Candace Plattor is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Addiction and Recovery". You can find complete information on Candace Plattor and her products by visiting Candace Plattor.
Goals and Self-Esteem
In my own funny way, I have always had goals. For a long period of time, my self-esteem was low. Safe to say, I was not a fan of me from the inside out.
The process of "life recovery", as I have experienced, is a process that is from the inside out. To quote an old ... Views: 2135
AN EXPECTATION/PROMISE
You have decided to work hard on rebuilding a life that you are happy with. You understand the process ahead of you and realise that it will require commitment and hard work. You have set some goals. It is time to act, but you have normal fear about making big changes. ... Views: 1447
It was 15 years ago and my life was different. Growing up I didn't plan on being a drug addict. I came from a good family, parents who loved each other and their kids. As a matter of fact this year they are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. All the love and good upbringing didn't ... Views: 2612
CHANGE THROUGH COACHING
What I said never changed anybody; what they understood did.
--Paul. P.
To often in my role as a life coach, potential sponsor or mentor, I run across people who think I can change them. Craziness as the above quote states.
The only person I can change is I, and ... Views: 833
Personal Power
"We are no longer puppets being manipulated by outside powerful forces; we become the powerful force ourselves." -- Leo Buscagli
In making dramatic change in our life, is there really not just one thing we are seeking? Personal Power?
Ther came a time in my life that I realised I ... Views: 844
The fourth of July is significant for alcoholics and addicts in several ways. The Declaration of Independence was a statement of separation from a tyrannical ruler. With separating from the past they embarked on a new way of life. Many people come into treatment just after the Fourth of July, ... Views: 2830
Drug use is a very common reality in all cultures worldwide. Rave parties, dinner parties, birthdays, New Year, office parties: often we celebrate these occasions with social drug use and alcohol abuse. Many people use drugs such as cocaine and marijuana without considering that they could ... Views: 1024
Are you on your way to becoming a drunk, like I was for too many wasted years of my life?
A new study this year from researchers at the University of California and Veterans Affairs San Diego Health Care System finds one in five men in the United States and other developed countries are at risk ... Views: 2240
A Spiritual (not religious) Lifestyle
Thought to Ponder . . .True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess.
As I made a decision to do something about my life as it was back in 1994, early on I had the GOD thing thrown at me.
Like most, I had attended Sunday school as a kid and at ... Views: 1604
HAD NO CHOICE!
When I was being made as a person and if I had been able to pick my attributes, I would not have chosen addictions and the effects of addictions, to be part of my life.
That being said, addictions and abuse did impact on my life.
This not very unique. About 10% of the ... Views: 852
Wondering what the best method for ending an addiction is? Me too? I have found out some stuff that I think is most useful. One thing I found when I was new to this deal was that it wasn’t easy to remember key points I had decided were important. I’d be reading a book and come across something I ... Views: 763
...and what you can do about it!
Bill and Betty had been dating for over a year and had made plans to meet for dinner. Bill arrived on time and waited. Betty called 30 minutes later letting him know she’d be late. There seemed so much potential for a relationship with Betty; Bill was smitten ... Views: 3541
SEX..now there’s a word that can cause an immediate response in a majority of our population.
Look at the teenager wondering how the first experience “should be” or the parents who refuse to allow their children to take Sex Ed classes in school. Listen to the church that preaches about ... Views: 1831
Thought to Ponder . . .Never mistake motion for action.
I read the book, sat on the sidelines at dances, talked the talk but didn’t get off my duff to actually dance. I dreamed I was mister dancing king, I fantasized what it would feel like, but when it came time to dance, reality was much ... Views: 738
A Moment of Clarity
Ever have occurrences and thoughts in your life that seem to come out of nowhere, then reoccur over a period of time?
I have been going through just that over the past few weeks.
