One of the main reasons why people end up using drugs and alcohol on a regular basis is because it helps them cope with emotional, psychological, or physical pain. When the pain feels too overwhelming, a person can begin to feel anxious, tense, and stressed. And this, in turn, can drive a person to drink…
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Impulsivity can be a lot of fun in the right moments. For instance, let’s say you’ve put your time into your job and you feel like you’re caught up with everything. On the way to work on one sunny and beautiful day, you have the idea to call in sick, call a friend, and go…
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Sleep is an incredibly important part of a person’s health. When you’re not sleeping well, you’re more vulnerable to being irritable, angry, and clumsy. Your relapse triggers are more easily going to get under your skin. You might get angry at the slightest amount of stress. And you might even become clumsy, hurting yourself or…
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Once someone completes addiction treatment for drug or alcohol abuse, their journey to sobriety isn’t over. Individuals need to work to maintain their sobriety, which can be difficult. There is a high percentage of people in recovery who relapse. Close to 80% of recovering addicts experience a relapse. However, the causes of relapse are most…
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If your spouse, sibling, child, or parent is in recovery, you’re probably big support for them. So you will likely witness the ups and downs of their recovery. Relapse can be a difficult experience for both the recovering addict as well as the loved one supporting them. However, as a loved one concerned for your…
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If you’re new to recovery, there are some very basic steps you can take to ensure your sobriety is a lasting one. It’s difficult for anyone to go from addiction to sobriety. Often, the vow to never drink or use drugs again is impractical without taking concrete steps to re-organize one’s life. As you may…
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The phrase relaxation training might sound odd, but it’s meant to get a point across. Often, we don’t take relaxation seriously. You might think of relaxation as something you do at the end of the day, perhaps after all else is done. Or it’s something to do on the weekends, but not on each day…
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When a loved one begins to act funny, you may not know what’s causing it. There could be several reasons behind the unusual behavior, such as stress, pain in the body, depression, or anxiety. Any of these could put a strain on someone affecting their behaviors, choices, and relationships. The same is true with drug…
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Some people might say that marijuana is not addictive and that they can stop at any time. Yet, these individuals don’t quit using marijuana. Usually, this is because they are experiencing marijuana addiction and simply don’t want to admit or are ignorant of the fact. Often, when people attempt to stop using a drug they…
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If you’re a recovering alcoholic – whether you’re early in your recovery or have many years of sobriety under your belt – cravings are likely going to be a part of your experience. Cravings aren’t easy. In fact, for some, it may be hard to identify a craving, especially for those who are new to…
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