Using Blame as a Shield from Treatment
It is hard to admit when you are wrong. By apologizing and admitting you did something wrong makes you feel defeated and weak. The truth is that blaming others for your problems is the weakest solution to justifying your addiction and admitting you need help will prove your strength. Blaming other people for your addiction means never saying sorry for [...]
Why Psychodynamic Therapy Works
Many therapeutic techniques used to treat mental health disorders, including psychodynamic therapy, are still used today because they are effective in helping people improve their lives. When a person seeks help for addiction and mental health issues, they are likely to encounter various types of therapeutic support. How it Works Psychodynamic therapy is a technique used by therapists and counselors [...]
Watch Out for These Dating Mistakes in Early Recovery
Going back to the dating scene can feel like a huge leap following addiction and recovery. Early recovery is typically not a time to jump into new things because of all the other new things happening in recovery. Some people make some dating mistakes in early recovery if they’re not careful. Here are some to be mindful of and how [...]
Are You Setting Yourself Up for Relapse?
A relapse isn’t usually a spur-of-the-moment thing. By the time someone relapses, she has probably been thinking about it and working up to it for a while. A relapse can happen at any time, although it does get less likely the longer you are sober. People are usually the most vulnerable early on but there is a bit of a [...]
7 Tips for Returning to Work After Addiction Treatment
Going back to work after spending a month or longer in addiction treatment is a challenge. You will likely be anxious about returning. It will take a little time to get back into the swing of things. You may not know what your coworkers have been thinking about your absence. You may fear the stress of your job will lead [...]
How is Food Addiction Like Drug Addiction?
According to the CDC, more than a third of Americans are obese and that percentage seems to keep increasing. Obesity has been linked to many diseases, most notably heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Obesity drives up healthcare costs and drives down life expectancy. Researchers are now discovering that food addiction is similar in many ways to drug addiction and may [...]
4 Ways to Keep Your Child From Repeating Your Addiction Mistakes
If you’ve struggled with addiction, you know that it’s the absolute last thing you want your own child to experience. Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against you because the biggest predictor of addiction is having a parent who struggled with addiction. There’s no sure way to protect a child from ever developing an addiction. She may be genetically predisposed to, [...]
How Is Addiction Treatment Different for Teens?
No parent wants to believe her child is struggling with substance abuse, but it is actually common. More than 70 percent of high school seniors have tried alcohol, more than 50 percent have tried illegal drugs, and more than 20 percent have misused prescription medication. Even if your teen’s drug use isn’t an addiction, it may have negative consequences. Drugs [...]
What to do with the Money You Save in Sobriety
Addiction is expensive. A cocaine habit, for example, can easily cost $100 a day. Even the cost of alcohol can add up as your tolerance grows and you drink every day. After getting sober, people are often pleasantly surprised to find they suddenly have extra money in their pockets--sometimes quite a bit of extra money. What can you do with [...]
Does Your Teen Need Addiction Treatment?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, by senior year, more than 70 percent of teens will drink alcohol, more than 50 percent will try an illegal drug, and more than 20 percent will use prescription drugs recreationally. While most parents believe their own children don’t drink or use drugs, statistics show they are probably wrong. One [...]