How to speak to Your Kids About Your Addiction
I’ve known many parents who struggle with addiction who have tried to keep their kids out of the loop. The logic may seem sound to you: young children in particular can’t understand addiction, and parents need to retain some level of authority over their kids. Explaining your addiction to your kids is a frightening idea,…
How to Ground Yourself During Recovery
Recovering addicts tend to struggle to stay grounded and present. We obsess over the mistakes of the past and the potential catastrophes in the future. During recovery, one of the most important lessons is to live “just for today.” Living in the present is so important because it is impossible to recover in anything but…
5 Ways To Prevent Bad Dreams As A Recovering Addict
Many recovering addicts struggle every night with bad dreams and nightmares. There are a number of reasons for this. Some of us are battling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dream about the traumas we went through. For others, including me, bad dreams are a side effect of psychiatric medication. The dreams that I have every…
Leave Your Toxic Narratives Behind
When I started my addiction recovery, I was enamored by everything I was learning about myself. I learned that my parents’ own addictions had led to my abandonment issues. I learned that in becoming a parentified child, I had developed the need to control everything. There was so much more. It was like reading a…
The Benefits of a Beginner’s Mind in Recovery
One of the important mindfulness attitudes that Jon Kabat-Zinn speaks about is the Beginner’s Mind. As a recovering addict, having a beginner’s mind can transform your experience of life outside of rehab. Our minds have a remarkable ability to build up huge stores of information that we don’t have to consciously access. Without this ability,…
What To Look for in a Sponsor After Rehab
When leaving alcohol and drug rehab, you will be tasked with the responsibility of finding a sponsor. A sponsor will help you maintain your sobriety as you adapt to living in the outside world. To deal effectively with the challenges at hand, it is important to have someone who you can reach out to when…
3 Ways To Make Money With A Criminal Record
I have a criminal record. It took me years to own this fact, but I have never been able to ignore it completely. I’m lucky that it’s just a minor possession charge. During my years of addiction, I did a lot worse than forget to hide the weed in my car, but I never got…
How To Maintain Your Identity Outside of Rehab
Many people leaving rehab face an unexpected challenge. They finally see that the people who always “had their lives together” are far from perfect. Suddenly they are the ones who have the real problems. This is because in rehab, you spend weeks or months working on your identity. You don’t just deal with your cravings….
Tips For Managing Cravings When Working from Home
One of the biggest changes to life in 2020 is that tons of people are suddenly working from home. While remote work has long been the norm for millions of freelancers, it is a brand new experience for those of us used to going to an office. For recovering alcoholics and substance users, it can…
Is Online Therapy Helpful for Recovering Addicts?
While the country is starting to open up again after an extended period of stay-at-home orders, not everyone is ready to take the risk. For many people recovering from alcoholism and substance use disorder, the situation is particularly dicey. After all, alcohol and drugs can have a severe impact on your physical health. Many chronic…