The entry point into our best selves, as addicts, starts with sobriety, but it doesn’t end there. The Phoenix Spirit interviewed Kara Frahm, Director of Business Development at Horowitz Health, to capture her story of how the Superior Hiking Trail healed her. In her words, “Hiking has given me back so much of myself. I’ve … The post Hiking Her Way to Healing first appeared on The Phoenix Spirit ..read more

Some of us are not aware of people who lack a conscience—those who lack empathy for others and cannot tolerate differences between themselves and others. Our lack of awareness is sometimes prompted by a misguided fear of being judgmental of others and an over willingness to give others the benefit of the doubt.  The fact … The post The Mistake of Choosing a Person Who Doesn’t Have a Conscience first appeared on The Phoenix Spirit ..read more

Taking a vacation should be easy. Many Americans struggle to truly get time away. A 2022 study by Qualtrics uncovered that nearly half of Americans polled still worked one hour a day while on vacation.1 That doesn’t sound like a real holiday. In fact, some Americans seem to avoid taking vacation in fear of falling … The post The Skill of Vacation: Reclaiming Relaxation in Recovery first appeared on The Phoenix Spirit ..read more

Dennis Medved, aged 89, and his late wife Bev, had a vision. They wanted to provide a place of healing and renewal for those in care for chemical dependency. Both sober themselves – Dennis with 48 years sobriety and Bev with 42 years sobriety when she passed – they understood the challenges associated with becoming … The post A Sober Retreat in the Minnesota North Woods first appeared on The Phoenix Spirit ..read more

I’ve never been a woman who just couldn’t live without having kids. In fact, when Bob approached me after two years of married life and said he wanted kids, I told him I wasn’t sure I was ready. I said first he would have to save for a trust fund for all the therapy our … The post Healing Parental Guilt first appeared on The Phoenix Spirit ..read more

There are many different ways to look at what helps us choose a way of recovery as well as maintaining sobriety — whatever be our addiction. As I continue to reflect upon what I have learned in my journey to recovery, it is the importance of others with whom I have been blessed to journey. … The post At the Heart of Recovery: Making Choices With Support first appeared on The Phoenix Spirit ..read more

I am Stan Popovich and I struggled with fear and anxiety for over 20 years. During these times, my anxieties and fears were so powerful that I had trouble getting through the week and there were times I felt like giving up. I learned numerous lessons from my struggles, which I will share in this … The post Lessons Learnt From My Mental Health Struggles first appeared on The Phoenix Spirit ..read more

One of the challenges of addiction recovery is the risk of exchanging one dependence for another. Individuals in recovery from substance and alcohol abuse sometimes seek new highs in other activities, such as gambling. Providers and individuals within the recovery space stand to gain valuable insights by expanding their understanding of problem gambling — considering … The post Blindsided: Problem Gambling’s Addiction Next Wave, Yet Minnesota Isn’t Ready first appeared on The Phoenix Spirit ..read more

We feature an expert in the mental health and substance use disorder field to answer questions. This issue we talk to Rachel Kennedy of Rachel Kennedy Mediation about using mediation as a tool in recovery. What is mediation? Broadly, mediation is a way to resolve conflict, often after harm has already occurred. There are many … The post Ask the Expert: Rachel Kennedy of Rachel Kennedy Mediation first appeared on The Phoenix Spirit ..read more

It might seem like the easiest thing in the world to accept hugs, kindness and caring from another person but in fact many of us have the hardest time doing that and we may shun people who are loving to us. Most of us actually need warmth and compassion from others especially when it is … The post Letting Other People Love You first appeared on The Phoenix Spirit ..read more