What did you do just a few years ago, before you had a smartphone? You use your phone to make calls, yes, but now, you use it to text, email, IM, calculate, scan, play games, Google information, and more. Let’s explore whether you could be addicted to your smartphone and what you can do about it. Continue reading
A mother is a precious thing. She plays many, many roles for her family in her lifetime. On Mother’s Day, we honor our mothers for all they have done for us and all the love they have shown us. We want her day to be special. This Mother’s Day, try one of these creative ways to celebrate your mother. If you have no one in your life to play this role, try doing one of these things for your favorite person. Continue reading
If only your problems would stop when you discontinue consuming drugs or alcohol, but that’s not the case. The good news is, you can find continued support based on your life experiences. It’s up to you to find what best encourages you, but some podcasts might stand out more than others. If you’re not sure to which ones you should dedicate your ear, perhaps start with these five addiction recovery podcasts categorized into three groups according to how far along you are with living sober. Continue reading
Caregivers face many difficult decisions when caring for aging loved ones, particularly those with addictive behaviors. At some point, your desire to help may conflict with your loved ones’ desire to make their own decisions, even if those decisions pose a risk to their health. Enabling loved ones to continue in destructive addictions can have serious consequences for you both. Knowing how and when to step in could make a big difference in their recovery. Continue reading
Curiosity and exploration with yourself or other people can help you figure out who you are. Learning what most fulfills your primal desires does not in and of itself denote a sex addiction. Knowing the difference between healthy versus unhealthy sexual expression can change your life during the recovery process.
Turning our wills over to “God as we understand Him.”
That’s a common theme in 12-step recovery. The term “higher power” is also used within step-based addiction treatment literature. This accounts for the endless experiences of faith backgrounds that we all grew up with or turned against as we came of adult age. Continue reading
Even if you and your significant other are still together, it might be time to find experience, strength and hope outside your primary romantic relationship. This will prepare you in the worst-case scenario when becoming sober in case it doesn’t work out with your partner. 12-step support groups and inspiration reading are some resources that could help you whether you are currently single or with someone. Continue reading
As you begin your journey into your new life, you’ll take certain steps to build a new reality. As part of the 12 Step Process, you will reach step Four in the Alcoholics Anonymous Twelve Step Program. This step requires you to “make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” This is challenging but it is also an opportunity to look deeply into yourself and discover who you are and the source of your pain that leads to drinking.
Guilt is an emotion almost everyone has felt at some point in time due to doing or saying things that hurt us or others. On one side, guilt can be helpful because it shows you recognize that your behavior was wrong. On the other side, it can be harmful because it robs you of your self-worth and self-esteem. Guilt can make you feel so bad. You just want to give up on yourself. Continue reading
It takes time, effort, and determination to stay sober and succeed in recovering from an addiction. There will be ups and downs in your recovery journey with many obstacles to overcome. That’s why it’s important to celebrate milestones along the way to remind you of your accomplishments. Your celebrations may be a little different in a pandemic due to restrictions on large gatherings. Here are a few ideas on how to celebrate your special recovery moments and still stay safe during the pandemic. Continue reading
