How to Create Intentional Goals in Recovery
To foster growth or healing in any area of life, goal-setting is necessary. Setting goals not only develops long-term vision but also short-term motivation. Those in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) or a co-occurring mental health disorder likely have goals of getting sober and sustaining healing. However, to effectively achieve these broader goals, individuals …
How Gratitude Fuels Healing
There is no question that the symptoms of substance use disorder (SUD), unresolved trauma, and other mental health disorders can be quite distressing. In recovery, women must learn to effectively navigate these symptoms by incorporating a variety of healing tools into daily practice. While meditation and mindfulness are often encouraged, gratitude is another deliberate mindfulness …
Identifying a Toxic Relationship
In addiction recovery, people begin to learn about the importance of self-awareness for healing. As self-awareness increases in treatment, a person will be able to better recognize factors that could potentially hinder their ability to achieve and sustain sobriety. Nevertheless, there are many potentially harmful circumstances that can be challenging to identify and, more importantly, …
Dating in Recovery
When a person is in early recovery from addiction, they must prioritize their sobriety and well-being above all else. Many circumstances can hinder a person’s ability to maintain abstinence, which must be avoided until they feel confident in their sobriety. One opportunity that can present an array of challenges for those in early sobriety is …
The Importance of Sleep for Healing
There is no doubt that recovery presents a plethora of challenges for individuals seeking healing from addiction, trauma, and more. Some of the most obvious challenges include learning how to manage substance use triggers and cravings and reestablishing joy in life. Another challenge that is often under-discussed, yet remains extremely important to the recovery journey, …
Searching for Hope in Recovery
Those who seek healing for addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders must take a courageous step into uncharted territory. Having hope is a necessary part of this process. Without hope, an individual may not be able to visualize the beautiful healing qualities that sobriety and recovery can bring to them. Nevertheless, learning about the importance …
The Importance of Women’s Empowerment for Recovery
Women struggling with addiction and mental health disorders often report experiencing a loss of power and control over their lives. They may feel as if their substance abuse or distressing mental health symptoms are subverting their autonomy. To effectively restore a sense of power and control, women must recognize the undeniable value of empowerment for …
Learning New Life Skills in Recovery
Unfortunately, many people with substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental health disorders experience a lack of development in the life skills necessary for thriving. Substance abuse, trauma, and other stressors can further affect an individual’s ability to apply these skills in their daily life effectively. Fortunately, many treatment and recovery facilities offer an abundance …
How Do I Know if My Relationship Is Unhealthy?
In addiction recovery, you will be tasked with evaluating your interpersonal relationships. This includes romantic relationships as well as the relationships you have with family, friends, and other loved ones. The quality of your interpersonal relationships likely played a role in the development of your substance abuse or mental health disorder. Likewise, the relationships you …
Fostering Emotional Strength in Recovery
Emotional regulation is a skill that is necessary for proper functioning and well-being throughout life. When a person is in recovery from substance abuse or other mental health disorders, they must reflect on how their emotional distress may have contributed to the development of their self-destructive behaviors. Further, they must recognize the role that emotional …
Why Proper Sleep Hygiene Is Vital for Women in Recovery
It is common for individuals seeking recovery from mental health, trauma, and substance abuse to believe that participating in a treatment program will bring lasting healing to their life. While it is true that treatment will help individuals address and overcome problematic patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, lasting healing requires more than merely participating …
The Effects of Attachment Styles on Relationships
There are a variety of factors that influence the quality of the relationships that people have throughout their lives. One of these factors is our unique attachment style, which arose from the bond people had with their caregiver during childhood. There are four attachment styles – secure, insecure-avoidant, insecure-resistant, and disorganized – that a person …
Living With Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition that impacts an individual’s ability to effectively regulate their emotions. Furthermore, such emotional dysregulation is known to significantly interfere with the individual’s interpersonal relationships. Earlier research on BPD found a higher proportion of women being diagnosed with the condition compared to men. However, current research has …
What Are Self-Destructive Behaviors?
Throughout life, all of us will develop coping mechanisms for managing difficult emotions and experiences. Oftentimes, these coping mechanisms are positive, such as engaging in exercise or mindfulness practices. However, many people will develop coping mechanisms that cause them physical or mental harm. These are also known as self-destructive behaviors. Becoming familiar with self-destructive behaviors …
Recovery Is Not Linear
One of the most harmful misconceptions about recovery is that it is a linear process. Not only does this misconception hold individuals back from seeking the support they need to heal, but it also perpetuates a cycle of self-abuse. The truth is recovery from substance use disorder (SUD), trauma, and other mental health disorders is …
Holistic Healing in Recovery
There are many avenues that one can take for addiction treatment and recovery. As more interventions and treatment options have developed throughout the years, it is more recognized that traditional treatment approaches may not be adequate for sustaining sobriety. Substance use disorder (SUD) interferes with a person’s mind-body-spirit connection. To address this aspect of recovery, …
Supporting a Loved One in Recovery
The 2019 National Survey of Drug Use and Health by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that more than 20 million individuals aged 12 and older had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the United States. The high prevalence of SUD confirms that nearly everyone is affected by substance abuse in …
The Benefits of a Recovery Coach
Within the realm of addiction treatment, it is not uncommon for individuals to feel as if there is a disconnection between themselves and their healthcare team. To bridge this gap, many treatment facilities provide services such as a recovery coach. There are many benefits that recovery coaches can bring to an individual’s sobriety and overall …
The Value of Trauma-Informed Treatment for Recovery
Trauma plays a well-known role in the development of addictive behaviors and substance use disorder (SUD). Despite this, not all treatment facilities adopt nor utilize empathetic approaches when treating trauma or substance abuse. When a facility offers trauma-informed treatment, it indicates that they are passionate about providing a safe and supportive atmosphere to clients to …
Finding Joy in Recovery
The journey to recovery does not only require one to cease substance abuse and other addictive behaviors. It also requires individuals to rediscover and redefine joy in their life. However, due to the effects that chronic substance abuse has on an individual’s brain, finding joy in recovery can be easier said than done. Part of …
Do I Struggle With Psychological Inflexibility?
