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Addiction and Recovery Articles
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SelfGrowth.com Recommended Articles:
Coming Out of Our Comfort Zones: Recovery From Addiction - by Candace Plattor- Family Dynamics of Addiction: Family Systems Can Work for or Against Your Recovery - by Submitted on May 24, 2009 from Peggy FergusonAlcoholics/addicts do not normally live in a circle made up exclusively of alcoholics and addicts. Most people suffering from addictions have a multitude of people in their lives who are affected by the addiction. Even alcoholics and addicts that are estranged from their significant others, ...
Views: 5462 - Living with an alcoholic -- How to detach - by Submitted on Jul 13, 2010 from John McMahonIn the last article we discussed the need to detach from the alcoholic. In this article we will discuss how to detach, what it means and how to achieve it successfully. When you live with an alcoholic, almost inevitably, you become caught up in his drinking behavior. You will find yourself ...
Views: 5451 - ***Avoiding Your Feelings by Focusing on Your Partner - by Submitted on Nov 25, 2009 from Margaret PaulWe all have many addictive ways of avoiding feeling our painful feelings and taking responsibility for them. Some of the ways are obvious, such as using substances and processes. Some of the ways can be very subtle.Leon often struggled with feeling empty inside. Inner emptiness is a symptom of a ...
Views: 5387(3 votes) - Definition: Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps - by Submitted on Feb 26, 2008 from Stephanie OuelletteA twelve-step program is a set of guiding principles for recovery from addictive, compulsive, or other behavioral problems, originally developed by the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) for recovery from alcoholism. The Twelve Steps were initially published in the first edition of ...
Views: 5382 - ***What Will They Think? - Love and Approval Addiction - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2010 from Margaret PaulWhen you were growing up, how often did you hear, "What will they think?"Who are "they?" Unfortunately, "they" are everyone. Many of our parents and caregivers were love and approval addicted and geared their behavior to try to have control over getting love and ...
Views: 5378(3 votes) - The 5 Stages of the Cycle of Change - by Submitted on Dec 08, 2010 from Alan ButlerWhy is change so difficult? Maybe we believe it has already cost us a lot to get this far so why risk everything. We are also creatures of habit. We form our habits, then our habits form us. Change also makes us feel insecure. We feel that maybe we don't have what it takes to succeed. But ...
Views: 5279 - The "Rock Bottom" Myth - Learn How to Raise the Bottom - by Submitted on Dec 28, 2009 from Joe HerzanekYeah, when he hits bottom he'll be ready. A user has to hit bottom before he will change. Sooner or later she will hit bottom. Then she'll be ready to get some help. Raise the Bottom. This whole idea of "hitting bottom" is out of date. Some people will wait years-even decades-for their ...
Views: 5278(4 votes) - Setting Effective Goals in Addiction Recovery - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2007 from Harry HenshawMany if not most of the individuals who are addicted to drugs and alcohol are not happy with their lives and experience emotional disorders such as depression. Furthermore, many of those who suffer from drug and alcohol dependency say that they are not doing what they really want to do with ...
Views: 5273 - The Serenity Prayer: How it Can Help Your Recovery from Addiction - by Submitted on May 10, 2010 from Candace Plattor?The Serenity Prayer: How it Can Help Your Recovery from Addiction God, grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference. These days, a lot of people have heard of the Serenity Prayer. Anyone who ...
Views: 5239(4 votes) - Love and Relationship Addiction: How do you know if you are a Love Addict? - by Submitted on May 09, 2013 from Jim HallLove Addicts create unhealthy and painful attachments to romance, people, sex, and the euphoria of love relationships. Love Addicts commonly search outside of themselves to feel alive and fill their unmet emotional needs. Love Addicts unconsciously look for others to “fix”-“rescue” them from the ...
Views: 5203(1 vote) - How to Beat Drug Addiction - by Submitted on Dec 11, 2008 from Brian WalkerPeople use drugs for various reasons. Essentially, though, drugs give us a desired effect producing a feeling of euphoria that makes us feel better - at least temporarily. This is where the thought process gets a little skewed. People begin to crave the feeling of euphoria that they get when ...
Views: 5137 - ***Addictions: Talking as a Form of Resistance - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2010 from Margaret PaulI am sitting with Bryan at one of my 5-Day Inner Bonding Intensives. Bryan is talking about one thing after another, and I cannot follow him at all. Nor can I connect with him. My loneliness in sitting with him is giving me important information - that he is in his head, in his wounded self, ...
Views: 5134(3 votes) - The Nine Love Addict Types - by Submitted on May 09, 2013 from Jim HallLove addicts are known to become hooked and obsessed on another person in relationships. Love addicts tend to share core issues of damaged self esteem, boundaries; symptoms of rescue/care taking and unrealistic relational expectations, and they have in common noxious relational patterns. ...
