Source: The Fix What I Have Learned in 2 Years Operating a Drug Rehab Here are some of my observations so far: 1) Ego (malevolent, not healthy ego) suppression/obliteration has to occur before any true healing, sobriety, re-connectedness can occur. It has to stay suppressed by the individual THEMSELVES by being able to engage whatever higher power/life skills (and combination of those) they can in order to repress this malignant/destructive side of their ego. The degree of hu

When attempting recovery, an addict faces many challenges, some of which are more difficult than others. Anxiety, loneliness, feelings of worthlessness, loss of using friends, having no idea what to do in times when you used to drink, all may hit at once. This is especially hard if an addict is not prepared and has no support system. Relapse is considered to be a very common and, to its most extent, enormously difficult recovery challenge to face. The most common reaction of

Source: Personal Blog of Sasha P. Tozzi In simplest terms, codependency is a relationship pattern of losing ourselves in another person and has been called the “disease of the lost self.” More specifically, being codependent involves behavior where there is excessive enabling, controlling, and care-taking within the relationship. It’s worth mentioning here that we all, at one time or another, fall somewhere on the spectrum of codependency. All my relationships with men had be

Overcoming addiction has never been easy for anyone. Just thinking about it isn’t enough to succeed and prevent yourself from relapsing. Recovery is like a staircase – in order to get to the top you have to start from the very bottom. One of things that addicts find the hardest to acquire is the feeling of peace and happiness. So, what could be the best steps to take for someone in recovery in order to feel happy? 1. Find Peace Within Yourself A good starting point in this

Photo via SoberGrid.com Jason Thomas is sober. As a part of his recovery, the 36-year-old from Royal Oak, MI, has been searching for ways to help continue his sobriety by looking beyond programs like Alcoholics Anonymous. At the recommendation of a friend, he turned to the internet for help. That's where he found a home on Sober Grid. Sober Grid is a free, location-based social network and tool for people in recovery. Thomas tells POPSUGAR the app has aided him in a couple of

Before I was addicted to heroin, I was just like everyone else. I came from a decent family; I didn’t have a shady criminal past. I would even go to church on most Sundays and help my grandma with chores around her house. I was just like you. Then I was a heroin addict. Now, I’ve been in recovery for years and have gained some perspective on the experience. If you’ve never walked this path yourself, and I hope you haven’t, you won’t fully understand what an addict goes throug

What do you need to know about sharing your sobriety story? As you are already aware of, addiction is one of the most dangerous diseases to live with and, at times, not an easy one to battle. It requires multiple coping skills and takes a great deal of effort and self-love. In fact, addiction never goes away: Once an addict, always an addict. The only difference is whether you are a practicing your addiction by still using, or are finding other, healthier ways of coping. Shar

Source: Personal Blog of Sasha P. Tozzi March 2016 I know it sounds strange but my battle with addiction & mental health is one of the best things to ever happen in my life. Because I got to get sober & well. And everyone who stays sober long enough ends up realizing that sobriety is an incredible gift that we get to open every single day. The more time I spend in recovery, the more I learn about my authentic self and what I came here to do. One of the ways I honor my recover

The misuse of prescription drugs can quickly escalate into addiction. Misuse means taking a medication in any other way than that which your doctor has prescribed. This includes taking someone else’s medication - either for a legit reason such as pain management or taking it just to get high. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse: Taking prescription drugs to get high is sometimes called "prescription drug abuse." With time, if no preventive measures are taken, th