Healing Addiction to Alcohol & Drugs
A friend recently spent a few days in the hospital for knee surgery. The doctor’s advice at the time of discharge was simple and encouraging: “Rest, take it easy for a few weeks and before you know it life will [...]
Station 1: Addicts face Abandonment & Rejection
In the next several blogs we'll discuss connections between the Stations of the Cross and the stages of addiction. The first Station is about Jesus' condemnation to death; just like many addicts, He felt a sense of abandonment and rejection. [...]
Stations of the Cross for Addiction Recovery
The Stations of the Cross is a prayer that facilitates union with God through the passion of Christ. Traditionally, it is a devotion practiced largely by Catholics, particularly on Fridays during the season of Lent. Over the years we’ve come [...]
8 Keys to Overcoming Addiction: #8 is to be Proactive in Recovery
Life in recovery can have many benefits and positive experiences. The key to staying in recovery is to discover the goodness and the fulfillment life has to offer when you are drug-free. People who are engaged in a proactive recovery from addiction: [...]
8 Keys to Overcoming Addiction: #7 is Avoid Assuming you are Stronger than Everyone Else
One of the principle causes of relapse is thinking that you don’t need help, or that you can manage recovery on your own. We hear lots of people say: I understand how to manage my recovery. I don’t need a [...]
8 Keys to Overcoming Addiction: #6 is to Know the Signs of Relapse & Avoid Triggers
There is no cure for addiction so the recovering addict or alcoholic must always be on guard against the possibility of relapse. It is very important to know the signs of relapse and take immediate steps to safeguard against temptation. Some [...]
8 Keys to Overcoming Addiction: #5 is to Stop Enabling Addiction
The people who love and care for those with addictions are constantly placed in the difficult position of deciding how to act. Do you challenge the alcoholic or addict to get help? Do you refuse to help them until they decide [...]
8 Keys to Overcoming Addiction: #4 is to Seek Effective Treatment
Like any chronic disease, addiction needs to be treated; however, the answers do not lie in quick fixes. Overcoming addiction requires learning the tools, strategies and behaviors that enable someone to manage life without resorting to drugs or alcohol as the [...]
8 Keys to Overcoming Addiction
People drink and use drugs for a reason; they want to feel different. For many of them that reason is hazy when they first enter treatment. As they detox and their brains begin to heal, they are able to make the connection [...]
CAGE Test
The line between substance abuse and addiction is often hard to see until it has been crossed. An individual may deny they have an addiction until the consequences are overwhelming and undeniable: a lost job, broken relationships, a DUI, financial [...]