Views: 5129(1 vote) - ***Non 12 Step Addiction Treatment - Empowering our Young Adults - by Submitted on Jun 07, 2016 from Dean TaraborelliWhen we imagine our children becoming addicted to drugs we often envision dimly lit alleys filled with questionable characters persuading our impressionable children to smoke, snort, or even shoot illicit street drugs. However, the most realistic threat to our children’s sobriety is not in the ...
Views: 5054(1 vote) - Why Substituting Addictions Can Doom Your Sobriety - by Submitted on Apr 29, 2009 from Tricia GreavesSubstituting addictions – you see it all the time; gatherings of smokers outside the AA meeting door, boy meets girl on AA campus (“13 stepping”), maxed out credit cards, a rapid gaining of 20 extra pounds. People entering the rooms of recovery typically lean on other vices to help them cope ...
Views: 5045(1 vote) - Spiritual Terms - How Do You Give Hope to Someone? - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2013 from Peter MainGiving hope to someone who needs it, whether their situation be a desperate one or simply a need for inspiration is perhaps the most important gift one can give, as well as in many ways being the most difficult thing to help instigate. It is often easier to give a false sense of hope than a real ...
Views: 5012(1 vote) - Couple Communication: Back to Basics To Improve Your Relationship and Restore Happiness - by Submitted on Oct 26, 2009 from Peggy FergusonOne of the most important tools to develop or restore communication skills is the use of “I” messages. "I" messages are not as likely to elicit defensiveness. They actually increase the probability that your message(s) will be heard. With this simple change in how you communicate with your ...
Views: 4981(2 votes) - The Numinosum as it Relates to Addiction - by Submitted on Oct 16, 2008 from John SmethersAfter having attended 12-step meetings for over eleven years, I still didn't understand what they meant when they shared about spiritual experiences. Since then, I did a research study with AA members to find out, and have consequently come to understand that there are many forms of spiritual ...
Views: 4960 - ***Holistic addiction treatment - Do you sabotage your recovery? - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2013 from Dean TaraborelliAre you sabotaging your own recovery? How many times have you been in rehabilitation only to relapse back into the madness that you swore you would leave behind? You want to recover. You want to lead a recovered life, but in the end, the result is always the same. You sabotage yourself, your ...
Views: 4948(1 vote) - ***Healing Love and Approval Addiction - by Submitted on Feb 24, 2010 from Margaret PaulAre you love or approval addicted?Do you often feel empty inside if you are not in a relationship?Do you often feel empty inside even if you are in a relationship but your partner is not paying attention to you?Do you get anxious when a person you are dating does not contact you when you expect ...
Views: 4943(3 votes) - Addiction to Spending - by Submitted on Mar 15, 2010 from Margaret Paul"I keep getting into more and more debt, but I can't seem to stop. I do great for a while, and then I just have to go shopping and buy stuff. This is going to ruin my life if I don't stop, but how do I stop?"Mary Beth is addicted to spending. What does this mean and how can she ...
Views: 4923(3 votes) - Sex Addiction and the Intimacy Factor - by Submitted on May 28, 2007 from Joe ZychikThe sexually addicted person doesn't use sex just to escape reality. He also uses sex as a shallow, fantasy based substitute for genuine intimacy. It is what I call, "the flight from intimacy." The flight from intimacy is more difficult to deal with – and must be addressed first – because it ...
Views: 4918 - ***The Heart of Healing - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2010 from Margaret PaulI have spent many years trying to discover the ONE thing - the one vital choice - that leads to healing and joy, or to suffering.Over 35 years ago I discovered an essential piece of the puzzle: that we each have only one to two intents at any given moment - to protect against pain and ...
Views: 4883(5 votes) - Clearing Causes of Addictive Behavior with Energy Psychology and EFT - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2011 from Anne Merkel, Ph.D. NDUsually when addicts decide to let go of their addictions they exert their own personal force of will to make necessary changes in their lives. For some this works, as long as their faith and willpower both hold up. The many 12-Step programs available are all very helpful. These utilize a ...
Views: 4868(1 vote) - Mom’s New Little Helper: Adderall - by Submitted on Sep 13, 2012 from Cheryl HinneburgGetting up early, going to bed late, playing coach, cook, housemaid, financial expert, chauffer, grocery shopper, appointment keeper, bath giver, homework helper, and nurse is just what moms are expected to do. These are mom’s roles and these don’t have any relation to what she does at work, her ...
