By Elizabeth Rosselle Entering into a new year means another new beginning and, for many of us, another set of resolutions… The new year is a great time to reflect on what’s working in our lives and what isn’t. And, while yes, it’s true that it’s just another day, it still provides an ideal excuse …
By Elizabeth Rosselle With the holidays being officially here, lots and lots of family time is imminent for many of us. While some people are lucky enough to have simple, sound, drama-free relationships with their families, this isn’t the reality for many of us in recovery. And, if we’re in early recovery, family gatherings can …
Navigating Uncomfortable Family Dynamics in Recovery Read More »
It’s that time of year again. Time to face the elephant in the room that folks in early recovery often don’t want to address: getting through the holidays sober. And, guess what? It’s not as bad as you think (if you were thinking it might be a drag, that is). Nevertheless, it’s always a good …
7 Tips for Surviving the Holidays (and Holiday Parties) in Recovery Read More »
Addiction recovery involves some major life overhauls, and it also requires us to change our thinking in ways that can be quite dramatic in comparison to how we thought before. Nevertheless, it’s a journey we can take a day at a time, and knowing that we can’t be expected to change overnight makes recovery seem …
By Elizabeth Rosselle It’s easy to overlook the benefits of regular exercise in drug and alcohol recovery, but they shouldn’t be underestimated. Addiction actually changes your body chemistry, and when alcohol or drugs are removed, you’ll most likely be feeling anxious, uneasy, and depressed. These emotions can swiftly lead to a relapse if gone unchecked, …
By Elizabeth Rosselle Getting clean and sober is a lifelong journey for those who take their recovery seriously. And, it also means dealing with life on life’s terms without drugs or alcohol, regardless of the circumstances. This means going through all of the daily ups and downs sober, including the death of loved ones, possible …
By Elizabeth Rosselle One thing that holds a lot of us back from getting sober at first is that it forces us to look at the idea that we might be powerless over something. And, admitting powerlessness over anything makes us feel like a failure. Many addicts in active addiction struggle with life on life’s …
Learning to view Failure as Redirection in Recovery Read More »
By Jim Harvey In 2015, the British author and journalist Johann Hari gave a TED talk that instantly went viral.In it, he told his audience, “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction isconnection.” The title of his talk was no less provocative and was brief and to the point. “Everything youthink …
By Elizabeth Rosselle When we first get sober, the only thing we’re typically thinking about is the fact that we can no longer drink alcohol or use drugs. And, fair enough. We should absolutely be hyper-focused on just staying sober for the first month or so. Having said this, most of us will likely need …
By Jim Harvey On a website linking to resources for finding help for addiction and substance use disorders, I came across the bio of a renowned addiction specialist and author in the United States. The bio described him as, “a therapist specializing in treating the causes of addiction, and not the symptoms.” At once, the …
Healing Traumatic Feelings to Become Free of Addiction Read More »