In my line of work, I see many people struggling to get a new life and grow in a new direction. ... Views: 768
On April 6, the Miami Herald printed a piece revealing that South Florida, Broward County in particular, has become the painkiller capital of the United States, a "notorious home to a cottage industry of storefront pain clinics selling alarming numbers of narcotics and feeding a brazen black ... Views: 742
Keys to Total Recovery from Addiction
We don't just need to recover from whatever it is we're addicted to. Our goal, after putting an end to the active addiction, is to identify and remedy the underlying cause. All the effects of these underlying causes can be summed up with one word: ... Views: 644
Since my book The LifeQuake Phenomenon was released in February, I have done a lot of interviews with journalists on a variety of topics, some with the theme of addiction - mommies who drink too much wine at play dates, men who use exercise to compensate for big appetites, screen writers who ... Views: 709
Most spouses of alcoholics or addicts have been down this road before. Something has happened. Some crisis has gotten the attention of the alcoholic/addict and now he is motivated to get clean and sober. This time he is going to AA/NA and going to counseling. Promises made by the addict to stop ... Views: 1301
I keep hearing the same old myths over and over again. And I can't help but think that others hearing these myths either believe them and give up or use them for excuses to avoid taking action on getting clean and sober.
One of the myths that I hear daily is that you can't get sober for ... Views: 1829
"Detox" is the beginning of the process of recovery. Most people need some kind of help getting through detox. Some people need medical help or additional structure and support. The kinds of difficulties that an alcoholic or addict will have with detox depend on a number of variables, including, ... Views: 1381
When we are talking about addictions, there are many ways to really describe it and to pin the tail on the donkey, the actual root of your addiction is actually in your mind. How so? Well this is because the five senses is closely entwined with many of the brains and the body’s function, which ... Views: 1584
A week ago, I was facing surgery for the first time since I underwent a psychic change through the process of recovery.
Lets be honest, the surgery was not life threatening although what was being corrected caused constant pain. I was not thrilled by the thought of someone cutting my groin area, ... Views: 797
If our goal is to get to the bottom of things, to find the cause in the effect, we will want to understand motive and it's place in the equation. Questions like, "why did I do that" or "why are people so mean", can all be explained by understanding motive. First we can remove all the ... Views: 1717
When you want to solve some important relationship or logistics issue, you help assist help ensure your effectiveness by appropriately setting the stage for communication. Remember these guidelines while trying to solve a problem in your relationship.
1. Think about what you want to say ... Views: 937
Use the following ten steps to replace old, ineffective arguments with an effective fair fighting session:
1. Fight to resolve an issue or solve a problem.
2. Identify the problem to be solved.
3. Take turns stating your case, using I messages.
4. Practice active listening.
5. Generate ... Views: 3069
Although forgiveness is an important part of working through feelings, and thus, a tool of recovery and the healing process, it is an often neglected topic. People often erroneously equate forgiveness with forgetting.
The best definition that I ever heard for forgiveness is simply "giving up ... Views: 3638
Family members, in their attempts to solve the problem of a loved one's addiction, try every thing they can think of, to turn the addict's life back around. They usually identify the problem incorrectly for a long time before it becomes obvious to them that addiction is the real problem. ... Views: 4372
What are you afraid of? Fear and anxiety are part and parcel of daily life with familial addiction. Fear is a paintbrush that colors almost all aspects of family life. Some fears are easily recognizable in an addicted family: "What if he gets arrested?" "When am I going to get the call in the ... Views: 1597
Alcoholics/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: 5437
Ok, so you have decided that your life needs a little help and to accomplish this, you have decided to quit smoking pot. You have flushed or given away your stash. You have gotten rid of the paraphernalia. It has been a couple of days since you smoked pot and you're feeling cranky. You are not ... Views: 8170
Most spouses of alcoholics or addicts have been down this road before. Something has happened. Some crisis has gotten the attention of the alcoholic/addict and now he is motivated to get clean and sober. This time he is going to AA/NA and going to counseling. Promises made by the addict to stop ... Views: 2558
Addiction can be compared to something of a disease. This is one of those queries about compulsion that is easier said than done to respond. There is a great deal public debate over the question of whether dependence is an illness, and we do not decide to turn out to be concerned in this ... Views: 703
The average adult sleeps 7.5 to 8 hours every night. Although the function of sleep is unknown, abundant evidence demonstrates that lack of sleep can have serious consequences, including increased risk of depressive disorders, impaired breathing, and heart disease.
