Join the The Sober October Success: A Challenge for High Achievers: Thrive Without Alcohol and Take Control of Your Life October is just around the corner, and for many of us, that means embracing a new season, gearing up for the holidays, and facing those work deadlines before the year's end. It’s also the perfect time to make one powerful...[ read more ]
Introduction to Anger as a Co-occurring Process Addiction Anger is a normal and even necessary human emotion—one that we all experience at some point. It can alert us to injustice, motivate us to set boundaries, and fuel change. However, when anger becomes a frequent and poorly managed response, it can wreak havoc on our mental, emotional, and social well-being. For...[ read more ]
Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You – A Book Review by Dr. Jo If you’re anything like me, you're constantly looking for ways to maximize your time and energy without burning out. That’s why I was excited to pick up Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal, a YouTube creator and productivity enthusiast whose content I’ve followed...[ read more ]
Boundaries for Recovery: Mental Health and Stress Management Setting healthy boundaries is essential for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). Many people in this process need support identifying when and how to set boundaries, often feeling disempowered due to shame or guilt about their past. It’s crucial to remind them that regardless of their history, everyone deserves dignity,...[ read more ]
The Science of Resentment and Forgiveness: Take Back Your Power This week I am going woo. Don’t swipe away; there is science behind a lot of woo. This week I am talking about resentment and forgiveness. There is peer reviewed, valid research that shows the negative health impact of resentment and the positive health impact of forgiveness. There are ideas...[ read more ]
Cross, Transfer, and Process Addiction The “Whack-a-mole” of substance use recovery Process and transfer addictions are often called the “Whack-A-Mole of Addiction” because they “pop up” as soon as you put down your drug of choice (which I will call DOC for the rest of this blog). The Foundation of How Cross, Transfer, and Process Addiction Happy DOC is determined...[ read more ]
Where did Grief Awareness Day Come From? I wanted to mention that today, August 30, 2024 is Grief Awareness Day. Grief is an experience after a loss that has mental, emotional, and physical components. It’s important to recognize when you are in grief and to be mindfully and intentionally aware. National Grief Awareness Day, also known as National Bereavement Day,...[ read more ]
People, Places, and Things A support network is not synonymous with romantic relationships. Our problems, and our solutions, are usually found in relationships. Whether at work, home, or community, our sources of joy and stress include people. Relationships and their quality have a direct impact on the quality of substance use disorder recovery. Romantic love is a complicated topic in...[ read more ]
Managing Co-Occurring, Mood, and Mental Wellness in Early Recovery Successful recovery and sobriety demands that people identify and treat any co-occurring mental health issues. Maintaining and managing our mental health is part of a comprehensive recovery program. Without a plan for managing mental health, people in recovery are vulnerable to the symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, or other mental health...[ read more ]
Sobriety, the very thing that friends, family, and other loved ones have probably been praying and wishing for is stressful on relationships. A healthy sobriety is worth it, but it's important to know that the transition into sobriety is not a breeze on the individual or the people close to them. This entry has an emphasis on romantic relationships, but...[ read more ]
