Unsolicited and unexpected cravings are par for the course when you are struggling with addiction. Much like craving a sugary treat when dieting, restricting yourself from something you would normally have will almost always result in cravings. It is, however, how you manage them, that will make all the difference. To assist you on difficult days, we have compiled some of our most tried and true ways to manage your addiction cravings.
Sober Halloween? Yes it is possible! Gone are the days where Halloween was just about getting dressed up and partying the night away. Now that you are in recovery and working everyday to maintain your sobriety, it is important to find new ways to celebrate different holidays as they come up throughout the year – and Halloween is no exception!
One of the most difficult things for someone to do that is struggling with addiction is to ask for help to get sober. Understanding and accepting you are struggling with addiction is never easy, so much so it is also the reason that so many continue using. However, if you are at the point where you know you need the help, there are many different ways that you can reach out to get the help you need and deserve.
Dear Dad,
I must have been in denial, I never really saw the signs. But regardless of what I did or didn’t see, alcohol was quickly and surely taking over your life. Looking back I wish I did so much more to help you; to help mom. Even though I was an adult, she protected me from knowing what was really going on with you. A few moments she let a detail or two slip that made me wonder, but that was about as far as it got.
Prescription opioids are powerful painkillers prescribed to treat moderate-to-severe long-term pain. They work by blocking the pain receptors in the brain, stimulating dopamine that produces a feeling of euphoria, heightened pleasure, relaxation, and in some cases, an altered state of consciousness.
Congratulations –making the decision to stop drinking is a very big step! This will be the best decision you have ever made; however difficult at times. Over the years, your body has built a stronger and stronger dependence on the alcohol you were drinking and with your new found decision on sobriety will cause your body to go into alcohol withdrawal.
Choosing between in-patient or out-patient addiction rehab facilities can be a difficult decision for some, as each can have its benefits.
Deciding to put drug and alcohol use behind you can be a challenging and overwhelming experience, but know you never have to be alone and that there is always someone to support you. Making the decision to get sober is and will always be the hardest part, but staying committed to you decision is imperative for continued success. To help you with deciding whether in-patient addiction treatment or out-patient addiction treatment is the best option, we have broken down the pros and cons of each.
Continue reading “Addiction rehab options – in-patient or out-patient”
Summer is in full swing. The sun is hot, beaches are packed and backyard party invitations are endless. But with most invitations comes the popular phrase: BYOB. Last summer that would not have been a problem, after all you were the life of the party and always had a full cooler at the ready. This summer is a little different now that you have chosen a different path – a sober path.
If you are at the point of questioning whether or not you are married to an alcoholic, chances are pretty high that you are (or at least be given good reason to worry); however, if you are still unsure here are a few questions to think about regarding your spouse’s drinking:
Ask anyone who is going through it – addiction recovery is tough. Some days will be easy, while others will be down right torture. But just because there are inevitably going to be rough days, doesn’t mean you should forget them. One of the best ways to keep a record of your addiction recovery is to write about it. By being able to go back and review some of your hardest moments you can learn more about yourself and the strength you have, than you could ever imagine.
Imagine for a moment that you are a child and you are watching your father, whom you love more than anything in the world, struggle and spiral out of control. You notice that Daddy isn’t acting like himself, he loses his temper easily and is not home nearly as often as he once was. Perhaps you start to wonder what you had done to make him so upset and start to blame yourself for how he is acting – why else wouldn’t he want to be home with you? What you don’t know is that Daddy is struggling with addiction.
Perpetual worry affects the way we feel, how we think, and how we behave. Anxiety can create a downward spiral of emotions and trigger unhealthy behaviour and actions.
To fight back against onset acute anxiety, TAKE ACTION!
Action is the enemy of anxiety. It takes anxiety’s power away and gives it back to you.
Are you ready to take action? Use these simple but highly effective exercises to relieve acute anxiety when it surfaces.
When you or somebody you love is struggling with addiction, it is often referred to as a family disease because of the impact the addiction has on the individual struggling and those around them. Being a family member of someone who is struggling can be extremely difficult because of the emotional turmoil that occurs while watching a loved one grapple with their battle with addiction.
Some of the emotions that may arise from being a bystander to a loved one’s addiction include fear, anger, sadness, shame, guilt, anxiety and/ or depression. The emotions of helplessness and hopelessness are commonly experienced as you are forced to watch your loved one self-destruct. These feelings can evoke a belief that your loved one’s struggle with addiction is your responsibility: “Their pain is your pain; their struggle is your struggle.”
If you have a friend or family member that struggles with addiction, it is likely that you have heard the phrase, “you to need to stop enabling the addict.” We always want the best for our loved ones, especially those struggling with addiction. We believe that we are doing the right thing when helping them. At the end of the day, we may not realize that our helping could be enabling the habits and behaviours of someone struggling with addiction. When we enable an addict, we are preventing them from seeing the total consequences to their actions and/or behaviours.
To say that life has been stressful this year is an understatement. Life as we know it has changed completely. We have been faced with social, financial, professional and spiritual restrictions. This has created a lot of additional stress for many of us and there really isn’t an end in sight. When life gets hectic and overwhelming, we can burn out from pushing ourselves too much without a break.
Unless you or a loved one has a history of substance abuse, it’s hard to understand the true nature of addiction. Without personal experience, people often fill their knowledge gap with presumptions, speculation, rumour, and conjecture, creating myths about addiction, and the recovery process that overshadow facts. So, let’s clear the air. The following are some of the most common myths about substance abuse, addiction, and recovery, and the real facts everyone should know.
Eating disorders are serious mental health illnesses defined by abnormal eating habits that can have a profoundly negative affect a person’s physical and psychological health.
People with eating disorders become obsessed with food and their body weight. Whether the eating disorder manifests as eating too little, or too much, individuals with eating disorders use their preoccupation with food to create a sense of control over their lives, and to distract themselves from the painful emotions that are at the root of the condition.
The National Council on Sex Addiction and Compulsivity defines sexual addiction as “engaging in persistent and escalating patterns of sexual behaviour acted out despite increasingly negative consequences to self and others.”
However, there is considerable debate among health professionals whether sexual addiction is truly an addiction or rather a compulsive behaviour. In fact, to date sexual addiction is not an official clinical diagnosis.
Part of the challenge in defining sexual addiction are the religious and cultural influences on the societal norms surrounding sexual behaviour. How do we objectively distinguish sexual addiction from a high sex drive?
Methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, is a highly addictive, synthetic stimulant.
Developed in the early 1900s, methamphetamine gained popularity during World War II as a way to keep soldiers awake. After the war, use became prevalent among college students, truck drivers, athletes, and homemakers who used the drug for its ability to create increased alertness, energy, and confidence; and suppress appetite.
Continue reading “Commonly Used Illegal Drugs – Methamphetamine”
Codependency can be defined as a pattern of behaviour in which one person’s self-esteem and self-worth is dependent on the approval of another person. The codependent feels worthless unless they’re making sacrifices for their enabler, and the enabler gets satisfaction from having their every need met. It’s a dysfunctional relationship of enmeshment built on manipulation, control, and fear.
Research suggests that codependency typically develops in childhood as a response to neglect or emotional and physical abuse by a parent or caretaker. The child learns that their needs are unimportant; that to remain quiet avoids conflicts; and that by sacrificing their own needs they will win approval and love.