Cravings can be the bane of the alcoholic’s or addict’s existence. They are not the usual feeling of wanting an extra slice of cake or some ice cream that we have all experienced, but are usually an overwhelming sense of need, where the urge consumes you. Cravings for me were insatiable I had no power whatsoever to stop them. When faced with them I was defenseless. This was the scenario I faced on a daily basis prior to treatment. It is important to note that detoxing from d

This morning, I bought myself a coffee and strolled along the beach with a smile stretched across my face. I hadn’t just won the lottery, I hadn’t landed a huge promotion and it’s not my birthday. I’m celebrating a small triumph and giving myself a pat on the back. When you’re living sober, there are times you need to pause for a moment and reflect on how far you’ve come. It’s important to briefly cast your mind back to the crazy, fast-paced hellish dark land you’ve left behi

One of the cornerstones of recovery is open-mindedness. It is essential to most in order for recovery to begin, and the reason being is that once a person starts out on their journey to recovery they are introduced to a number of revolutionary ideas that are counterintuitive to everything they had once believed. This means that the more open-minded they are, the more receptive they will be to implementing these ideas into their life. This is what was told me to me when I firs

I can only share how it is I have gotten to stay sober a day at a time since I came in. I just don’t drink – no matter what! It’s just that simple. I can survive this life (and believe me I’ve survived a lot since getting sober) just so long as I never take that first drink. That’s not to say it’s always been easy. I confess, I have come close many times other than that night at the bar. However, if I take that first drink, all bets are off. I have no control over what happen

Does your facility have a way to make regular contact with its alumni, something faster and more convenient than a phone? With the growth of mobile device usage across the population, a digital health app like Sober Grid can give your facility unparalleled access to its prior guests, offering you a host of benefits as a healthcare provider and business: 1. Improved outcomes Being an app or email away from support can give your alumni the extra boost they need to stay sober an

I can remember, like it was yesterday, getting my first coin. That thirty-day coin, dazzling red, is my most prized possession. It was the hardest thirty days of my life. It was the hardest because I wanted it more than anything else in this world. It was the hardest because I had put working a recovery program and my sobriety ahead of everything else in my life. I had done a lot of painful work beginning the process of cleaning up the wreckage of my past. I also remember goi

Over the past few years there has been a growing discourse among the general public regarding synthetic drug usage in this country. What was once considered a novelty and written off as nothing serious, has slowly become a burgeoning epidemic across the nation. Even with all of the media coverage there is still some confusion as to what synthetic drugs are and just how serious of a public health problem they can pose, in particular the increasing amount of synthetic opiates t

I once heard a woman ask a group of people, “How do you survive a relapse?” It dawned on me that I really had nothing to offer, no words of inspiration, no part of a solution. I was useless to her. You see, I have never relapsed, at least not since I walked into the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. I’ve been blessed to have found my seat and stayed. However, I say that with the utmost humility, very much remembering that I’m not guaranteed tomorrow and that relapse is only so m

Governor Weld is clearly someone who cares about people who struggle with addiction issues. Weld, Sheryl Crow, Dr. Oz, and the US Surgeon General were just a few of the big names that gathered in Washington last year to advocate for the addicted population. They urged for the de-criminalization of substance abuse, increasing access to treatment, the importance for prevention, and need for research for this national health crisis. Having support from people like Gov. Weld, She