Forgiving Yourself in Recovery from Addiction
Forgiving yourself in recovery is essential. Learning to forgive yourself is essential as you begin to do more self-healing in your recovery. We often have a tendency to hold ourselves to such strict standards that we find no reason or justification to forgive ourselves. Maybe you’ve found yourself in a certain situation, able to forgive […]
Recognizing and Changing Self-Defeating Behavior
Changing self-defeating behavior plays a major role in recovery and improved mental health. In life we find there are unavoidable difficulties we are bound grapple with. It is absolutely normal to find yourself challenged in difficult situations, even making less-than-stellar decisions or find yourself in regret. So what does self-defeating behavior mean? When we find […]
NJ Hospital Reducing Use of Opioids to Treat Pain
In a unique move toward reducing opioid overuse, the emergency room of New Jersey’s St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, the busiest in the state, has decided to eliminate the use of opioids as the first defense against mild to moderate cases of pain. In an effort that has spanned a period of two months, the […]
Self-Confidence vs. Self-Esteem
The difference between self-confidence and self-esteem: Confidence and self-esteem are often confused with one another, when in fact there is something unique and different to be said about them both individually. “Confidence” comes from the Latin confidere, meaning “to trust.” To be self-confident is to trust in oneself, particularly in one’s ability or aptitude to engage successfully […]
14 Addiction and Recovery Movies to Add to Your Queue Right Now!
Revised and expanded from original Jan. 23, 2015 post on Addiction and Recovery Movies In early recovery, many people feel like they suddenly have a lot of free time that they aren’t sure how to fill. Movies can be a great way to stay entertained for a couple of hours… and there is no shortage […]
A Look at Irrational Beliefs
Irrational beliefs are those that are untrue, don’t make sense, or are harmful to us. Here are 4 common beliefs and some suggestions that might help you challenge them.
We Can Get Addicted to Anything
Addictions typically develop to substances or activities that make us feel good. For instance, alcohol can relax us and cocaine can make us feel energized and happy. Substances that influence emotion because of their biochemical effects are called psychoactive. Even substances which are not “biochemically psychoactive” can become “psychologically psychoactive” because of learned associations to them. For instance, someone who […]
Labels in Addiction and Recovery
For some of us, there comes a time when we wonder if we are drinking too much, or using drugs too much. In our society, the next thought typically is, “Am I an alcoholic or an addict?” This question naturally arises because almost everyone has heard, “You have to admit that you are an alcoholic […]
7 Ways Unhealthy Relationships and Substance Abuse are Related
#NowIsTheTime to end domestic violence and related substance abuse. Jessica Yaffa, president of The San Diego Domestic Violence Council, and founder/president of No Silence No Violence, kicked off a series of public service announcements in partnership with the San Diego Chargers. The campaign is geared toward encouraging adults to teach kids about healthy relationships and […]
On Being a SEN Master, Part 2
by A. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP Part 1 of this 2-part series focused on the importance getting a good night’s sleep in recovery from addiction. Here, in the second part of this series, we focus on exercise and nutrition. Exercise The three components of fitness are endurance (of the heart-lungs, or “cardio”), strength and flexibility. […]