When you think of someone struggling with a substance use disorder, “perfectionist” may not be the first word that comes to mind. We tend to think of perfectionists as people who have it together, who are organized, who pay attention to details. On the other hand, we may think of someone with a substance use… Continue Reading How Addiction and Perfectionism are Related
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It’s often said that relapse is part of recovery, that, far from being a catastrophe, it’s a necessary step in overcoming addiction. Others say this message is unnecessarily pessimistic and creates an expectation of failure. Which way of thinking about relapse is most helpful for people trying to recover from a substance use disorder? First,… Continue Reading Is Relapse Part of Recovery?
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Getting someone you love to enter addiction treatment is often difficult. You may experience several stages of resistance. First, they don’t acknowledge the problem. Then, they may acknowledge they have a problem but they can take care of it on their own. After these two hurdles have been cleared, they may resort to practical objections.… Continue Reading 4 Common Excuses for Not Getting Addiction Treatment
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Social support is one of the biggest predictors of success in recovery. Having a strong sober network reduces stress, increases positive endorphins, gives you more resources for dealing with adversity, and helps keep you accountable in your recovery. In a perfect world, this strong support network would begin with your family. Your family would participate… Continue Reading What if Your Family Won’t Support Your Recovery?
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People often feel conflicted about entering treatment for addiction. Although they may know that addiction is making them miserable and they need to do something about it, they may also feel apprehensive about the challenges ahead. Here are some of the common fears people have about entering addiction treatment. Detox Perhaps the most concrete and… Continue Reading 4 Common Fears About Entering Addiction Treatment
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The question seems like it has an obvious answer: Recovery means you no longer manifest addictive behavior. On closer inspection, though, the answer is not so obvious, and in fact, there are probably many valid answers. Everyone is different, with a different history, a different pattern of substance use, and different goals for recovery. If… Continue Reading What Does it Mean to Recover From Addiction?
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Recovery from addiction is not a straight line. Nearly everyone has slip-ups, setbacks, and relapses. Everyone has bad days when they feel like they can’t possibly last much longer in recovery. When these setbacks happen, whether it’s something relatively small like losing your temper or something more serious like a relapse, the important thing is… Continue Reading 5 Ways to Stop Making the Same Mistakes in Addiction Recovery
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Many people make some new year’s resolutions every year. They start diets, join gyms, and throw away their cigarettes, promising themselves things will be different from now on. Unfortunately, new year’s resolutions rarely stick. Most people make it a couple of weeks and give up. It’s just too hard or there’s too much going on.… Continue Reading How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions for Recovery Work
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Depression and obesity often occur together and they are a terrible combination. Both are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and shorter life expectancy. There appears to be a chicken-and-egg relationship between the two conditions and each can make the other worse. Here’s how obesity is related to depression. How obesity leads to depression.… Continue Reading How Are Depression and Obesity Related?
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a condition in which people suffer from unwanted, intrusive thoughts. Often, these thoughts have to do with fear of contamination, fear of hurting themselves or others, thoughts of sexual acts, or preoccupation with certain numbers. To assuage these fears, people with OCD develop compulsive behaviors such as hand washing, affinity… Continue Reading How OCD Can Lead to Addiction
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