Mindfulness practice is an excellent tool for someone in addiction treatment. Let go of any new-age preconceptions you may have about mindfulness practice. Instead, imagine for a minute you are faced with one of life’s many stresses. Not hard to do, right? Or, maybe you have a day when you feel like all of life’s…
Art therapy is a powerful tool in addiction recovery. Many addiction treatment centers, including The Ranch Pennsylvania, use trained art therapists to help patients express difficult emotions. For someone in recovery from a substance use disorder, they may carry a lot of shame around past actions which hurt family members and friends. Because these feelings…
Addiction aftercare is crucial for long term addiction recovery. Aftercare is the term used for the period after leaving an inpatient addiction recovery center. If you’re new to addiction recovery, the idea of 10 years, five years, or even one year sober may seem like a long shot. It’s not a long shot. Once…
Once your loved one agrees to go to alcohol or drug rehab, he or she may have concerns with the length of rehab. Such concerns are especially common among active professionals who worry that spending time away from work will adversely affect their productivity and professional reputation. Parents also worry rehab will take them away…
Now that you are sober, you may worry about different scenarios causing you to relapse. For example, your high-pressure job may end in a return to substance abuse. You may be tired of the same old stress relievers, and desire to live the more balanced, satisfying lifestyle you were promised when sobriety became your priority.…
Watching a loved one suffer through the effects of addiction is a terrifying experience. When rehab ends, however, you should not stop providing your loved one with support. In fact, cravings to use drugs again typically peak at about 6 months into sobriety, which is well after most individuals have left residential care. It is…
Triggers are internal or emotional reactions to external situations or environments. Triggers can occur at any time without warning. For this reason, they often catch people off guard. This can be devastating for someone who is fighting relapse triggers but falls prey to common temptations that they may not be aware of. One of the…
One of the most therapeutic tools for addiction recovery is journaling. It’s something that you can do just about any time or anywhere, and it’s simpler and less expensive than therapy. Keeping a journal is a great way to reduce stress and get in touch with what you’re thinking and feeling. By writing in a…
You may have heard someone mention life skills training and wonder to yourself, “Do I have lifeskills?” As we grow and reach milestones throughout life, we gain many skills. These can be as simple as knowing how to cook a traditional meal, going on a job interview, or handling a bank account. For most people,…
A study of 3,000 people done in 2007 found that 88 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. If one of your resolutions for the new year is to stay sober, it is best to have some tips to help you along. Take a look at five important keys to making sure you have a sober…