Building Closeness in Recovery
Many of us in recovery spent our formative teen or early adulthood years drinking or using. During the time we might have been learning to build authentic closeness, we were cut off from ourselves by substances. All types of closeness—romance, in friendships, in familial relationship–require vulnerability, active communication and listening, the ability to set boundaries, […]
Life After Addiction Treatment
Making the choice to attend addiction treatment is a big accomplishment in itself; admitting you need help can be hard. Completing treatment is huge and something to be proud of—and luckily, a good facility won’t send you back to your environment unprepared. Treatment is designed not just to get you off substances, but to help […]
Jealousy in Recovery
Most people occasionally feel envious. This can be exacerbated by social media, where we typically only see the best snippets of people’s lives. Even though we know intellectually this isn’t the full picture, we may respond emotionally. It’s okay to feel jealous sometimes. But if you’re constantly comparing your life to others’, it’s not helpful […]
Understanding What is Unhealthy for You
When you get sober, you can focus on your physical and mental health. But that doesn’t mean everything you do will be healthy for you. Many of us with histories of addiction have a tendency to engage in things that feel good in the moment, but aren’t great for us in the long run. Identifying […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Healing in Recovery Includes Taking Care of Your Body
Getting physically sober is only the first part of recovery; it opens you up to start healing. But healing physically is part of this process. Many of us in recovery neglected basic self-care when we were in active addiction. Addiction often disconnects you from your body. Some of us with addiction may have already been […]