As Memorial Day weekend begins, let’s all who fight the war against substance abuse and remember how far we’ve come. Remember the Fallen Sadly, we can’t pretend that everyone wins the personal war against substance abuse. In 2014, more than 28,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses, and over 75,000 from alcoholism-related issues (not counting the […]
Mental health challenges can make an addiction problem worse. In some cases, they can cause one. In others, a drug can bring an underlying disorder to the forefront. What do you need to know about treating co-occurring disorders? Understanding the Breadth of the Co-Occurring Disorders Spectrum When dealing with addiction and mental health issues at […]
The better your focus on the task at hand, the less space will be left in your mind for stress—and the more productive you’ll be. The ideal is a “flow” state of consciousness, keeping your mind in the moment, where you become completely absorbed in your work and are fully enjoying it. Sound impossible? To […]
One of the most significant problems in the world of addiction treatment is getting people to begin a rehab program. Each year, countless people don’t get the help they need. All too often, this happens because prospective clients and their families are worried about the expense. Paying for rehab can seem complicated, but there are […]
Strictly speaking, stress “drives” no one to drink—the actual decision is the drinker’s alone. Practically speaking, there’s no question that chronically stressed people are the highest-risk group for becoming addicted and stress management is essential to recovery. If they don’t start using to escape the stress itself, they may become addicted to medications prescribed for […]
Step Eight of the 12 Steps: We made a list of all persons we had wronged, and became willing to make amends to them all. Step Eight of the 12 Steps is the first major move toward returning to the “real world” with changed behavior to match your changed attitude. In a way, this step is counterintuitive. If the […]
Step Nine of the 12 Steps : We made direct amends to such persons [“all persons we had wronged,” Step Eight] whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. For many 12-Steppers, the subordinate clause in Step Nine of the 12 Steps (“except when …”) seems a welcome excuse for avoiding […]
Step 10 of the 12 Steps: We continued to take personal inventory, and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. Like it or not, recovery from addiction isn’t something you can do once and cross off your bucket list. We all get hungry again after eating, tired again after sleeping, dirty again after showering, flabby […]
Step 11 of the 12 Steps: We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood him, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry it out. As you begin Step 11 of the 12 Steps, you may recall that our post on Step Two […]
Step 12 of the 12 Steps: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. On the path to Step 12 of the 12 Steps, most recovering substance abusers go through a “missionary phase” of […]
When it comes to abstinence, “Just Say No” has been a battle cry against recreational drug use for more than a generation. Yet, teenagers are still saying “yes” to peer pressure. Not to mention the youth and adults who say “yes” to the substance siren call that promises instant pleasure and confidence; easy relief from […]
Nobody is perfect. Over 60 years ago, J. B. Phillips wrote (in Your God is Too Small): “Of all the false gods there is probably no greater nuisance in the spiritual world than the ‘god of one hundred per cent.’ … This one-hundred-per-cent standard is a real menace [which] has led quite a number of sensitive, conscientious […]