choice house blog

Making changes to ones’ behavioral patterns or habits is often a difficult process and especially for addiction recovery patients, not fully understanding why those changes need to be made can exacerbate those initial difficulties that arise from making a lifestyle change. Not knowing about the process of change presents the unfortunate illusion that patients are…

While the summer season is a great time to see friends and family, these social occasions could create stressful environments that challenge your sobriety. Therefore, just the thought of attending social events is enough to create feelings of anxiety and panic. If you are worried about attending family occasions, you might feel the urge to…

The methodology behind treating addictive disorders in the 21st century has evolved immensely over the past 100 years through scientific advancements in the field of psychology. Many of these advancements are due to recontextualizing addiction around the 1930s as a medical condition. The inception of new fields of science studying the thoughts and inner workings…

Both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) are two effective psychotherapy treatments that can treat various mental health issues. While they share many similarities, understanding the differences is essential to determine which treatment will benefit your recovery in certain situations. Let’s examine both CBT and DBT, what each one is and how…

Active substance misuse is often depicted as an isolating and lonely experience, especially while deep in the throes of addiction. The longer the amount of time spent misusing substances, the more those with addiction isolate themselves from their friends and family. Some of this isolation is self-imposed to avoid judgment. Other incidents of isolation involve…

After leaving a treatment facility, early recovery can be a confusing and challenging time for many in recovery from addiction. They have to take the skills and healthy behavioral habits learned in treatment and practice them outside of a facility. In addition to maintaining these newly learned habits, they must also deal with the complications…

Those seeking treatment for an addictive disorder will soon find themselves on the receiving end of a barrage of recovery acronyms, slogans, and phrases. The applicable phrases, such as “This too shall pass,” “One day at a time,” and HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired), will prove tolerable enough while others carry more of a potential…

Chronic relapse occurs when individuals have managed to abstain from an addictive substance but have yet to address the psychological motivators that perpetuate their substance misuse. This involves those in recovery who achieve and maintain a sober lifestyle for an extended period, only to relapse repeatedly with little to no change in outcome each time.…

Recovery can be taxing on the body and mind as clients heal from years of repeated substance misuse. As clients prepare for leaving treatment, the physical healing process should be well underway. They often report drastic improvements in overall mood and physical well-being within the first three months of sobriety. The cells in the brain…