Gratitude is a word often heard in treatment and 12-Step recovery programs. Such places carry slogans like “an attitude of gratitude”, and daily gratitude is suggested as a spiritual or self-care practice. While struggling with substance use or mental health challenges, it can feel as if there is little to be grateful for at all. […]
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Suddenly Seeking Spirituality
It’s often said in 12-step meetings that hearing and seeing the word “god” makes certain people think the program won’t work for them. While it’s quickly pointed out that the program is spiritual, not religious, the point it brings up is important. In the U.S., there has been a continued decline in the number of […]
The Difference Between Physical and Psychological Dependency
Substance use disorders are difficult to understand for many people. The physical and mental aspects of any substance disorder are complicated and unique to the individual suffering. The differences between physical and psychological dependency vary but have some similarities. It helps to know what to look for as a means of helping a loved one […]
Setting Healthy Boundaries Paves the Way for Long-Lasting Recovery
Substance use can derail a person’s life, goals, and relationships. Families are the first group primarily impacted as a person deals with a substance use disorder. Recovery is about taking back a person’s life from substance use. Still, they are not always able to manage it well without the support of loved ones behind them. […]
How to Work Through Codependent Behaviors In Recovery
Struggles with substance use disorders can tear a family apart. The love felt for a family member suffering from addiction can often blind us to the damaging effects of their behavior. Substance use disorders change people physically and neurologically. Codependency with family members or loved ones can contribute to the dysfunction without realizing it. Codependency […]
When the Solution Becomes the Problem: Chronic Pain and Substance Use Disorder
Chronic pain can come in a variety of forms, from a persistent, repeatedly aggravated injury to an illness that inflames the joints or nerves and is estimated to affect over 25% of the population. When pain becomes an ever-present barrier in daily living, the first expectation most patients have of their physician is help […]