There is this stigma around the condition of being an addict and that is the last thing I wanted to label myself as coming into the 12-step rooms. However, what I have learned and determined is that we can never change the stigma of an active addict, but I can change the self-image I put on myself by declaring that I am an addict. It puts a name to the face of the trauma and pain. At least that is what it does for me. I learned to become vulnerable and to be transparent with my addiction. Admission to being an addict keeps me honest in the fact that I cannot use alcohol or drugs successfully ..read more

The option to use addiction therapy is a lot more effective than attempting to recover at-home. They can be very effective at creating the tailored treatment plan that will give a solid base to recover as fast as possible. Also, the trained staff has the knowledge and know-how to increase the likelihood of a successful recovery. Let’s take a look at a few of the major benefits of professional treatment: Therapeutic support Counselors can create the tailored therapeutic support that will help increase the likelihood of success. They can include a variety of therapy techniques that relate to mot ..read more

For people not ready to face the world head-on, for people without a sober place to go, and for people still struggling with addiction and a corresponding mental illness, coming out of drug or alcohol rehab and into a sober living environment can be a great way to increase the odds of long term sobriety and success. What is sober living housing? Sober living housing (halfway housing) is simply a residency, that may or may not offer some degree of addictions therapy, and which provides low cost accommodation to addicts in recovery in return for an agreement to accept a certain and strict code o ..read more

Whether you are quitting smoking or facing any kind of difficulty in your life, the question is whether or not you are big enough to succeed. I obviously don’t mean big enough in the since of size nor do I mean it in the usual context of being the bigger person. When we are struggling to make a change it can feel as if we are small and that our problem is huge. It can feel so big that we can’t see our way around it nor can we see over it to where our solution may lie. It can feel as if the weight of this problem is so great that it can literally crush us. The problem is that as long as you fee ..read more

Addiction recovery can be broken down into five major questions that need to be answered, processed, and moved through for success. They are sequential and though the questions may sound simple, there are hidden land mines that can derail your recovery. Here are the questions that need ‘yes’ answers: 1. Do I have a problem? This question might at first glance seem obvious, but it really is the key. If a person does not believe that they have a problem, then certainly, there is no need for treatment and life will continue on as always. This attitude can involve that frequently overused the word ..read more

If you or someone you know is showing signs of alcohol abuse, by first understanding what those signs are and what they mean can go a long way in addressing this potential disease. Most health care practitioners will tell you: consuming one or two drinks per day for healthy men and one drink per day for healthy women is considered acceptable. Aside from this, if the consumption level increases, there may be cause for concern. As anyone knows, dependency on alcohol to get through life is not a good thing. Alcoholism in this country affects all socio-economic classes. Alcohol abuse knows no age ..read more

I would like to preface this article by saying alcohol is a drug. Therefore, I may use the terms “alcoholism” or “addiction” interchangeably, but in the end we are all addicts! If there is anything that is crucial for an addict seeking recovery, it is twelve step meetings. Here is something which will not scare off a person struggling with a drinking habit. In the company of like-minded people who are ready to share their experience strength and hope, addicts participate in such a simple yet effective way to combat addiction: One addict helping another. 12 step meetings have a life changing ef ..read more

Pleasure + Addiction = Pain Most people start their habit because their activity of choice brings them pleasure. Once this habit is a long term problem we start to become aware of the consequences our addiction brings with it and we then realize we don’t want to do a certain activity anymore. The problem is that although we now realize the pain our addiction is causing us we still remember and like the pleasure that often goes along with it. So the question is, can we increase our pleasure in life by overindulging in an addiction? The answer is almost always no. When we overindu ..read more

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the word “reprieve” means: 1: to delay the punishment of (as a condemned prisoner) 2: to give relief or deliverance to for a time “One day at a time” and “I don’t have to drink today” are popular sayings in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (pg, 85) says “We are not cured of alcoholism. What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition. Both dictionary definitions of reprieve can be applied to the alcoholic. When an alcoholic is actively drinking, he is the same as a condem ..read more

When identifying the signs of addiction, it is important to know that while drug and alcohol use and abuse each manifest themselves as different behavioral changes and inconsistencies, they share a number of commonalities. This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of signs of drug and/or alcohol addiction but is instead a list of the most common signs that someone is suffering from addiction. Often, addicts and alcoholics are the last to know that they have a problem, because they cannot see the outward signs of addiction. They attempt to hide their use from loved ones, escaping to a “safe ..read more