Some basic facts about relapse, why a slip never needs to mean the end of a recovery or that treatment has failed, what to do if you slip (right away) and how to reduce your odds of relapse in the ...
Inside (29 articles)
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White Ribbons
After a few months, it’s easy to hit a recovery wall and start to feel bored and dissatisfied with your new clean and sober lifestyle. This dissatisfaction will pass, but until it does, you can lower your risk of relapse by taking some time to plan islands of excitement to look forward to.
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Radioher
Quitting drugs or drinking often means severing ties with your old drinking/using buddies…but what do you do if you don’t have any other friends? Here’s a how-to guide to starting over and building sober friendships.
The most talked about, most influential and most important (helpful) addiction and mental health articles of the past 12 months.
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Vanessa Lynn
It’s hard to avoid the craziness of the holiday season and there’s no doubt that holiday periods create extra stress and lead to extra exposure to triggers and cravings. Do the holidays threaten your recovery? Take this self test and see if your Christmas season habits put you at risk of relapse.
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Pink Sherbet Photography
There's an adage in self help, "We found the only thing we needed to change was everything." As we adjust to life without drugs and alcohol, we need to develop new habits to guard against our old ones.
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Thomas Hawk
Worried about how you’ll make it through Thanksgiving? Here are 7 simple suggestions for making sure your holidays don't end in relapse.
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sicoactiva
A relationship strengthening worksheet: once in recovery you can improve intimacy and relationship satisfaction and you can do it from day 1, and since a sober intimate partner can provide such great recovery support, making things right at home is one of the best things you can do for everyone involved.
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Ferran
Until you learn to deal with difficult emotions without falling into a bottle or getting high you’ll have a hard time truly breaking free. Fortunately, you can learn ‘distress tolerance’ skills and with a little practice you won’t need to run and hide from your feelings anymore.
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Dhammza
If you’re in recovery you’re probably used to dealing with problems by getting drunk or high. Unexpected problems are still coming (as they always do) so get ready for them. Learn effective problem solving techniques today and avoid relapse tomorrow.
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Kema Keur
Clinical research proves that one of the greatest indicators of relapse is poor sleeping during initial sobriety. Unfortunately, the legacy of alcohol abuse on sleeping cycles makes falling asleep and achieving a restful sleep very difficult. Learn about the influence of sleep on recovery, and tips on getting a good night's sleep.
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Amanky
7 tips and tricks for getting the most out of your phone, tablet and laptop as you work to maintain your recovery.
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Jon McGovern
Discover the 6 life practices associated with healthy self esteem and make a few changes to boost your own sense of self worth!
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Black History Album
Feeling stuck in addiction? Lacking confidence or motivation for change? Read on and get inspired by 12 wisdom-filled quotes on addiction recovery from some of history’s greatest writers and thinkers.
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_Ambrown
After convening a panel of experts and consumers to talk about what’s really important in the recovery process SAMHSA has released an updated 10 rule guidebook on sustaining a successful recovery. Here are the 10 things you need to do to achieve and maintain your recovery.
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Trident82
Resilient people adapt to change and bounce back from adversity – and resilient people are less likely to react to tragedy or great stress with relapse back to substance abuse. If you’re in recovery, resilience can save your life. Read on to learn 8 ways to become a more resilient person.
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*Sally M*
The best of the year's addiction and addiction recovery articles on ChooseHelp!
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DavidRphoto
For the next 10 seconds, try not to think of a pink elephant…Impossible, right?! The fact is, the more you try to suppress an impulse to use drugs or alcohol the more fixated your mind becomes on that very impulse, and this is bad news for anyone serious about maintaining their sobriety. Fortunately, you don’t have to drink or use and you don’t have to fight or suppress your cravings, all you have to do is surf over them and they’ll disappear – using a proven mindfulness technique known as urge surfing.
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Stevendepolo
Make a few minor changes, take on a few of those tasks that have been weighing on you, pamper yourself a little bit and learn to accept yourself for the great person - with strengths and weaknesses - that you already are.
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NickWheeleroz
In recovery, it’s helpful to avoid over exposure to peers who abuse drugs and alcohol. Here’s some information on the occupations that are most and least associated with substance abuse.
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Noodlepie
Idle hands and too many idle hours aren’t often helpful as you strive to maintain your recovery – and also, everyone needs to make a living, right?! Problematically though, addiction is rarely associated with high job performance and though you’re now in recovery and ready to do great work – the gaps in your resume can make it hard to even get in the door. In a booming economy, it might not matter, but when times are tight, getting a job in early recovery can be really tough. Here’s a list of resource agencies that specialize in helping people in recovery find work – as well as a list of tips for general job searching success.
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Mr. T in DC
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as long as you no longer use illegal drugs, you have a right to treatment and you cannot face discrimination at the workplace because of your past addiction. Learn more about your rights under this federal law and find out what to do if your employer violates the law.
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Grzegorz Łobiński
Getting and staying involved in a community self help and support group during the initial period of recovery is a very good idea. Support groups can keep help keep you motivated to stay at the fight, can offer wisdom and encouragement and can be an excellent source of sober support and friendship. 12 steps groups are the most common type of community support group, but not everyone finds what they need though the 12 steps - and some people find the spiritual component uncomfortable. Here then, are 6 great alternatives to AA and NA.
Addictive pain medications pose a real threat to anyone in recovery, but then, so does chronic and untreated pain. Learn of drug-free pain management strategies, and a safer way to take narcotic drugs.
Why rehab graduates stay on after graduation, and how to choose a quality rehab.
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Leonard john Mathews
A recent clinical study evaluated the long term recidivism and abstinence rates associated with different methods of recovery, and looked at long term success rates over a 15 year period before making recommendations on what seem to be the best methods for long term sobriety.
A long period of alcohol abuse can take a heavy toll on the body, and few people enter treatment in optimum health. Heavy drinking interferes with the body's absorption, processing and even consumption of vitamins and nutrients, and chronic drinking often causes serious vitamin deficiencies.
The initial period after rehab is a very high risk time for relapse, and although the recovering addict is ultimately responsible for their sobriety, there are some things that the family can do to ease the transition back into the home environment, and to increase the odds of success and drug and alcohol free living.
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Seanmcgrath
An addiction can feel overwhelming, and the pull towards the abuse of drugs or alcohol overpowers the best of intentions to stop or reduce use and abuse. Addicts actively using often feel powerless to stop the progression of the disease, and don’t have the needed skills to reduce their usage. When an addict loses control over their actions, it's also easy to lose hope of an ability to effect change.
With more than 75 years of history, and literally tens of millions of lives bettered, 12 steps recovery programs have value. they don't work for everyone, but they're free, they're everywhere and they might just work for you. Give 12 steps a try...and stay sober one day at a time.