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When your friend in recovery is going through addiction therapy, there’s no doubt your heartaches with a desire to help—to ease burdens, soothe the mind and comfort the soul. And in your best of intentions, you’re probably looking for just the right words to say. So let’s talk for a moment about how the words …
Would all the humans please stand up? How about those dealing with shame in addiction recovery? How can we work to overcome the guilt and shame that comes with recovery? Okay, if you’re standing and reading this article, you probably know what it’s like to deal with shame. That’s because we all have at …
Are Our First Responders at Risk for Addiction? Firefighters, police officers and paramedics share two major job components: each is a hero of the community, and all face inherent danger on a daily basis. These pressures can make first their careers high risk for addiction. You can imagine those dangers, right? Burns, smoke inhalation, gun …
A Few Simple Things to Know About Setting Boundaries in Addiction Recovery Before we get started on setting boundaries in addiction recovery, take a moment to gather a few supplies: A blank sheet of paper A pencil A toddler A few crayons (If you don’t have a toddler handy, your imagination should do the …
Diabetes, a broken arm, a heart attack—these are all widely recognized as medical conditions. But what about a chronic brain disorder? How does it relate to addiction? In some cases, the patient may have even contributed to the onset. Right? And yet . . . A sedentary woman diagnosed with type 2 diabetes receives understanding, …
Recovery offers a beautiful opportunity to view each day for all of the potentials it holds. And yet. Sober individuals live the same ol’ adulting life as the rest of the world: We have to work and keep a job. Have to prioritize relationships. We must take care of your body. And it’s that last …
If you work as a first responder, I’d like to start by saying thank you. Secondly, if you are one of the millions of first responders battling addiction, I want to tell you, there is hope. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to our local emergency medical technicians, firefighters and police officers. You …
To Our First Responders Battling Addiction: There’s Hope for You Read More »
If you’ve skimmed the headlines in recent years, you know prescription opioid addiction is a true American crisis. And things are only getting worse. The CDC reported a 38% increase in deaths by opioid overdose from December 2019 to December 2020. Maybe, when you see this statistic, you think to yourself, “That’s so sad. I’m …
Substance use disorder and mental health issues often deliver a one-two punch—occurring at the same time for people who could really use a break. Or, to borrow another cliche, these dual diagnoses kick folks while they’re already on the ground. What’s up with that? Why do we see a prevalence of co-occurring mental …
If you’ve had an injury or surgery, you may have taken opioids to manage pain. But you may be surprised what happens as you heal. It may only take a short period of misuse before it becomes opioid dependence. You may not realize how much you’ve relied on opioids until you try to stop taking …
Discovering Signs of Opioid Dependence: What Now? Read More »