One of the most common things a newbie asks about the 12 steps, is how long is this going to take? It’s understandable. Even if you won’t admit it, we know you’re excited about recovery. Who wouldn’t be? But here’s the thing. “Everyone recovers at his or her own pace and experiences sobriety in his...
Everyone is afraid of something but overcoming fears in recovery can mean the difference between life and death. We know that sounds very broad and exaggerated but it’s true. In 2011, 21.6 million people needed treatment for addiction and only 10 percent received some kind of specialty treatment. In contrast, more and more people are...
Growing up, we’re taught that we should always be nice. After all, it is the polite thing to do. However, when you want to help someone you care about deal with their addiction, it goes way beyond just being nice. It takes creating healthy boundaries, getting out of your comfort zone, and saying no even...
If you love someone who is addicted to drugs, overdose is a word that is always on your mind. You know that it is a definite possibility but what would you do if it happened? What steps should you take and most importantly are there signs you can look out for? There are some tell-tale signs...
The strength in surrender is a hard won battle for addicts who have tried, unsuccessfully, to stop using multiple times. Others still may have difficulty even admitting that they had a problem, to begin with. The ability to let go, and become flexible to an entirely new way of living is a challenging task for even...
Surrender is a word often used in 12-step programs. In fact, “surrender to win” is one of the most common expressions heard in the rooms of recovery and it is applied to a number of different life situations. But what does it really mean to surrender? And how can surrender be associated with winning? After...
As the new year begins, we’ve been thinking of inspirational recovery quotes that will carry us all the way through January. Whether you’ve decided to start the new year off with some resolutions or if you are just taking it one day at a time, we have put together a few of our favorites to...
It’s easy to look at someone else’s life and think that they have it all, especially when said people are the celebrities that our culture looks up to. Whether it’s good looks, wealth, tons of friends, or even just fame itself, celebrities are the last people you’d think would struggle with mental illness or substance abuse. The...
Recognizing character defects in others is sometimes easier than recognizing our own. Part of the rehab and recovery process for substance abuse means identifying our personal character defects and recognizing how we let our character defects hinder recovery. 5 Ways Your Character Defects Hinder Your Recovery Why do character defects hinder recovery from addictions, not...
“Is there anyone out there who still isn’t clear about what doing drugs does? Okay, last time.” “This is your brain. This is drugs. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?” Actually, yes. Can I get mine over easy? Or is it easy over – I can never remember. All jokes aside, if you...
