After treatment, joining a mutual aid group is a good way to continue in recovery. Attending regular meetings is a good way to reaffirm your commitment to recovery and review the lessons you learned in treatment. It’s also a great way to build a sober network. A strong sober network is one of the best…
Relapse rates are difficult to measure reliably, but one frequently cited study estimates that between 40 and 60 percent of people will experience a relapse. The number is much higher for some substances. People who have quit drinking, for example, have about a 90 percent chance of having at least one relapse, partly because alcohol…
The process of entering and completing treatment can be life-changing and can start us on the path towards full recovery. The decision to enter treatment can be a difficult one. Often when we’re starting treatment, we’ve really been struggling with our addictions and can feel like we’re at the end of our rope and have…
Self-help groups for addiction include 12-step groups, SMART Recovery, Refuge Recovery, LifeRing, and others. Of these, 12-step programs like AA and NA are by far the most popular, with more than 100,000 AA groups alone worldwide. SMART Recovery is the largest non-12-step program with about 1500 groups in the US. What newer groups like SMART,…
An important part of working to prevent relapse is learning what our triggers are. It can help us to look back at the times when we were actively using, to figure out what things increased our urges to use and decreased our willpower to avoid using. For many of us, stress is the biggest trigger…
Relapsing can be painful and overwhelming, but luckily there are some things we can do to help prevent ourselves from getting to that point. We can take active steps to help ourselves take our lives back and to release ourselves from the grips of addiction. Avoid Toxic Relationships When we are caught in the cycles…
Relapse is a difficult and sometimes painful part of the recovery process. There are some warning signs that can signal the onset of a relapse. Becoming more aware of these warning signs can help us to seek out support for ourselves or for loved ones when needed. Depression affects many of us struggling with addictions.…
When we know we need help dealing with our addictions and are contemplating entering treatment, the thought of having to leave home can be a scary one. It can be difficult to be separated from our families and loved ones. It can be very hard to push ourselves out of our comfort zone. As challenging…
Sometimes the most damaging effects our addictions can have on us are the limiting beliefs they cause us to adopt and believe to be true. Very often these limiting beliefs contributed to the development of our addictions in the first place. We come to think so poorly of ourselves that our mentality is one of…
So much of recovery is about creating a healthy routine and surrounding yourself with healthy people. It’s nice to have a break from regular life when you travel, but if you are recovering from addiction, taking time away from your routine and your social support may be risky. However, overcoming addiction is about having more…
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