Author: Brook McKenzie, LCDC

hopeless

What to Do When You Are Feeling Hopeless

Everyone has bad days, as well as moments when it feels like no matter what you do, things will never change.  While the occasional loss of motivation is normal, dwelling in a dark place where it seems like nothing good will ever happen to you again, or that you don’t

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The Link Between Success and Addiction

Addiction is so deeply stigmatized in our culture. So much so, that we tend to envision one “type” of a person when we think of an addict, and even those of us who struggle with addiction will resist seeking treatment to avoid the descriptors often associated with substance abuse. Ambitious

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Why Willpower is Not Enough to Conquer Addiction

Why Willpower is Not Enough to Conquer Addiction

Willpower is a bit of a farce when it comes to addiction.  There is a cultural misconception that if an addict truly wanted to quit, they would.  Failure to recover from addiction is often seen as a lack of willpower or a form of weakness.  There is a great deal

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5 Tips for Balancing Work and Addiction Recovery

5 Tips for Balancing Work and Addiction Recovery

Getting back to “normal” after completing a long-term inpatient addiction recovery program can be a challenge.  Normal might mean something entirely different now that you have committed yourself to a sober lifestyle. You may have to find new friends, new hobbies, and even a new job.  Whether you had the

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Addiction Recovery and Child Custody

Addiction Recovery and Child Custody

Child custody battles can be messy and complex, and with the addition of substance abuse issues in one parent or both, the legality of the situation can overshadow the needs of the children.  Most parents with substance abuse disorder deeply love their children, and many fear that by seeking out

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5 Ways to Enjoy Being Sober When Everyone Else is Drinking

For those of us that have struggled with alcohol addiction, many of the real challenges in recovery come after we have completed a treatment program.  While admitting you have a problem and asking for help is a necessary and critical step in your recovery, the situations you will face in

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When Addicts Charm Their Way Through Treatment

When Addicts Charm Their Way Through Treatment

Although addiction can happen to anyone, and there is no single personality type that accompanies addiction, there are certain traits and attributes that commonly occur alongside addiction.  One personality profile that seems to show up often in treatment centers is the charming intellect. These are the people that charm the

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5 Ways Being of Service Prevents Relapse

5 Ways Being of Service Prevents Relapse

Addiction can be a selfish disease.  People struggling with substance abuse may become self-centered to a certain degree to feed their addiction, and recovery requires an often-difficult transition back into a life of compassion.  The best way to grow and foster this compassion in your life is to find ways

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Nutrition and Recovery from Addiction

Nutrition and Recovery from Addiction

When we think about getting clean and sober, we are likely to imagine treatment facilities, counselors, and twelve step meetings—each undoubtedly a significant part of recovery. Often overlooked is the vital  roles diet and nutrition play in our ability to recover. Yet there is an impressive amount of research to

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8 Ways to Handle Drug and Alcohol Cravings

8 Ways to Handle Drug and Alcohol Cravings

Dealing with cravings is one of the biggest challenges when recovering from addiction. Considering this, surprisingly little is known about cravings, what causes them, and how long they last. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4041083/] We do know they are typically linked to certain cues–people, places, and things we associate with drugs and alcohol. We

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