It’s no secret that music can be good for the soul. Psychologists testify to the healing properties of listening to music. Some of the perks include: Subtle, calming effects on the environment An energy boost, depending on the genre and
When dealing with addiction, entering an accredited, high-quality treatment program is more effective than trying to go it alone. Treatment programs provide medical and therapeutic professionals to help heal the body, mind, and spirit. Residential (inpatient) treatment typically involves a
Even Hollywood recognizes the quest for a higher power. One of the most touching films from recent years explores substance abuse, its devastating consequences, and the intriguing notion of a higher power in recovery. Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far
It can be intimidating after a residential or outpatient stay in recovery to head back to work or to begin a job search. Feelings of apprehension, stress, and self-doubt are normal when transitioning back to a full-time work week while
Measuring success in recovery can be tricky. Is success one substance-free day, following the “one day at a time” philosophy of many recovery programs? Is it months or years of sobriety? What about relapse? After all, addiction is a chronic
Summer Vibes Can Bring Anxiety in Sobriety Summer is an important time to be active, get all the Vitamin D that you safely can, and relax. But, what happens when you’re newly sober? How can you combat the anxiety that
Who Uses Meditation & Why? What do Katy Perry, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld, and Hugh Jackman all have in common? Well, aside from being successful entertainers, ridiculously lucky, and incredibly wealthy, all four of these stars experience a lot of
Identifying Unsupportive Relationships Long-term, successful sobriety requires strong, supportive relationships. In many ways, getting sober is a group effort: of the person in recovery, their treatment team, their family, and their recovery community. Many clients, when they first arrive in
Comorbidity, Co-occurring Disorder, & Dual Diagnosis: What’s the Connection? While the three terms above are sometimes used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between them. The term comorbidity refers to a diagnosis of any two or more diseases or disorders, like
Study Drugs When someone hears the term “study drugs,” several things may pop into their mind. Perhaps the prescription drug Adderall comes to the tip of their tongue. Or maybe someone thinks of that uncanny movie with Bradley Cooper, Limitless,
Addiction Has a Ripple Effect Substance abuse does not just affect the person using drugs or alcohol: it has a ripple effect that often touches friends, parents, partners, and, unfortunately, children. Children who live with parents who struggle with addiction
Nutrition: What’s the Big Deal? On a very basic level, without proper nutrition the human body just doesn’t function well, if at all. People need to eat well and diversely, exercise regularly, and sleep peacefully every night in order for
The Power of Essential Oils If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably dodged more than one essential oil (EO) sales rep rattling on about how lavender changed their life. And, like me, you’ve probably decided that anyone who would spend
More Than the Marketing If your main exposure to yoga has been through advertisements for yoga clothing or the latest online class, you might view it as just another health craze that pops up every few months–and one that is
There’s an ongoing misconception that addiction and dependence are one and the same. But while they’re undoubtedly connected, an addiction involves a psychological drive to continue using a substance despite the harmful consequences, while dependence is a purely physical phenomenon.
Creativity & Substance Use: Myths There’s this myth that consuming substances like marijuana, psychedelics, or club drugs gets our creative juices flowing. Maybe we can attribute it to all the famous writers–Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Carson McCullers–who struggled with alcoholism.
Some fifteen years ago, when I was in middle school, I remember how alarmingly popular it was to “cut.” Cutting was the practice, usually carried out by girls, of making small, superficial but certainly painful cuts on the wrists, arms,
Getting Help So you’ve taken a positive step: you’ve decided to get help for your substance abuse disorder, and you’re looking for the right facility to accompany you to sobriety and independence. A simple Google search reveals the large number
Addiction Recovery & the Pandemic Here we are, two years into the coronavirus pandemic, and many of us are still working from home, still quarantining as needed, and still doing our best to stay healthy. But even if you’re staying
Valentine’s Day Madness Here I am, at 11:00 AM on a Saturday in a grocery store, trying to find hot sauce in an aisle bursting with glittering, plastic hearts and pink-and-white streamers. When I finally push aside the dangling cupid
Sleep Hygiene & Your Recovery When was the last time you slept for longer than seven consecutive hours? If you can’t remember, then this is the post for you. Most adults need anywhere from seven to nine hours of uninterrupted
Journals & Your Recovery Journey Diaries: many of us keep them. Others have never entertained the thought of writing in one. But diaries, or journals, can be wonderful tools for working through intimate feelings, relationships, and anything we feel hesitant
Your loved one has completed treatment for alcohol use disorder and seems committed to living a life of sobriety. However, you start to notice that their behavior seems just as problematic as it did when they were in active addiction.
