Of all the things we tend to be anxious about, our fear of the future might be one of the most common and also among the most debilitating. To have some anxiety about the uncertainty of the future is normal. We question the unknown. The unpredictable can be scary. Many of us take comfort in…
When we think of oppression, we usually associate it with political and economic subjugation in our societies. What can be just as harmful, however, are the many ways in which we oppress ourselves. Self-oppression keeps us trapped and locked into lives full of pain. It prevents us from seeking out happier paths for ourselves and…
The more we learn about the power of our thoughts, the more we see firsthand that our focus determines our reality, and we have the ability to create the lives we want for ourselves by choosing our thoughts. What we focus on, we give our energy to, and when we direct our energy in positive…
One element of our addiction recovery that we don’t always take the time to address is the prevalence of our unhealthy boundaries. We often are so eager to return to our regular routines, to see our family and friends, and to get on with our lives, that we don’t even think of our boundaries as…
Living with addiction and mental health issues, we’re no strangers to self-judgment and beating ourselves up. It’s almost as if self-disparagement and self-rejection come with the territory. To heal ourselves and work towards sobriety, we want to shed the misunderstanding and unkindness we’ve been punishing ourselves with. We want to free ourselves from the limitations…
The beliefs we hold and the thought patterns we cling to become ingrained in us over time and with repetition. The more we think them without questioning them, without contradicting them and without working to heal them, the stronger they become. We essentially become complicit in allowing our limiting beliefs to take hold and overpower…
Valentine’s Day is a holiday where you celebrate love with the people that you love. You may have thought that you loved drugs and alcohol but it ended up being a poisonous relationship that left you sick. It is important that you find sober ways to enjoy yourself on Valentine’s Day that do not involve…
Being pregnant while still struggling with addiction can present us with unique challenges, many of which are very difficult and emotional. We feel ashamed of ourselves, embarrassed that we’re still using, and filled with regret. We’re afraid that we might harm our unborn child’s health. We’re afraid we’ll never be able to successfully get clean.…
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…
Upon leaving treatment, we’ll be entering a particularly challenging time that will test our strength and our resilience. We’ll be leaving the safety of a sober living environment where drugs and alcohol are prohibited, making it impossible to pick up our drug of choice and giving us the extra security of knowing that we can’t…