Addiction can damage many facets of your life, including your relationships. Rebuilding relationships in recovery and family therapy needs to be done with care. Your friends and loved ones do not enjoy watching you spiral down into the throes of addiction. Before you approach people about your sincere apologies, make sure that you take a hard look…
Many people wonder what causes addiction. Initially, people believed that addiction was simply a black and white choice. And that people that fell prey to it did so because of moral shortcomings. This is no longer the case. As science has progressed, we have learned that addiction can stem from many things. Currently, people see…
You have probably heard about mindfulness techniques and how it can improve your life to be more aware of the present and the things that are present around you. Mindfulness based stress reduction is an eight-week course created by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Created in 1979, there is now a workbook that people can use with it,…
Finding the perfect Christmas gift for someone in recovery is much easier than one might think. Like any gift-buying objective, finding something that is personal to the receiver will warm their heart and put a big smile on their face. 10 Extraordinary Gift Ideas for Someone in Recovery Whether you wrap it in a box,…
Entertaining over the holiday season doesn’t mean dulling down the celebration. Non-alcoholic drinks are just as festive, your guests will still be merry, and they will thank you the next morning when they awake without a hang-over. Besides, the best part of the party is not the booze – it’s YOU! Mocktail Bonus Most holiday…
Studies show that teens whose parents talk to them about the dangers of drug or alcohol abuse are 50 percent less likely to experiment with harmful substances. On the other hand, adults who abuse substances themselves are much more likely to raise children who also abuse drugs. Unfortunately, many children today grow up in households…
A new study by Wellcome Trust researchers shows that warnings about the negative effects of using substances may be less effective in convincing teens to abstain than talking about the positive benefits of choosing to say no. Researchers believe that people have a natural tendency to ignore negative information they have been exposed to when making…
Imagine working on something for an extended period of time, something that means so much to you and your success as an individual. Now imagine you get your whole family and some friends on board, while along the way making new connections with people. Finally, consider the financial contributions made. Then, in one brief moment…
Even in recovery, we can end up in situations where we are face to face with drugs. Unfortunately, it happens sometimes when we are unprepared and least expecting it. Maybe a friend has started using and you walk in on them, perhaps a family member leaves their drug paraphernalia out and you find it. Maybe you…
As a loved one of someone with an alcohol or drug problem, you may have heard this advice: “An addict has to “hit bottom” before he or she is ready for help. You need to take care of yourself, stop enabling, and wait.” As a professional, this advice just never sat well with me. It…