Coping With Guilt in Recovery
Many of us in recovery have guilt about things we said or did (or didn’t say or do) during active addiction. We are not always in full control of our actions when we are drinking or using, so we often act in ways that don’t align with our values. Addiction can also lead to secrecy, […]
Connecting to Childhood in Recovery
In addiction recovery and therapy, we often work through childhood issues. We may find that we’re still carrying confusion, fear, shame, grief, or the effects of trauma. Even people who had relatively happy childhoods may need to work through issues from their upbringing. When there’s significant trauma, that work can be even more painful, but […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Coping With Sleep Issues in Recovery
Addiction significantly impacts sleep. People in active alcohol addiction may think drinking is the only way they can fall asleep (I did), but alcohol is associated with sleep disturbances and related disorders like sleep apnea. 25-72% of people in treatment for alcohol use disorder report sleep problems.[1] Cocaine, on the other hand, can cause insomnia. […]
Brandon Novak Visits Awakenings Recovery Center
Brandon Novak—professional skateboarder, MTV celebrity, and recovery advocate—came to Awakenings Recovery Center on June 17th to give clients hope and inspiration. All current inpatient and outpatient clients attended this wonderful event. At a young age, Novak was discovered for his skateboarding by Tony Hawk and was the first skateboarder to be endorsed by Gatorade. He […]
TruHealing In-Network With Evernorth For Foundations Recovery Center
Effective June 20th, TruHealing is in-network with Evernorth for Foundations Recovery Center. Evernorth is a subsidiary of the Cigna Corporation with extensive behavioral health options “built on 45+ years of experience committed to quality and affordability, accessibility, and compassionate support.”[1] Foundations Recovery Center provides top-quality Partial Hospitalization, Intensive Outpatient and Outpatient programs in Baltimore, Maryland. […]
A Conversation With Carl Erik Fisher About His Book the Urge: Our History of Addiction
I spoke with Carl Erik Fisher over Zoom about his book The Urge: Our History of Addiction. Fisher is an addiction physician and bioethicist. He is an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University’s Division of Law, Ethics, and Psychiatry, and maintains a private psychiatry practice focused on addiction. Fisher’s writing has appeared in […]