Blog

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...

Coming Back to Recovery Coming back to recovery after a relapse can be difficult. Often times people feel so ashamed and are so full of disappointment and fear that they don’t ever make it back. You may be treated differently by those in your life. Some have stated...

The First Year Getting Sober So you want to get sober. You have made the decision and are willing to take the necessary actions to accomplish this idea. You have either decided to enter treatment, join a recovery group or perhaps you are just going to white knuckle it...

Ayurveda Balance Ayurveda is considered by many scholars to be the oldest healing science. Knowledge of Ayurveda enables one to understand how to create this balance of body, mind, and consciousness according to one’s own individual constitution and how to make...

Surviving court programs, probation, and the legal recovery system Not all of us enter into recovery willingly. For some of us, it was being arrested, placed into jail and forced to make a decision. Either spend time in prison or get into a recovery program. Courts...

I Relapsed, Now What?   So you relapsed? Now what? It is important to realize what a relapse means. Some say it is as simple as a coping response. It is a setback, not a failure! Progress not perfection is something you will read & hear in the rooms of...

Balancing Work, Family, and Treatment   When facing the idea of adhering to a new life full of sober activities such as meeting attendance, maintaining a new living schedule, tending to responsibilities, keeping up with self-care and taking time for family, it...

Will my insurance cover treatment? (Discuss, Discover, Decide) For anyone thinking about treatment, talking to a primary care physician is an important first step, as he or she can be a good source for treatment referrals and medications. Once treatment is suggested...

Should I go to a sober living?   Whether a sober living option is legally mandated, friends & family suggested or self-initiated, it will be useful to many in recovery. For many looking to recover, moving into a sober living home after or during treatment...

When exploring options for treating substance abuse disorder - specifically that of inpatient vs. outpatient care - there are several factors to consider. This blog provides insights that will help you in deciding on which is best for you or your loved one. Inpatient...