Things seem to be going well. We are making progress, showing up, staying sober, and doing our healing work. But then we hit a wall. Something happens. We get angry, defensive, passive-aggressive, or mean, seemingly out of nowhere. Feelings of defeat or confusion kick in, as we wrestle with these parts of our personality that […]
Sober Living
Socializing While Sober
Going through the turmoil of addiction, receiving intensive treatment, and embracing recovery is such a powerful undertaking and such a beautiful accomplishment. But figuring out how to return to our life and the world after such a painful process can be just as overwhelming. There can also be fear, uncertainty, trepidation, anxious excitement, or curiosity […]
I’m Sober, but Am I Still an Addict?
We use descriptors every day to define ourselves in the world and to describe who we are in relation to others. Many of the words we use speak to identities, relationships, and commitments that we have, and a lot of the time, it’s easy to share about these parts of ourselves. But for those of […]
Why Is Hope so Powerful in Recovery?
We use the word “hope” all the time. We hope someone has a good day, we hope something works out, we hope for the best. This little word plays a big role in our communication with each other. On a bigger scale, hope can be the difference between giving up and holding on. Hope can […]
Life in Recovery: Finding Meaning and Discovering What Maintenance Means to You!
Life is challenging on its own, but for those of us in recovery, returning to the world after treatment adds levels of complexity and confusion. How do we do it—handle the responsibilities of life, and the work of recovery? While it is understandably hard to navigate, we must remember that we have the power to […]
Made a Decision: The Choice to Get and Stay Sober
The rise of intervention-based reality TV has created a false notion in the realm of substance use disorders and recovery: that a person must reach a “bottom” or the end of the road before they are willing to get sober. While it’s true that family members and loved ones should set and hold onto healthy […]