What do Utah ski resort towns, seasonal affective disorder, and substance abuse have to do with each other? Who doesn’t like walking outside and participating in all the summer activities available? Utah is known as being an outdoorsy person’s dream playground. Plenty of areas to go rock climbing, fishing, four wheeling, dirt bike riding, hiking,…
Drug addiction and substance abuse have many associated myths and false claims. Many of which give treatment and recovery negative connotations. These myths perpetuate attitudes that addiction treatment is simply a matter of will power, or that it’s a disease that no-one can do anything about. The only way we can correct these false allegations…
Addiction is complicated and only a small part is about the substance itself. A more complete picture of addiction emerges when you consider the biology and psychology of the user. For example, someone with severe anxiety might easily become addicted to Xanax because it relieves her anxiety. Another person might be genetically disposed to get…
Living with addiction, we have not been committed to our own well-being for quite some time. For many of us, our own health has not been a priority for many years, even decades, of our lives. Our focus and energy have gone predominantly to maintaining our addictions, to covering our tracks so people aren’t suspicious,…
Including a gratitude practice as part of our recovery can help us to connect with feelings of hopefulness and appreciation. When we focus on gratitude, we’re better able to think positively and optimistically. Gratitude can be a powerful antidote to depression and anxiety. How do we work our gratitude practice when we’re suffering? How can…
As we’re doing the important work of recovery, one thing we come to learn is that our relationships have a lot to do with our mental and emotional health. When we are in stressful relationships, our well-being suffers. Similarly, when we are not at peace within ourselves, this is reflected in our relationships and the…
A common question people have in addiction recovery is whether dreams about using again is a sign they are going to relapse. The dreamer may believe she has actually relapsed and wake up feeling relieved, or possibly distressed that it was all a dream. Dreaming of relapse is actually extremely common in addiction recovery. One…
Dealing with cravings is one of the biggest challenges of addiction recovery. Sometimes they seem to come out of nowhere and they can be very intense. Your brain starts to engage in all sorts of crazy logic to justify using “just one more time.” You might find yourself pacing your room, feeling like you’re about…
Addiction is often referred to as a “family disease,” this is because it affects the family and friends of the addict. Often, we are only thinking of getting help for the person who is struggling, but substance abuse treatment goes much further than just treating the addict. One of the most critical questions anyone who…
In 2015, the population of chronically homeless people in Utah had dropped by 91%. A decade prior, Utah had set forth a goal to end chronic homelessness. The news of this incredible drop in the homeless problem reached national headlines, which promoted other states to look at what Utah, and more specifically, Salt Lake City,…
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