Self-Care in Recovery Let’s imagine that or a loved one have entered treatment with us at St. Gregory’s. You’ve detoxed, gotten sober, and learned a bunch of new strategies to permanently cut an addictive substance out of your life. You
Hopelessness v. Hopefulness It’s easy to feel helpless, hopeless, and unmotivated on the journey of sobriety–and of life. Often, these types of negative emotions are connected, and becoming aware of their source can help you climb out of the dark
Tired of setting big goals only to experience big failures? Frustrated with what seems to be a cycle of motivation, hardship, and a subsequent loss of motivation? Setting Goals & Dreaming Big Welcome to the club. Many of us dream
Winter Superfoods & Their Many Benefits What exactly makes a food “super”? This is an excellent question. The answer, unfortunately, is a little disappointing: nothing in particular. In fact, the word superfood is pure invention, a buzzword that marketing strategists
A Sober Christmas It’s here: tinsel, pine trees, wreaths, jingling bells—and perhaps an overwhelming sense of anxiety. That’s right: it’s the Christmas season. If you or a loved one aren’t struggling with sobriety, Christmas can be a joyous time. However,
There’s a refreshing chill in the air. Brown and yellow leaves fall from trees as the wind rustles through them. Bonfires, baked goods, sweaters, and pumpkin-spiced everything…fall has fallen upon us, and it’s time to celebrate! To that end, we
Anxiety There it is again: that creeping feeling that you’ve been keeping at bay all day. The feeling that the floodgates holding back all the negative thoughts, the all-consuming fears, and the worst case scenarios are about to fly open.
It’s here: spooky season! Between Oktoberfest and Halloween, this month is associated with goblins, ghouls, ghosts…and with alcohol and substance abuse. October prompts some seriously spooky temptations if we’re battling bad spirits in the form of addiction. Never fear! October
Recovery Isn’t a Straight Line So you’ve acknowledged that you have a substance abuse problem. You’ve gone to treatment, and you’ve done the work. But you’ve found yourself in some tricky, trying spots after finding sobriety. Now you’re tackling what
How much do you like yourself? The confidence you feel in our own worth and abilities is what determines your level of self-esteem. A short quiz from PsyCom can help you see how high or low your self-esteem may be.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) If the thought of fall, pumpkin spice lattes, and bonfires bums you out… If you find yourself confused by the unnerving cheer on a snowman’s face…f your mood lowers rapidly along with the liquid mercury in
When a Loved One Gets Help Having a loved one in addiction treatment can spark a range of emotions: relief, worry, loneliness, and hope, to name a few. Whether it’s our partner, son, daughter, or other close family member, we
In the Movies In Forrest Gump, actor Tom Hanks plays a young southern man who goes to the Vietnam War and befriends Lieutenant Dan. Later in the movie, we see that Lieutenant Dan has become a paraplegic and alcoholic after
It’s unspoken but loud. It’s in the back of our minds and makes us hesitate to move forward. It’s the feeling that we’re weak and negligent for going to recovery–a feeling that increases ten-fold if we’re parents. If you are
Physical Fitness Many of us look at fitness like a chore. The sweat, the pain, the lack of instant results: it can be pretty disheartening. When it comes to addiction and substance abuse disorders, what causes us pain can often
You Did It You took that first step to getting your life back. You entered treatment. You did the work. You’re finally ready to be employed and gain financial independence. If this is the case for you or your loved
What Exactly Are Antidepressants? Antidepressants are a type of medicine that may aid in the relief of depression symptoms, social anxiety disorder symptoms, anxiety disorder symptoms in general, as well as other mental health ailments. They work by supporting the
Conquering opioid addiction, whether the addiction involves prescription medication, heroin, or other forms of opiates, typically requires professional treatment that includes detox, intensive therapy, education, and relapse prevention planning. We can look to several famous people for examples of the
When you think of opioids, what comes to your mind? Heroin? Fentanyl? Morphine? Oxycontin? Chances are high that you probably didn’t think of cough or cold medicine. But codeine is an opioid used in many cold medicines. While stronger products
You found yourself addicted to alcohol, drugs, and/or prescription medications. You lost control, but you put yourself on a new path by going to treatment. You cleansed your body from the substance, talked with therapists and others in recovery about
You may or may not be familiar with Tramadol, often sold under the brand name Ultram. In the United States, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies Tramadol as a controlled substance–a fancy term meaning you can only purchase it
If you celebrated Easter as a child, you’ll probably recall new Easter dresses, decorated egg hunts, white bunnies with pink ears (and wondering what they have to do with Easter), and chocolate. If you went to church on Easter Sunday,
For many, March is an eventful month. In addition to welcoming spring, people are encouraged to celebrate poetry, teenagers, potato chips, water, cats, and much more. March is also a month for awareness of various health issues, including tuberculosis, kidney
The United States has seen a huge uptick in drug and alcohol addiction over the past few years. Densely populated cities are not the only areas affected by the disease. From rural communities to the seemingly safe suburbs, substance abuse
Losing Sleep? Ever find yourself feeling like Nancy in A Nightmare on Elm Street? Not in that sense that a sleep demon lurks around at night, waiting for you to fall into blissful slumber, but rather that you just can’t
Why do we describe our traumas and negative experiences as heart-wrenching, coldhearted, heartless, or disheartening? Why can frights and panic cause a heart attack? Why do we assign adjectives like heartfelt, heartwarming, and kind-hearted to moving moments or pleasant people?
A Look at Heroin The focus of this post is heroin: its composition, its effect on the body and brain of those who struggle with dependence on it, and options for heroin addiction treatment. Heroin is derived from morphine and