If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). When we’re depressed and living with addiction, we can feel overwhelmed with how bad we feel about ourselves. We feel inadequate, unlovable, unworthy and ashamed. We feel as though we can do no good. We worry we’re doomed…
Many men are afraid to let people know about their depression because men are expected to be tough with their feelings. According to Health.com, over five million men suffer with depression in the United States. It is important for men to have the courage to admit that they have depression so that they can do…
Living with addiction and mental health issues, we are no strangers to feeling a lack of peace in our lives. We live with inner turmoil, mental and emotional pain, chaotic life circumstances, and dramatic relationships. We feel confused, overwhelmed, panicked and stressed out. We feel lost and alone, misunderstood, rejected and shunned. Any sense of…
Many of us are struggling with addictive behaviors that may not include substance abuse. We might be addicted to sex or dating, gaming, gambling, shopping, shoplifting, or eating. Any behavior that we engage in can become addictive, meaning even things that are normal, natural parts of life such as sex and food become destructive and…
Struggling with addiction and mental health issues can make us question everything about ourselves – who we are, what our purpose is, what our place in this world is. When we don’t feel connected to ourselves, when we don’t know who we are, our self-doubt, insecurity and misguidedness can contribute to our addictions. Our lack…
Just because members of your family are related to you does not mean that everyone gets along all the time or that you do not have your complaints about them. You will surely see many of those stress-inducing family members if you or someone else is holding a New Year’s Eve party. It is important…
The power of our imagination can be a destructive thing. It can cause us to anticipate the worst. We think in worst case scenarios and plan for the worst possible outcome in any given situation. We lose our optimism and hopefulness. We stop being able to think positively. These negative thought patterns can make things…
Loneliness is one of the emotions we associate with negativity. We don’t want to feel it, so we reject it and do whatever we can not to have to feel it. For many of us, it can be a driving factor behind our addictions. We’re afraid to be lonely, so we distract ourselves with dating…
Living with addiction can mean going through times where we struggle so much that we give up hope. We lose our ability to see a future for ourselves with joy, faith and optimism. Giving up hope can be a sign we’ve fallen into depression. It also makes us more susceptible to letting our addictions totally…
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, PLEASE call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Under healthy circumstances, our natural instincts would be to want to protect ourselves, to preserve our health and keep ourselves safe. We would want to take good care of ourselves and keep ourselves out of harm’s way. For…