Memory and Recovery
Memory is a strange thing when it comes to recovery. Triggers are essentially memories-circumstances, people, places, or feelings that your brain has come to associate with drinking or using. But for many of us, memories from when we were intoxicated are distorted and fragmented. In recovery, we can feel grateful that we’re able to remember […]
Why Are Basic Needs Important in Early Recovery?
When you first get sober, eating enough, drinking enough water, and getting enough sleep are extra important. The premise of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is that you must have these things in place before you can pay attention to higher needs like community, meaning-making, or self-actualization. This is true for everyone, and particularly so in […]
Making it Through Challenges Sober
When we get sober, our lives tend to improve significantly. I can’t think of any aspect of my life that hasn’t changed for the better since I entered recovery over seven years ago. Still, life is life; there will be hard times. Active Addiction Makes Life Harder Whatever you’re going through—whether it’s grief, stress, job […]
Emotional Age and Sobriety
Addiction impacts most aspects of life, so it can stunt growth on many levels. When our priority is alcohol or drugs, we tend to have less space to develop as people. In active addiction, we often blunt our emotions, which also blunts emotional clarity and personal growth. Changes in the brain make it difficult to […]
Coping With Anger in Recovery
Anger, like any emotion, is valid and nothing to be ashamed of. However, it’s an emotion that can feel overwhelming and make us say things we regret. A lot of recovery is about learning to both feel our emotions and respond to them in a healthier way. First, we typically need some distance when we’re […]
Seeking Closure With People From Active Addiction During Recovery
I’ve both sought closure from people I knew in active addiction, and been the one others were seeking closure from. Through these experiences, I’ve learned to be thoughtful about how this is done from both sides. The Risk of Falling Into Old Patterns When I reached out to one particular person, I was struggling with […]
Top Five Sober Activities to Do in Gaithersburg, Maryland
A big question many people ask when they first get sober is, “What will I do for fun?” Luckily, there are so many answers to that question. Below are five fun sober activities to do in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Watch Live Performances, Take Classes, and Experience Art at the Arts Barn The Arts Barn is a […]
Staying Sober on Halloween
7 Ways to Stay Sober on Halloween Halloween in recovery—especially early recovery—can be a challenge. Most parties involve alcohol. However, there are many fun ways to celebrate the holiday sober. Halloween is also a kid-centric holiday, meaning that most of us actually do have experience celebrating it sober, even before we enter recovery as adults. […]
Taking Time to Acknowledge Growth in Recovery
In my experience, there is a lot of forward momentum in recovery. I’m constantly looking to grow and learn—making up for lost time from my years in active addiction. Growth in recovery is wonderful and intrinsically motivating. However, we can’t keep going and going without pause. The Importance of Pausing It’s important to stop sometimes […]
Staying Sober Through Grief and Pain
Grieving is a huge and really painful process—whether that’s a death, a breakup, the end of a friendship, your health, or any other big loss. Many of us in recovery used drugs or alcohol to numb or blunt difficult feelings. A big part of the work of recovery is facing these emotions sober. When loss […]