Learning about the importance of self-care in addiction recovery has been an unexpected surprise in life. Self-care can be as simple as meeting our basic needs in life–eating, bathing, brushing our teeth, working to meet our financial needs. In my addiction, some of these basic needs were often neglected.Read More

I am coming up on three years of sobriety from working a 12-step program. When I first got sober, I knew nothing about how to live a sober lifestyle. I had been in a 12-step program about ten years ago and relapsed, so I apparently never learned how to live a sober way of life....Read More

You’ve heard the phrase “laughter is the best medicine.” Well, humor-based therapy relies on that concept to help heal internal mental and emotional wounds. “Laughter activates the body’s natural relaxation response. It’s like internal jogging, providing a good massage to all internal organs while also toning abdominal muscles,” says Dr. Gulshan Sethi, head of cardiothoracic...Read More

Any type of addiction hurts families. When someone is addicted to a substance, they may: Not do what they promise they will do Be fired from their job or be unable to work and provide stability for the family Not come home at night Do things they would not do if they were not using...Read More

For many years, family therapists have used the concept of family roles in working with dysfunctional families. Those roles include the role of Scapegoat, Hero, Lost Child, Mascot, and Enabler. Families are asked to identify one role they played. By learning more about their roles, family members can better communicate with and understand each other....Read More

If you or someone you love have sought treatment for addiction, it’s possible that you have heard the term “dual diagnosis” used. What is dual diagnosis? First used in the 1980s, the term was created to describe people suffering from both severe mental illness and substance abuse disorders. In more recent times, the condition is...Read More

Teens are drinking. College students are drinking. “Binge drinking” has been a significant trend for some time now, forcing us to look at the correlation between binge drinking and addiction. Binge drinking is defined as consuming four drinks or more for women and five drinks or more for men at least once during the past...Read More

Talk to any recovering person who has “put the plug in the jug” and you will immediately get a fairly long list of the benefits of being sober. While there are some immediate benefits of being sober, there are also intermediate and long term benefits. Since the benefits keep accruing over time, it is useful...Read More

A Personal Story When I think of the spiritual principle of acceptance, I immediately think of the Serenity Prayer. It is a common prayer in the circles of recovery. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the...Read More

Hydrocodone is an opioid analgesic used in the formulation of many narcotic prescription painkillers, such as Vicodin and Percocet. These drugs are most often prescribed to control moderate to severe pain. Like many other opioid substances, hydrocodone has a high potential to lead to dependency and addiction if abused. In 2014, approximately 4.3 million people...Read More