Addiction
The Case for Connection
Building a Case for Connection For a long time, “abstinence” was considered the opposite of addiction. Just put systems in place to ensure the person doesn’t have access to his or her substance of choice… and – ding! – addiction solved. Fortunately, the research and understanding around psychological and physiological addictions continue to evolve, and…
Stop the Enablement Train with these 5 Tips
It’s only natural to want your friends and family members to be happy, successful, and financially stable. But sometimes, even our best intentions overstep the line of support and venture into the realm of enabling, a situation that ultimately benefits no one and one that frequently creeps into formerly healthy relationships when substance abuse is…
When Habit Becomes Addiction: How to Spot the (Sometimes Slow) Tipping Point
It’s a familiar progression: What starts out as an “I’ll try this once” turns into “maybe just a couple more times” … and before you know it, a momentary lapse in judgment has snowballed into a full-blown, life-altering chemical dependency. So how can you tell when a habit has entered the harder-to-break realm of addiction?…
How to Start the Rehab Conversation
Maybe there was an incident. Or maybe not; perhaps it’s a wholly unremarkable occasion, just the latest in a frightening, lasting pattern of behavior. Everyone’s path to addiction is different, but the one commonality is that at some point, change is no longer an option. It’s mandatory. The decision to talk to a friend or…
Celebrating your independence from addiction
It’s a day of hot dogs and fireworks, of family barbecues and sparklers and bonfires on the beach. But for our country it’s a day of independence. It’s a day when we remember how our our ancestors fought for their freedom and then set out to create a new democracy. And now, more than 200…
Getting Past the Shame
One of the biggest hurdles to recovery is not just the question, “Can I do this” but “Am I worth it?” Addiction often leads people down a very dark path, and actions along the way lead to guilt and shame. Shame can be a very toxic emotion that has a strong relationship with addiction. But…
How to talk about your recovery
To start things off, we found a great blog that discusses one of the things you will be faced with when you begin recovery: How to talk to others about your recovery. It’s one thing to talk to the people you are in recovery with, but what about when you are back out on your…