Many people come into treatment and think this is recovery, if I could just stop using/drinking/acting out my life would be fine, it would go back to “normal”. Here’s the thing, what’s normal? Is normal that life you had before you started using/drinking? Is normal the way your life was as a child? Here are the facts, if you walk into our treatment centre it tells us several things. Your […]
This post written by Anne Meadows Spirituality’s Role in Addiction Recovery Addiction treatment programs focus very much on the biological and scientific explanations behind addiction and proven protocols for how to fix them. PET scans show how dopamine – a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward – has large and fast increases in response to drugs and alcohol that mimic those increases seen when people experience pleasure. Dopamine induced by substances, […]
Triggers and associations are strong reminders of the past. For people in early recovery, a trigger or association can be the influencing factor which leads to a relapse. A few triggers are easier to see than others, for example the bar you used to drink at is a blatant reminder of your drinking. Most triggers are a lot smaller but just as powerful. For example, that playlist that always played […]
If you want to maintain recovery and keep running strong, you need to take the same approach a mechanic would take when tuning up a car. But what should you do in order to maintain your recovery successfully? How can you react to the little signs of risk when they appear, and prevent larger damage? How can you cope with life after getting sober? In this article, we explain what […]
By Leigh Belz Three years ago, when Rachel* got her freshman dorm assignment in the mail, the New Jersey teen excitedly logged on to Facebook to look up her new college roommate, Eleanor*. “She definitely seemed like that perfect, blonde, athletic, popular girl,” says Rachel, now 20. But just a few weeks into their first semester, Eleanor, who had been recruited for the school’s soccer team, quit the sport when […]
Understanding that doing step work and going through the questions doesn’t translate to living the program is an important part of this new found life that the steps offer. So often I’ve heard… “But I’ve done the steps”, “I don’t understand why my life hasn’t changed”. Here is how it works, the steps are a guide to the spiritual principals of the program. With each step comes a certain principal […]
By Juliet Abram 09/19/14 -sourced http://www.thefix.com/ Reactions to the 12 Steps: “I think admitting to having a problem in general is the right first step, but to admit powerlessness is unhealthy. .. I think admitting powerlessness is more harmful because it doesn’t help. Admitting that you want and need help is more useful after admittance.” Mara Wilson, former child co-star of Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire, insightfully wrote on her personal […]
Am I an alcoholic? By Bill Manville 08/03/15 -sourced http://www.thefix.com/ My doctor asked me if I’m an alcoholic. I lied. Telling her the truth meant the end of fun. Speaking at a 12-step meeting a few weeks ago I mentioned that old AA standby—that addiction is the only disease that assures you that you’re doing fine. Have one more drink and you’ll feel even better. When it ended, a woman took […]
In early recovery and through experience with the 12 Step fellowship, understanding the true meaning of powerlessness is vital to the process. When I realized that powerlessness was not only about the drugs and alcohol, I found a sense of freedom. I didn’t need to try control everything around me anymore, people, places and things would stay the same regardless of how hard I tried to change them. My over […]
If you understand the fundamentals of addiction, you’ll understand that it was never about the drugs or alcohol or other self-destructive behaviours. What characterizes addiction is the obsessive and compulsive nature of the behaviour and also what happens when we do act out on that behaviour. We start a process that is exclusive to our condition, POWERLESSNESS. Powerlessness means that we lose control and our lives become unmanageable. Unmanageability can […]
Is Cocaine Addictive? Dependency.net produced the following information as a guide to identification of a Cocaine Addiction: Cocaine is one of the most abused drugs in America, according to an eMedicine Health website article.Is cocaine addictive? Despite popular opinion to the contrary, yes, cocaine is highly addictive. While it may not cause the same kind of physical withdrawal symptoms as other drugs, it has powerful psychological addictive qualities. Cocaine has a […]