This lesson will help you discover how stress affects your body, thoughts, behaviors, emotions, and relationships. Many people use alcohol and drugs because they are under stress. However, by using or abusing substances, stress is often made many times worse. This lesson outlines more than seventy various consequences, circumstances, and physical and emotional stressors that occur following alcohol or drug…
Many people who experience chronic feelings of anxiety about social situations, work, relationships, or other aspects of everyday life may reach for a beer or glass of wine to calm their distress. In this lesson you’ll learn the destructive interaction between alcohol and anxiety, and look at how this seemingly pleasant escape of having a drink or two can quickly…
Perhaps somewhere along your recovery journey you have become caught in your own negative thinking. Thoughts and beliefs influence our feelings and actions and can be either positive or negative. When the thought is negative and pessimistic, it may lead to worrisome, depressive feelings and careless or poorly planned actions. Many people regularly repeat self-deprecating statements to themselves. This exercise…
Most people spend their entire lives living thoughtlessly and without aim. When someone becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol, they spend more time and attention diligently pursuing whatever supports the addiction than any other endeavor. Dreams and aspirations fall by the wayside. Time spent planning and focusing on the pursuit of life goals may have evaporated completely. As you enter…
In a materialistic world that can provide a seemingly never-ending supply of almost anything, it is easy to use shopping as a hobby. Shopping and purchasing products is a necessary part of living. It can however, become a problem if it is used to cope with emotional problems and difficulties of life. Shopping may be used by some as a…
