The holidays bring with them both a disruption of daily routine and a series of long-held traditions, both of which can feel threatening to someone who is in recovery. If you or your family’s holiday traditions are not conducive to sobriety, it’s time to consider creating new traditions that support your health and wellbeing. Risk...Read More
The holidays are a time of year that many people in recovery dread. If you are among them, now is a good time to start preparing your battle plan for defending your sober lifestyle against the situations you could encounter in the next few weeks. Thinking Ahead SMART Recovery, a science based recovery program, suggests...Read More
Even though the holidays can be a time when families enjoy one another’s company and celebrate traditions, they can also be stressful for many people. Because merriment and stress are both sometimes accompanied by overindulgence, the holidays may be a time when you notice concerning patterns of behavior in your loved ones. If holiday gatherings...Read More
Unfortunately, stress is an unavoidable part of life. Aside from the challenges related to being in recovery, you may find yourself feeling stressed out by a big project at work, money troubles at home, disagreements with your significant other, or unexpected parenting challenges. The key to staying on track with your sobriety is learning how...Read More
Veterans Day Each November, the United States honors Veterans by celebrating Veterans Day. This holiday generally involves restaurants offering free meals to former service members and the general public offering words of thanks to reflect their gratitude for the service those individuals have given to our country. Unfortunately, what our celebrations don’t acknowledge is the...Read More
The holidays are just around the corner. This may be the first time you’re seeing some relatives since you entered recovery, and if that makes you anxious, you are not alone. It can be difficult for people who are newly sober to know how to talk about changes they have made in their lives with...Read More
A variety of factors can make the fall and winter months a more difficult time to stay sober. Not only are these months colder and less sunny in many places, but they also contain a potential minefield of triggering events for the newly sober. Seasonal Affective Disorder Even in California, where the weather tends to...Read More
Once you leave addiction treatment and resume normal life, you’ll likely engage in social activities where you could be offered alcohol, either by someone who doesn’t know you’re in recovery, or by someone who seeks to challenge your sobriety. The best way to avoid a moment of weakness is to anticipate that this could happen...Read More
One often overlooked aspect of our country’s opioid epidemic is the high number of individuals who are abusing both opioids and alcohol. This behavior, sometimes referred to as polydrug use, poses serious dangers and requires additional care during the detox process. Legal Doesn’t Mean Risk-Free Since alcohol and prescription opioids are both legal substances, many...Read More