Views: 4856(1 vote) - Oh, NO!! Not Again!! Preventing Relapse in Sex Addiction Recovery - by Submitted on Mar 23, 2013 from Dorothy HaydenRelapse in sexual addiction recovery is a reality. While all addictions are relapse prone, it is the sexual recovery community who suffer most from the demoralization of repeated relapse. After all, we can live without ever being around alcohol or drugs, but our sexuality is ever-present. ...
Views: 4855 - People Pleasing Can Be An Addiction - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2008 from Carol AdlerPeople pleasing often attaches itself to substance abuse or some other form of addiction. Paradoxically, with the right counseling, it can serve as one of our most empowering wakeup calls. Recently, I received a phonecall from a man who is attempting to rebuild his business--and his life. I've ...
Views: 4852 - Teens, Theft and Peer Pressure Go Hand-In-Hand - by Submitted on May 22, 2012 from Ari NovickIn recent years, a steady rise in the number of robbery cases among teenagers has been documented. There has been a wide array of reported reasons why teens decide to steal, but surprisingly, most of them will initially say that boredom pushes them to do it. While boredom may not sound logical ...
Views: 4852(1 vote) - Bob Dylan's nasal twang – how cocaine damages the septum - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2011 from Steven Thomson“Everybody must get stoned” – Bob Dylan, Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35 Bob Dylan is one of the most popular Western musicians of the 1960s, and has been a songwriter and performer for more than 50 years. He has more than thirty studio albums and 50 singles to his name, among them Blowin' in ...
Views: 4820(1 vote) - DIALECTICAL ABSTINENCE – HARM REDUCTION FOR EATING DISORDERS - by Submitted on Aug 05, 2016 from Marty LernerA colleague and good friend of mine, Molly Carmel, LCSW who directs an eating disorder clinic in NYC [The Beacon Program] introduced me to the concept of “dialectical abstinence.” Although I don't know of any source the concept appears, I will credit Molly with adding this to my understanding of ...
Views: 4820(3 votes) - Energy Psychology Heals Addiction - by Submitted on Aug 09, 2009 from Julie Roberts, Ph.D.Addiction results from using a substance repeatedly to cope with emotional and/or physical pain. Family history of addiction is a factor in the severity of the problem and one’s ability and willingness to stop, but using substances to deal with emotional pain prevents us from learning effective ...
Views: 4801(5 votes) - The Empowered Ego: Developing Inner Strength - by Submitted on Jun 14, 2019 from Michaiel BovenesHow to Heal and Mature Your Ego into an Ally You must develop your spiritual nature in order to mature the ego into an Adult. The characteristic of the ego at this stage is that of waking up from the trance addiction to uncover its spiritual nature. The adult ego unlike the lesser evolved ego, ...
Views: 4800(1 vote) - A.A.-Step 10: Teachings of Dr. Bob's Wife Anne Smith - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2010 from Richard Burns, J.D. (pen name Dick B.),A.A.-Step 10: Teachings of Dr. Bob's Wife Anne Smith Dick B., © 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved We have recently covered Steps One through Nine of the Alcoholics Anonymous suggested steps for recovery. We did so by pointing out the applicable remarks on those topics by Anne Ripley ...
Views: 4765(1 vote) - ***Your Relationship Comes First - by Submitted on Feb 10, 2011 from Dr. Neill NeillRelationships are the heart and soul of our society. If our relationships with others were to disappear, most of us would feel all meaning slipping away from our lives. Our husbands, our wives, our children, our parents and extended family, our co-workers and our friends help to create what we ...
Views: 4760(7 votes) - Cross Addiction and Relapse - Examples and Relationships - by Submitted on Jul 29, 2009 from Peggy FergusonCross addiction is one of the leading causes of relapse in early recovery. Cross-addiction involves being addicted to all mood altering drugs. The following are illustrations of cross addiction. 1. Some people become cross-addicted in their efforts to camouflage their addiction. ...
Views: 4751(2 votes) - Addiction and Recovery: Drinking or Using Dreams as a Normal Part of Recovery - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2009 from Peggy FergusonWhen you have a drinking or using dream, you may wake up not really knowing if it actually happened. Many people in early recovery find it disturbing and frightening when they experience a "using" dream. Drinking and using dreams are those dreams where the central theme or experience is about ...
Views: 4746(2 votes) - Addiction and Recovery: The Emotional Highs and Lows of Early Recovery - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2009 from Peggy FergusonWhen someone makes a decision to get the help that they need to quit drinking and using other drugs, everything begins to change. As an addict’s body begins to detox and as she is consciously trying to interrupt the momentum of addicted use of a chemical (including alcohol), she goes through ...
Views: 4731(2 votes) - ***You’re Married to an Alcoholic: What to Do? What to Do? - by Submitted on Feb 10, 2011 from Dr. Neill NeillBeing married to a functioning alcoholic can cause many problems in a family. Tens of thousands of families in North America alone are struggling with this issue. A drinking problem can begin in many ways. For some people it begins with social drinking. Social drinking can gradually ...
