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 […]
emotions
The Wounded Child: Healing Generational Patterns, and Becoming Who We Want to Be
The presence of parents or role models during our early childhood years can have a tremendous impact on our lives. In the midst of heartbreak or hurt, many of us express the desire or noble intention to be better than our parents. And once we have found stability in recovery, we can truly begin the […]
Anger: How to Manage the Unmanageable
We have dozens of adjectives to describe anger. Annoyed, bitter, frustrated, resentful, livid, and countless others are all ways of describing the emotion. Those that struggle with a substance use disorder are often well acquainted with this feeling since the powerlessness we experience leaves us in a constant battle with it. Even after reaching recovery, […]
Where Do I Fit In? Finding Your Place in Recovery
Completing and leaving treatment is among the more bittersweet experiences in the life of a person that has recovered from substance use disorder. While there is a sense of accomplishment and pride coupled with a new sense of hope, it also feels daunting and surreal. After years of suffering from the symptoms of substance use […]
Who Is Responsible for My Feelings?
Our feelings could be described as animating, messy, powerful, raw, real, sudden, unpredictable, and even wild. Everyone experiences a spectrum of feelings every day. Although we are responsible for our own feelings, what we feel is also influenced, heightened, dampened, or muted by others. When a breaking point with an intense feeling is reached, it […]
Emotional De-regulation
We hear a lot in the recovery space today about dual diagnosis and co-occurring mental health issues when substance use disorder is brought up, 45% of people fall into this category. While true that many who suffer from substance use struggle with another mental health disorder, it does not always take a secondary diagnosis to […]