To succeed in your recovery work, diligently establish and maintain a well-rounded program. Be careful to recognize and refute negative thoughts. Watch for apathy and avoidance patterns to subtly increase and derail your recovery.
Negative thoughts influence your feelings and actions and can drive your addiction. Automatic negative thoughts (ANTs for short) are those deeply-held, and often repeated, pessimistic thoughts that lead to intense emotions and wayward actions. Therefore, it is necessary to reflect on which thoughts are distorted and which are accurate. Negative…
Family Roles In Addiction This article examines family roles in addiction. Codependency Worksheets & Checklists Someone else’s substance use disorder does not exist in isolation. Their addiction affects friends, family, and the community. Here is a list I use to help people think through the effects and consequences of another…
Wow. That’s Huge! If you hold a magnifying glass over an object, the item appears bigger. Obviously, the object isn’t any larger, it merely appears that way. If you hold a magnifying glass over a defect, the flaw looks larger. But you and I know, it’s not. Too often, people…
Setting realistic expectations means I am willing to accept responsibility for my own character, disposition, and actions. I am willing to be accountable to others. And as I move forward, I am willing to work toward a desirable recovery and a better life. Here are five suggestions to setting reasonable…
Negative thoughts influence our feelings and actions. If left unchecked, negative thoughts often become an agonizingly repeated script that drives discouragement and defeat. Negative thoughts can easily derail your positive mood. It is therefore necessary to determine which of our thoughts are accurate and which ones are distorted, exaggerated, and…
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt People in recovery often have a distorted view of themselves. They may see themselves as inadequate and unacceptable. Some of this thinking comes from a cold and steady drizzle of negativity dripped onto you by the harsh…
Yesterday, in part 1, I began our discussion of several important external factors that make seeking treatment harder. It’s helpful to understand the various challenges people face when combating a substance use disorder. Here are five more issues that must be overcome. 6. A Toxic Family System-Returning to an unsupportive…
There are internal and external variables that make seeking treatment for substance use disorders difficult. Some internal or personal factors might include lifestyle choices, will power, motivation levels, and personality factors. In addition to the internal issues, there are a host of external factors that block, limit, or make seeking…
Substance Use Disorders Impair Judgment Alcohol and drugs impair judgment. In the throes of addiction, people often do things under the influence of a substance that they would never do if they were sober. They may make poor financial choices, take foolish risks, say inappropriate things, and make short-term decisions…
Every journey, I suppose, has its starts and stops and ups and downs. Even the most successful recovery is not completely linear. There are some setbacks and delays along the way. Yet, there also seems to be occasional breakthroughs, like a jump to light speed, that propel you far ahead…