Views: 4722(5 votes) - Addiction to Gossip - by Submitted on Nov 11, 2010 from Margaret PaulA member of Inner Bonding Village asked the following question:"I'm a little confused. My mother is visiting me, and sometimes we have a nice time together. But often her way of bonding with me or anyone else is to talk about other people's problems. Most of the time I find it draining. It ...
Views: 4677(1 vote) - Family Members Know You are Going to Relapse in Your Addiction Before You Do - Listen Up - by Submitted on Jul 25, 2009 from Peggy FergusonThe family dynamics of recovery is rarely smooth sailing. Relapse, which is a process, has a tremendously negative effect on significant others. Family members who have labored and struggled to remain with the addict through all the active years of addiction, to assist them in finding their way ...
Views: 4677(1 vote) - The Oxford Group's Four Absolutes and A.A.'s Christian Roots - by Submitted on Feb 29, 2012 from Richard Burns, J.D. (pen name Dick B.),Alcoholics Anonymous History A.A. – The Four Absolutes –The Facts Again! Dick B. © 2012 Anonymous. All rights reserved. Summary The “Four Absolutes” of A.A. were cherished “yardsticks” in earliest A.A.—standards for determining right behavior as measured through God’s eyes. And ...
Views: 4659(1 vote) - Does AA Work? - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2009 from Dirk HansonDespite recent progress in the medical understanding of addictive disease, the amateur self-help group known as Alcoholics Anonymous, and its affiliate, Narcotics Anonymous, are still regarded by many as the most effective mode of treatment for the ex-addict who is serious about keeping his or ...
Views: 4653 - Overcoming A Crack Habit: The Hardest Substance To Kick - by Submitted on Oct 24, 2009 from Lisa SimmonsCrack is a designer drug. It was designed to be extremely addictive and it is. While it's certainly possible to recover from a crack habit, know that it'll be a major challenge and that you'll need all the help and support you can get. It won't happen overnight. Recovery from crack is a lifelong ...
Views: 4635(1 vote) - Addiction and Recovery: Don't Let Grief Over the Loss of Alcohol Derail Your Transition Into Recovery - by Submitted on Feb 23, 2010 from Peggy FergusonOne of the common experiences of the earliest efforts toward quitting drinking and becoming sober, is grief over the loss of the chemical. For many people with an alcohol or other drug problem, the chemical, (whether it is alcohol or oxycodone) has become the addict's best friend and constant ...
Views: 4633(2 votes) - Relationship Codependency: Everything You Need to Know - by Submitted on Aug 18, 2011 from Randi FineExcerpted from the April 21,2011 episode of my radio show, A Fine Time for Healing Roughly 100 million Americans suffer the effects of codependency today. Relationship codependency is often referred to as the “White Knight” syndrome, because the codependent tends to be a rescuer. ...
Views: 4557(1 vote) - Four Ways We Justify Use - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Tim GrayI am going to share 4 defense mechanisms that are frequently used by people in addiction to justify or substantiate their drug or alcohol use. I’m sure you have heard of some of these—you might have even heard of all of them. I hope to share some insights you may not have considered ...
Views: 4554(3 votes) - What Is A Dry Drunk? - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2007 from Bill UrellWhat is a dry drunk, and the 'dry drunk syndrome', as it is sometimes called? It can best be described as someone who fits one of two conditions. The first is someone who has given up drinking and drugging and not made any internal or emotional changes, they stay the same but the substance use ...
Views: 4550 - 7 Steps to Break any Bad Habit or Addiction - by Submitted on Nov 16, 2008 from jonathan highstead1. Identify What You Really Need You know what you don’t want, but until you’ve clearly identified what you do want, how can you see any options to get it? The first step is to identify the subconscious needs that are driving your behavior. Once you understand what you are really ...
Views: 4512 - ***Make An Informed Decision About the Addiction Recovery Help You Seek - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2016 from Dean TaraborelliAddiction Recovery Programs Take on Many Forms Trying to choose the right addiction recovery program these days can be really confusing. The field has exploded with options. It’s always difficult to know what to do in a time of crisis. It’s also difficult to sort through the overwhelming ...
Views: 4500 - 6 Ways Parents in Recovery Can Raise Healthy, Resilient Children - by Submitted on Nov 27, 2011 from Dr. David SackAddiction is a disease that affects spouses and children as dramatically as addicts themselves. When people get sober, they often set out to right the wrongs they’ve done to their children. And though children of addicts are at greater risk for emotional problems and addiction than other ...
Views: 4499(2 votes)