Faith and the Holiday Season Regardless of how religious you are or what denomination of faith you follow, there’s something about the holiday season that often encourages a deeper relationship with spirituality. If you’re in recovery from substance abuse, you might be drawn to the ease and goodwill associated with a foundation of faith as...

Even during our sunniest moods, there can be a slight shadow. It might be for something minor: “Geeez, I was rude not letting that driver pass.” Or a situation more major: “I’m sure the boss thinks I’m an idiot for speaking up like that.” Negative Self-Talk is Common Few of us are immune to negative...

There’s not a single method of addiction treatment that works for everyone. As difficult as it might be to accept this fact, if you or your loved one are spiraling through an endless addiction loop, it’s tempting to grasp any lifeline. Medication-Assisted Treatment One possibility for combating addiction that frequently comes up is medication-assisted treatment...

You Can Stay Focused and Have Fun Sometimes, resisting the urge to drink is more than just saying no. You need solid intention and a step-by-step plan to stay focused on goals and avoid relapse. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy sober socializing, holiday parties, or other large celebratory gatherings. However, you do need to...

Society has come a long way from the “take two aspirin and call me in the morning” wellness approach. Evolving information about maintaining good health appears in the news all the time. While some options might be a tad suspect—harkening back to the days of traveling salesmen with snake oil and mysterious elixirs—modern science supports...

When people recover from substance abuse, everything isn’t automatically okay. It might be hard to hear that, but it’s essential to understand that your body and mind went through major changes because of drugs or alcohol. This fact is one of the primary reasons why people are cautioned not to quit cold turkey, but instead...

Getting Along No matter who we are or what we’ve experienced, we’re not going to get along with everyone. There will always be people in our lives who are oil to our water; we just have a hard time mixing with them, regardless of how we feel about them. There are dozens of reasons why...

Unsettling Numbers Recent research about women and increased alcohol-related deaths made the news circuit in late 2018, and the numbers were unsettling. What surprised many people about these new statistics was simply that the problem wasn’t fully identified until now—even after decades of anecdotal evidence. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), based at...

Recovery Health There are dozens of ways to maintain your health. You can eat nutritious food and exercise on a regular basis. Spending quality time in nature is always a good boost. Building a supportive community is also beneficial to your wellbeing. Another way to influence your health is to volunteer. Giving back helps define...

Comfort Levels Many people don’t feel comfortable sharing their business with others. Regardless of what “oversharers” do on social media, other people prefer to keep personal matters to themselves. This attitude may be a deliberate choice, a reflection of how they were raised, or perhaps a sign that they don’t trust other individuals to value...