There are many well-known therapeutic modalities used to help those of us struggling with addiction and mental health challenges, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). A term we might be less familiar with when it comes to therapy is trauma-informed therapy. What is trauma-informed therapy, and how
One of the biggest challenges we face when recovering from addiction is our experience with withdrawal symptoms. Each of us will experience our recovery differently, just as each of us has a different addiction story. The symptoms of withdrawal we experience may be unique to us and our addiction journey.
Grief and loss are universal experiences, but many of us recovering from addiction face additional challenges unique to our addiction journeys. How we experience loss in our lives and how our addictions develop can be interconnected. Our addictions and other trauma-related mental illnesses can be complicated and exacerbated by our
Attending 12-Step meetings and following the 12-Step principles is an important component of many professional treatment programs like those at Athens Area Commencement Center. Many of us find that the things we learn in 12-Step meetings inspire us and encourage us to stay the course of our recovery. 12-Step meetings
One of the most well-known adages in the addiction recovery lexicon is the saying, “One day at a time.” How does this saying help us as we’re working on maintaining sobriety? The concept of taking things one day at a time serves as encouragement to focus on what we are
When struggling with any illness, including addiction, we are inclined to focus on the most pressing symptom rather than the illness as a whole because that is what is most distressing to us. Understandably, we tend to deal with the most urgent symptom because it is what we find most
Watching a loved one struggle with addiction can be emotionally arduous, to say the least. Their refusal to get help can be painful for us. We want nothing more than to see them happy and well. We’ll do whatever we can to help them. Sometimes, we do things that we
For those of us struggling with addiction, we might have gone countless years trying to get sober. Very often, we’re undertaking the daunting challenge of sobriety on our own, without any help or support. Our goal is to will ourselves sober or clean. We try to force ourselves to give
One of the many important steps in 12-Step programs for addiction recovery is the process of making amends. Beyond simply apologizing for a mistake we’ve made or wrong we’ve committed, making amends shows our commitment to being honest, developing understanding, taking accountability, and implementing change. Whether or not the person
Gratitude has been shown to promote the production of serotonin and dopamine, two of the neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) responsible for helping us feel happy. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to learn and make changes. As we form a new mental habit, such as practicing gratitude in recovery, we can create