Getting to the Roots of Your Addiction
The phrase “knowledge is power” rings true when it comes to addiction recovery. Learning about addiction and sobriety—and yourself—is really helpful. Becoming self-aware means learning your triggers and how to cope with them. It also means learning some of the things that led you to drink or use, so that you can address any underlying […]
Making and Breaking Habits
Repeated use of substances “teaches” the brain to crave them. While substance use disorders are an extreme example because they significantly impact dopamine levels—which are responsible for reward and motivation—any habit has roots in the brain. The amount of time it takes to build or alter a habit varies based on the habit, the person […]
Falling Into Old Patterns
The difficult thing about recognizing patterns is that they are by nature instinctive. We “fall into” old patterns because they are something like our default setting—what we do when we’re not paying attention. Recovery gives us the chance to work on ourselves so that we become attuned to our default patterns. Therapy is a great […]
Joy Is a Skill
We tend to think of joy as something that just happens to us. When good things occur, we’ll be happy. But really, finding joy is a skill that you can practice. You don’t have to sit around and wait for your life to be perfect. Relatedly, joy and grief can exist in tandem. In active […]
Common Fears About Sobriety
Getting sober can be scary. It’s a huge change that affects almost all aspects of your life—not to mention that addiction changes your brain so you come to rely on the substance to get through life. Below are some common fears about recovery that I, at eight years sober, have found to be false: I […]
Repairing Relationships in Recovery
Human connection is an important part of recovery, but people may come to early sobriety with damaged relationships. Sometimes people in the throes of addiction hurt those around them actively, and other times they do so indirectly—through things like not considering others’ feelings or causing them to chronically worry. The reason many addiction treatment centers […]
Why Recovery Is a Gift, Not a Punishment
In the years I knew I had a problem before I got sober, I had two ideas about sobriety. 1. It would be the end of all that was good, dooming me to a life of denying what I wanted, and 2. Sober people who touted the miracle of recovery were exaggerating or lying. Nearly […]
Emotional Resilience in Recovery
Developing emotional resilience—the ability to cope with and adapt to stressful situations—is a big part of recovery. When I was in active addiction, I could barely handle even the smallest stressors. When you drink or use drugs any time you’re uncomfortable, you don’t build healthy coping skills. In less than a month I’ll be eight […]
There Are Many Pathways to Recovery
The first time I tried to get sober, I followed two friends into recovery and did exactly what they did. It lasted about two months—which was a lifetime of sobriety for me then, but a lot shorter than I meant to make it. When I got sober this time, nearly eight years ago and six […]
Coping With Restlessness in Recovery
I’ve heard addiction described as using something outside yourself to cope with internal pain. I’ll be eight years sober this August, and that still comes up for me sometimes, though it’s gotten exponentially better. But when I do seek something external to cope with my pain, emotional restlessness often crops up. Restlessness happens then because […]