In addition, excessive ... Views: 1933
Depression, Anxiety and Panic Attacks are very similar and in some ways interconnected.
Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps.
Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. A true clinical description is a mood ... Views: 1599
Alcoholism, drug abuse and eating disorders are often misunderstood.
These diseases include a soul-sickness. The people in the grips of these afflictions are spiritually ill, too. The illness can even spread to family members and friends.
The recovery process has produced countless untold ... Views: 7732
There are many things that seem keep you from quitting pot: Social reasons, stress, lack of a plan and so forth but hiding behind these excuses hides a nasty little devil that we either do not recognize or we do but try to hide him all the same; it is a dirty 4 letter word starting with ... Views: 1021
You are ultimately responsible for your own addiction recovery. When you know that you have to have surgery, it is important to keep everyone treating you informed about your recovery and addiction history, including the names of the drugs, the amounts, the lengths of time that you took them, ... Views: 4408
In looking to professionally certify in a field I had been actively engaged in for years, I did a thorough search of coaching certification bodies and key individuals who were core members of the body. I was lead to the Certified Coaching Alliance, and had the good fortune of studying and ... Views: 1250
The process of beginning the journey to finding your life purpose and discovering what it is you truly want can be found in those still moments when your intuition speaks to you telling you exactly what you need to know. Through mindfulness or “being awake in the here and now” epiphanies appear ... Views: 1224
As someone that has spent nearly forty years studying human behavior, compulsion, mind body relationships and addiction, I have seen over and over again how addiction can be shattering to our hearts, self image, and sense of stability in the world.
I am in the process of designing a program ... Views: 2611
With “Mother’s Day” just past, what a better a topic to think about than relationships? They have such a huge impact on every facet of life.
My relationship (like many men) with my mother was a troubled one. I was the victim of abuse, and did not feel safe or like I belonged as a child. My ... Views: 794
Can you imagine a world without addiction, obesity and disease? If so, you may also wonder why, with our advanced medical systems, we are unable to improve the relative number of people suffering from these conditions.
In this short article, I will overview what may be the world’s simplest, ... Views: 2742
The treatment of drug addiction is actually a combination of spiritual, traditional and the medical way that allows the patient to fight being drug addicted. It is critically important for people to look at some ways of treatment for drug addiction because it is a fact that this addiction is ... Views: 1682
Can the spouse of a sex addict find help individually for the effects of the sexual addiction on their lives? Sure. Much of the time, however, it is the crisis of discovery of the acting out, or some other related crisis that brings the sex addict and spouse into treatment. They usually seek ... Views: 3255
Are you angry, depressed, confused, and constantly trying to figure out what your spouse is up to? If you are spinning your wheels, trying to strategize and find solutions for your spouse and your relationship before you have actually identified the problem, keep reading. Family members can ... Views: 1946
Treatment for sexual addiction can occur in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Like treatment for alcohol and other drug (AOD) addiction, treatment for sexual addiction is usually made up of individual and group counseling, education about addiction, and self-help participation. When choosing ... Views: 1271
There is nothing sexy about sex addiction. Compulsive sexual behavior is not a pastime or hobby. Sexually addicted people use all kinds of excuses and defense mechanisms to deny the truth to themselves. The naked truth about addiction is that once it is addiction, the addict is spiritually and ... Views: 2141
You have just discovered or been informed of your partner's infidelity. You are in shock. You are confused, angry, immobilized, depressed, and thinking you will absolutely go crazy. In the midst of all this, you keep hearing about "sexual addiction" in the media and you wonder if it is sexual ... Views: 3830
The last couple of weeks, being knocked flat by an infection bug, have certainly given me time to reflect on some real core issues. One great reminder has been the importance of the moment and keeping my mind open to the “potential” of NOW. Within now are answers.
"Why not concentrate on the ... Views: 812