Category Archives: Relapse Prevention
What to Do When Cravings Hit?
Recovery is a lifelong process – a concept that every addict or substance abuser learns early on in treatment. It is important to understand this concept and know that the work to stay off of alcohol and drugs of abuse never ends. Even those with decades of sobriety can relapse despite their best efforts. Cravings are, unfortunately, part of the recovery process and often hit at times when they are hardest to manage. However, during treatment, you will have developed skills and coping mechanisms to keep them at bay and avoid relapse.
Eating Disorders, Transfer Addiction, and Body Image
Whether it’s overcoming an eating disorder, conquering an addiction, or both, the general assumption is that once a person receives treatment, they will be “cured.” However, there is a danger of trading your addiction. Addiction replacement, or transfer addiction, occurs when an individual in recovery substitutes one addiction for another. The transfer occurs as a person substitutes one addiction for another to compensate for some perceived absence, either an emotional or psychological one. Similar to addiction, the abuse of food can create a false sense of happiness or relief. Some studies suggest that the same pleasure centers in the brain…
Can Apps Help Women Stay Clean & Sober?
The world continues to move online, so it should be no surprise that those in recovery are finding outlets online that will help them in their journey. As more and more people turn to their mobile devices to stay connected, apps have become increasingly popular in helping those in recovery. Below are some of the apps that could help you in your journey.* 5 Apps to Assist in Your Recovery Journey Rise Up + Recover Rise Up + Recover is an app that is geared toward helping those recovering from an eating disorder. The app uses cognitive behavioral therapy to…
Throw the Ultimate Substance-Free BBQ Bash
Summer time usually means it’s time to fire up the grill. From Memorial Day to 4th of July to Labor Day, there are plenty of reasons to throw a BBQ bash during the summer months. Whether a person is new to recovery or has been sober for decades though, it’s important to keep triggers away from such festivities. Why does this matter? If you’re considering throwing a BBQ party, here are a few ways to throw the ultimate substance-free soiree. Create an Impressive Menu When the food is finger-licking good, guests won’t even notice the absence of alcohol. Create an…
Party Planning Tips for an Alcohol-free Environment
You may not realize how often parties revolve around alcohol until you become sober. Whether it’s hosting a birthday party, 4th of July bash or one of many holiday parties that fall between November and December, it can seem difficult to host an alcohol-free party. But being sober doesn’t have to be boring. Below are some tips on throwing a successful, sober party in style. Decadent Food Plan ahead and create a menu that will leave your guests speechless. No matter if it’s something you have catered or cook all by yourself, have such great food that your guests don’t…
How Do the Stages of Change Help Motivate Recovery?
One of the most essential—and challenging—aspects of addiction recovery is the need to change a person’s behavior to improve their health status. Behavior change interventions, which involve a combination of program elements or strategies, are especially useful in addressing lifestyle modification for those suffering from addictions. A change in patient lifestyle is necessary for successful management of long-term recovery, and relapse can often be attributed to lapses in healthy behavior. Patients easily understand the need for lifestyle modifications, but consistent, life-long behavior changes are difficult. That’s why behavior change interventions are important. Behavior Change Interventions It may seem self-evident that…
Is Emotional Sobriety The Key to Lasting Recovery?
When defining recovery from substance abuse or addiction, it is natural that you would think about sobriety. Getting sober and staying sober, which usually means abstinence from drugs and alcohol, are the obvious goals for anyone in recovery. In the early stages of recovery, detoxification and breaking the grip of the abused substance necessarily takes priority. But some feel that focusing on the initial challenges of “putting the plug in the jug,” so to speak, may overshadow another essential aspect of the recovery process, namely, emotional sobriety. Some addiction experts point out that a lack of emotional maturity may actually…
Pink Cloud Syndrome
Early recovery can be a treacherous time and requires constant vigilance and mindfulness to stay on track while battling intense cravings and feelings of loss. But for some, this time is marked by feelings of euphoria and palpable excitement. Recovery feels like the best thing in the world, and it seems like there's nothing that can make you want to use again, ever. In Alcoholics Anonymous, this is known as pink cloud syndrome, and while nobody wants to burst anyone's bubble, it's important to understand that these feelings of confidence—sometimes overconfidence—can lead to being blindsided by a relapse. What is…
How to Keep Stress In Check This Holiday Season
The holidays are a stressful time of year for many, including people who don't normally succumb to stress very easily. Many of the issues that make holidays stressful for those recovering from an addiction are often the same ones that are at the root of the addiction, including family and financial stress. Add to that a hectic travel schedule and the prospect of having to navigate social situations where everyone seems to be drinking, and it's easy to see why the holidays are particularly difficult for women in recovery. Women and Stress The Department of Health and Human Services Office…
Building a Relationship With Yourself After Addiction
Recovery from substance abuse and addiction requires several different components. One of the issues on which you will have to work is on your relationships with people. How will treatment be able to help you reform these relationships with people in your life? After Substance Abuse Focus On Your Relationship With Yourself Learning to Love Yourself Having relationships with other individuals is going to be difficult when you are dealing with recovery from substance abuse and addiction. Therefore, you first need to work on your relationship with yourself. Through treatment, you will begin to realize that you are a person…
Contact Us
AHCA Licensed
