Need some extra reasons not to drink or use this holiday season? We've got you covered with these 9 benefits of staying sober. Print out the list and hang it up at home, keep it in your purse or pocket when you go out, or just take a mental note to remind yourself why you're not giving into the urge this season. 1. No Embarrassing Behavior Drinking and using too much can bring out our wild side. Skip the table dancing at the company party, the brawl at the bar, passing out at the parents' house or the number of other embarrassing things we do when intoxicated and celebrate the dignity of maintaining control this year. Your future self will thank you! 2. Build Your Confidence in Your Ability to Pass Up Drugs and Alcohol Take on the challenge of saying no during this time of indulgenc...

From Page 148 of "Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions," by Dr. Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP The occurrence of craving itself is beyond your control. There is no single act that can with certainty eradicate all future craving. There are steps that can influence its occurrence... but ultimately craving will show up when it shows up. What you do have full control over is what to do about craving. To reiterate a crucial point, if you think of a strong enough reason not to act on the craving, then you won't, and in time that craving and all craving will go away. For tips on coping with cravings, browse our blog!  

Originally posted July 25, 2014 Urges (cravings) are a normal and expected part of quitting an addictive substance or behavior. They can be uncomfortable and intense. It takes a commitment to deal with them without giving in. However, here are some facts about urges that are helpful to keep in mind: 1. Urges are time-limited—Urges typically go away within minutes. No matter how uncomfortable an urge may feel, it is only temporary. 2. Urges are not harmful—Although they may be anxiety-producing and unpleasant, urges cannot cause physical harm. 3. Urges do not force you to drink/use—When you experience an urge, you still have a choice about whether to use or not. The urge will go away, whether or not you do. So when an urge strikes, try to keep it in perspective. Remember tha...

from Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate by Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP Chapter 9 of Dr. Horvath's book: Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions helps readers understand craving. We've included here the section, "Craving Is Not Dangerous." Besides fearing the discomfort of craving, some individuals fear that the state of craving itself is somehow dangerous or harmful. Perhaps if I experience a craving long enough, I will go crazy, or run screaming from where I am, or do something really embarrassing? In Chapter 7 I noted that the best predictor of the future is the past. How much damage has a craving actually done to you? By comparison, how much damage have you feared? The danger of craving is that it increases the possibility of engaging in...

In his book, Sex Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions, Dr. Horvath discusses the use of a timer to cope with cravings. We’ve included the following excerpt so you can practice this technique, starting today! While this technique might also be considered a distraction technique, active distraction is not used. You can use the timer technique for a craving of any strength. When you experience a craving, set the timer for an amount of time you are very confident you won’t act on the craving. For instance, if you are confident you can withstand the experience of the craving, however you do it, for at least 3 minutes, then set a timer for 3 minutes. While the timer is on, begin doing other activities. When the timer goes off, there is a good chance that th...

Memorial Day weekend is here! For many of us, that means vacation time is just around the corner! And with vacation comes the possibility of a trigger we don’t face on a regular basis. The following tips will help you navigate the summer travel season with success and still have fun! If you are feeling particularly uncomfortable with cravings (whether new to recovery or just feeling vulnerable), this might not be a great time to schedule that vacation to Cancun, or any other place that is known for its party scene. Try booking a trip to a destination with a focus on history, cuisine, outdoor activities or spa treatments instead and save the bigger challenges for another time. Try choosing a destination that has several different options for entertainment – zip lining, cultural...

Adapted from Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions by Tom Horvath, Ph.D., ABPP In his workbook, Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate, Dr. Horvath includes an entire chapter on craving (Chapter 9). Of particular interest in this post is what Dr. Horvath calls the fatigue principle. As Dr. Horvath notes, "unless you are experiencing a craving at the moment, every craving that you have ever had has gone away. Either you engaged in the addiction (which makes the craving go away), or it went away on its own (although you might not have realized it would). Even if you had wanted to continue the craving, it would have gone away." Dr. Horvath goes on to explain that this is due to the central nervous system's state of constant change. It's almost as...

By Devon Berkheiser In early recovery, many people face a choice: whether to continue friendships with people who may still be using or to end those friendships in order to protect their own sobriety. This is not always an easy decision to make. Some using buddies may actually be long-term friends, and it can be hard to handle another important loss when you’re already dealing with so many changes in your life. Additionally, you may not have sober friends, which leaves you with the option of going back to old friendships or essentially starting over, which can feel overwhelming. If you do decide to maintain friendships with friends who are not sober, here are tips to help you manage the situation: 1. Evaluate the risk Some using buddies may be supportive of your new sobriety while ...

By Devon Berkheiser, Psy.D. Recovery is a major change that affects your entire lifestyle. When your energy is not spent on obtaining or using a desired substance, you might wonder what to do with your time or how to exist in “normal” life. Additionally, it’s common for people in early recovery to experience something of a slump after the first few weeks of sobriety. Perhaps you were expecting everything to be magically better once you got sober, but instead feel disappointed with the somewhat mundane nature of life in recovery. Although it can be a big transition, there are some things that you can do in order to make the adjustment to regular life easier. Here are 5 tips for getting used to normal life: 1. Learn to tolerate boredom and discomfort While we all want to experien...

Adapted from the SMART Recovery Handbook, 3rd edition, pages 36-37 In Changing Habits: Learning to Cope, we covered the 14 basic strategies recommended by SMART Recovery for coping with urges. Here, we cover 4 advanced strategies for overcoming urges to drink/use/act out. 1. Move Beyond Avoidance Being exposed to triggers can help you strengthen your coping skills to resist acting upon them. Intentional exposure under controlled conditions can help solidify your coping strategy and increase your confidence. Try the following strategy (it may help to bring along a trusted companion for support and guidance): Put yourself in a situation that may trigger an urge, such as the liquor aisle in a grocery store. Use any of the strategies discussed in Changing Habits: Learning to Cope...