The ability to persevere beyond life’s stressors and adapt to unexpected life challenges as they occur are necessary skills for well-being. Unfortunately, however, many people struggle to be flexible and adaptive. This can be especially true for those struggling with substance use disorder (SUD) and other mental health disorders. If this describes you, it may …
What Can I Expect From a 12-Step Program?
There are many effective treatment approaches available for those seeking recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) and addiction. One type of intervention that is well-researched for its effectiveness includes 12-Step programs. These programs rely on the valuable Twelve Step framework created by Bill Wilson during the development of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in 1938. Twelve-Step programming …
What Are Personality Disorders?
Personality disorders are a broad category of mental health disorders that involve long-term patterns of maladaptive thoughts and behaviors. These types of mental health disorders can significantly interfere with an individual’s ability to function normally in daily life. Similar to other types of mental health disorders, personality disorders are known to co-occur alongside substance abuse …
The Value of Spirituality in Healing
To achieve full recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) and mental disorders, individuals must do more than merely go through the motions of a treatment program. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Recovery encompasses an individual’s whole life, including mind, body, spirit, and community.” The areas of mind, body, and …
How Does Drug Use Affect the Brain?
Addiction is often considered a brain disease because alcohol and drug use can significantly alter brain structure and functioning. With repeated drug use, an individual’s brain experiences several changes that make it easier to use substances without a second thought. When people consider using drugs, they are often not consciously aware or educated about the …
Can Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Help My Recovery?
There are a plethora of treatment approaches available to treat substance use disorder (SUD), mental health disorders, and trauma. Every treatment approach uses different strategies to encourage and transform behavior change. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is one psychotherapy approach that has shown its effectiveness in treating a wide range of mental health conditions. It’s …
What Is Postpartum Depression?
From conception to labor and birth to transitioning to life with a newborn, the process of childbearing is undeniably taxing. New mothers experience a wide range of physical and emotional changes as a result of this process, making them uniquely vulnerable to developing depression. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a type of depression that commonly develops …
Navigating Interpersonal Relationships in Recovery
Recovering from substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental health disorders requires individuals to reflect and address all areas of well-being in their lives. One of these areas is social well-being, comprised of an individual’s interpersonal relationships. Learning how to navigate interpersonal relationships in recovery can be quite a challenge. The effects of substance abuse …
How Does Substance Abuse Uniquely Affect Women?
Women and men experience unique physical and psychological issues from substance abuse. While many aspects of substance abuse and addiction are shared across genders and sexes, women and men often have different motives for using alcohol and other drugs. They experience varying effects from drug use and respond to addiction treatment differently. Becoming familiar with …
How Does Childhood Trauma Impact Mental Health Throughout Adulthood?
Childhood is a crucial developmental period that has long-lasting impacts on an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional health. When an individual is exposed to traumatic events and circumstances during childhood, they experience increased risks of developing severe, chronic illnesses, including addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders. Becoming familiar with the long-term effects of childhood trauma …
The Benefits of Gender-Specific Treatment
Fundamental biological and behavioral differences exist between individuals of different sexes and genders. However, these differences are not always considered when it comes to treatment and recovery for substance use disorder (SUD) and other mental health disorders. Different from co-ed treatment, gender-specific treatment acknowledges the unique elements of gender that often contribute to substance abuse …
What Is Social Anxiety Disorder and How Does it Feel?
The next big event is coming up. Say you are required to attend a work conference in person. Maybe you got invited to a holiday event with a large group of friends. Perhaps your spouse’s family reunion is coming up, and you are completely dreading it. Whatever it is, you were feeling just fine before …
What Does Gaslighting Feel like?
According to the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (n.d), domestic violence is a cycle of behavior used by an individual to take control and hold power over their intimate partner. The behavior may consist of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Every situation is different, but any form of intimidation is classified as abuse. …
How to Cope with Caregiver Burnout
There often comes a phase in your life where you have to sacrifice your personal time and care for a loved one. It could be a grandparent nearing the end stages of life with Alzheimer’s or dementia or a loved one in active addiction facing challenges taking care of themselves. Supporting a care recipient can …
Depression and the Holiday Season
According to Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, symptoms of depression can accompany the holidays. There is also an increase in alcohol-related deaths during the holiday season. Depressive symptoms are a critical factor in both of these scenarios, as the holiday season is notoriously a time of increased activity and changes in routine. Therefore, you might be …
Saying No and Saying Yes to Yourself as an Act of Self-Love
While in active addiction, you probably engaged in behavior or activities not aligned with your morals and values. Without alcohol to persuade your decision-making, acting from your authentic self is easier. Though, doing so requires self-love, which can be a journey. Internal Boundaries as an Inner Guidance for Self-Love Internal boundaries are not self-protection to …