Staying sober can be especially difficult around the holiday season when there are so many events and parties. These kinds of situations can cause stress, triggering thoughts or urges to use substances. Sobriety becomes even more challenging when drugs or alcohol are present at these events. Getting through the holiday season may seem daunting, but [...]
Think about the term 'self-care' for a moment. What kinds of thoughts come to mind? Perhaps self-pampering like taking a warm bath, getting a manicure, or snuggling under a blanket. Maybe you're also thinking of self-care activities like taking a hike, going for a walk, or calling a friend. Self-care can include all of these [...]
Addiction can result from and bring forth emotions and thoughts that are difficult to deal with. These emotions can drive an addict to behave in ways they later regret. It can be challenging to figure out how to act in opposite ways that have more positive outcomes. A question I often ask my own clients [...]
When the weather gets warmer and pools open up, it can be a very enjoyable and relaxing time. Then you get your first BBQ invitation, one of perhaps many over the summer months. While exciting, this can become stressful if you are in recovery and sticking to sobriety. Here are some tips for success and [...]
Do you have a loved one that is struggling with addiction or in early recovery? Watching someone you love struggle with an alcohol or drug problem is painful for the entire family. It causes many intense feelings such as anger, confusion, sadness, and worry. Addiction is a “family disease” because the entire family becomes consumed [...]
Unmanageability is not a word that we hear often unless we are familiar with 12 Step programs and recovery but, it is one of the identifying characteristics of drug and alcohol addiction. Most of us like to believe that we exert a certain amount of control in our lives. When we begin to struggle with [...]
How many times have you felt very stressed and turned to friends for empathy and all you received was a "Don't worry about it!". It is very easy to say "Don't worry about it!" but unfortunately, it is not as easy to live by as Anxiety can feel unmanageable if left unattended. The main problem [...]
Judson Brewer, M.D., Ph.D. is the director of research at the Center for Mindfulness and associate professor in medicine and psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, an adjunct professor at Yale University, a longtime meditator and has written a book called The Craving Mind. His research has shown him what leads to people [...]
Throughout our lives, we naturally develop defenses to protect ourselves from thoughts, feelings, or experiences that seem uncomfortable. For example, we might deny that an uncomfortable situation is happening because we don't want to face that discomfort. You might think of defenses as rose-colored glasses that we put on so we can try to change [...]
The holiday season can be a joyous yet, stressful time of year especially for those who struggle with substance abuse. Addiction and the holidays can make falling back upon bad behaviors easy. There are a few simple and practical things that the addict can do to prepare for the holiday season to minimize relapse. The [...]