One of the emotions we’re most trying to escape with our addictions is sadness. Many of us have yet to heal from the grief over the losses we’ve endured. We still have layers of unhealed pain from the traumas we’ve experienced. We find ourselves deeply sad and depressed most of our days. Sometimes our instincts when living with addiction are to avoid feeling our sadness. Our grief is so formidable
When starting the recovery journey and undertaking everything that comes with it, sometimes we don’t stop to think about all the changes that might come with our sobriety. Often we are unaware of all the different ways in which our sobriety will impact us. We’re focused on getting sober, we know we want to get better, but we often don’t know all the changes that are a part of the
Bipolar disorder affects about 5.7 million Americans every year. It is a condition characterized by both depressive episodes and manic episodes. The depressive episodes are just like unipolar major depression. You feel sad, lethargic, unmotivated, and achy. You lose interest in things you used to enjoy. You can’t sleep or you sleep too much. You may have thoughts of death or suicide. Manic episodes, on the other hand may make
A healing tool we can easily implement in our recovery is including time in nature as part of our regular routines. When we incorporate nature into our healing work, we give ourselves an even greater chance of being successful in our recovery. When we were depressed and actively embroiled in our addictions, we most likely didn’t spend much time in nature. We didn’t get outdoors much or exercise outside. We
We’ve long known that depression and addiction often go together. About a third of people with a substance use disorder also suffer from depression. This is is because depression and substance use make each other worse. This is particularly true of alcohol, which is widely available, addictive, and a depressant. Men who suffer from depression are especially likely to self-medicate with alcohol and other drugs rather than seek help. A
There’s a lot that goes into addiction recovery. Treatment involves therapy, learning new ways of thinking and relating to others, as well as life skills and strategies for regulating emotions. Lifestyle changes are also important. Getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy, and getting regular exercise are all important for managing stress, anxiety, and depression. Once you leave treatment, you have to apply all these changes to your regular life. Having
Every once in a while a new study comes about claiming that alcohol, when consumed in moderation can be good for you. Red wine is most often touted as having health benefits, especially when it’s part of a Mediterranean diet. These positive headlines are more than enough for many people to justify having a drink or two with dinner, even if they know they shouldn’t. Are there actual health benefits
As awareness of the opioid epidemic grows, more people are demanding action, and governments are responding. In the past 10 years or so, more addiction treatment centers have been opening, more insurers have been covering addiction treatment, and recently, public insurance programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare have expanded their addiction treatment coverage. This is excellent news for anyone who struggles with addiction or has a loved one who struggles
Going back to work might be your first major challenge after treatment. Work is often the biggest source of stress for people and therefore has a high risk of triggering a craving. You may also feel a little self-conscious, whether or not your coworkers were aware that you were gone for addiction treatment. Whatever your situation, here are some tips for making your return to work a little easier. Take
Every phase of recovery has different challenges. In the very beginning, the big challenge is just making it through withdrawal without relapsing. Then the challenge becomes dealing with cravings. Then you have to learn to adjust to living without drugs or alcohol as a way of coping with stress. Although these challenges are all daunting when you encounter therm, once you have a bit of practice, they don’t seem like
