The concept of kaizen is continuous, incremental improvement. That is, instead of making big changes all at once, you make continually make small changes that accumulate over time. This is most often used as a management concept. You find small ways to make a business a little… Continue Reading How Kaizen Can Help Your Recovery
Vaping is a thing that we, as a culture, have to deal with now. While the Food and Drug Administration is still scratching their heads over how to regulate vaping, a whole subculture of entrepreneurs and enthusiasts have grown up around these devices that turn oil into steam. Is vaping a liability in recovery? Well,… Continue Reading Is Vaping OK During Addiction Recovery?
Relapse is common among people fighting addiction. Rates of relapse depend on the substance, but typically the rate is higher than 50 percent, and for opioids the relapse rate may be at least 80 percent. That might seem discouraging, but there are several things to keep in mind. First, a relapse doesn’t mean you’ve failed.… Continue Reading What Happens Before a Relapse?
Lack of motivation can be a major impediment to getting sober. Only about 10 percent of Americans with substance use issues seek and receive treatment. The vast majority of those who don’t seek treatment are just not ready to quit. They might not believe they have a problem, they might fear change, they might fear… Continue Reading How Motivational Interviewing Can Help You Overcome Addiction
Any significant change in life, big or small, doesn’t happen all at once and forever. There’s typically equivocation, trying and failing, trying again, making progress, sliding back, progressing again, and so on. There are typically five stages of change when you’re trying to get from here to there. These can apply to quitting drugs or… Continue Reading The 5 Stages of Change
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