Blog

Case Management Once our clients have completed their intake process, they are assigned a caseworker from our Heartland House staff to support them in accomplishing their individualized treatment program. Assisting the Recovery Process In completing their intake...

Person-Centered Care “There is no cookie-cutter approach to treatment and recovery. Individual life experience, past trauma, physical health conditions, substance abuse history, and mental health all interact with and add complexity to each person’s addiction. Some...

Are parties still fun if since I'm sober now? A big concern for a lot of people getting sober is wondering if you can have fun anymore. You absolutely can have fun in sobriety! First of all, if you really search yourself and look back over your time of using and...

Can You Take Medications in Recovery?* Many people when entering a sober life for the first time may be concerned about certain medications they are taking, or know they may need to take. We'll walk through a few common scenarios, but the best advice is always to work...

Non-12-Step Programs While 12 step groups are some of the oldest, most well-established recovery programs for those with substance use disorder, there are non-12-step programs that have popped up over the years. The original 12-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous, does...

Let's Talk About 12 Step Programs So you've made the leap into a sober life whether that be through a hospital treatment program or maybe even some time Behind Bars, what do you do now? A lot of people in recovery from substance use disorder whether it be alcohol...

Is it OK to cook with alcohol if you're in recovery? The Doctors Opinion of the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book states - "...These allergic types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all; and once having formed the habit and found they cannot break it, once...

What is a sponsor? A sponsor is simply a mentor or a guide who has been in recovery and worked through the 12 steps and no longer has to drink or use. What does a sponsor do? A sponsor is usually a member of a 12-step program who has been in recovery for usually at...

Being Of Service In Recovery Recovery Meetings There are many ways to be of service and one of the most common is in the recovery meetings. Whether it be making coffee, greeting people at the door or taking a service position such as secretary or chair, they will all...

Dealing with Guilt & Shame in Recovery People who battle with addiction or have family members who struggle have witnessed how much it hurts. It hurts the person who struggles, but it also hurts the people around them. It can break up families, ruin relationships,...

Learning To Enjoy Life After Getting Sober Being in active addiction can bring the thought that you may never stop. That a life sober is simply unattainable. Imaging a life of sobriety that is enjoyable just doesn’t seem possible. Even though you see how many problems...

Going On Vacation Sober Let your travel buddies know! Make sure you let the people you are traveling with how important your sobriety is and to prioritize the support they can provide. Boundaries are crucial as well as having proper expectations prior to taking off....

Slip vs Relapse Slip A slip is a single episode of use. Think of a slip as information, a signal that something is not working. Think about what happened, and figure out what changes are needed. A slip is limited to a short period of time, the risk to your safety is...

Being Around Non-Alcoholics In AA, often times its recommended that in order to minimize drink offers members disclose to their friends “at a proper time and place” why alcohol “disagrees” with them. AA also suggests reassuring people not to act differently around...

Being of Service in AA Doing service is voluntary but it is embedded in AA culture and is considered helpful both to the recovery of the individual member and to AA as a whole. Service positions include being involved in the running of a meeting, being a greeter,...

Jobs that are high stress, physically demanding, have a high rate of depression and provide easy access to alcohol tend to lead to higher rates of alcohol abuse.       Construction Workers Construction had the second highest rate of heavy alcohol use in...

What to do after completing a treatment program? It’s ok to feel nervous about life after getting through a treatment program or rehab. You’ve done all this hard work and achieved sobriety. But what happens next?   Coming Back Home Returning home after an...

Getting Your Life Back Through Recovery The feeling of contention during reflection is a solid indicator that you have made a change from your past. Achieving sobriety and getting your life back is one of the best rewards you can experience during recovery. It's...