Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can increase an adult’s likelihood of poor mental and physical health outcomes later in life. The other side of the ‘ACEs coin’ is Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs), which can lead to improved mental health and healthier relationships throughout childhood as well as into adulthood. In 2019, Christina Bethell, et al. studied … Read More
Change is hard. So hard that in the 1980s, Carlo C. DiClemente and J.O. Prochaska began making personal observations of the clients they treated for alcohol addiction. They noticed that people go through stages of behavioral change as they address their alcohol and substance misuse. This “Stages of Change Model” continues to be used in … Read More
Healthy connection is an important part of sustainable recovery. One way we can connect to others is by reading about personal experiences in the media. The New York Times has compiled a list of recovery memoirs, told from different perspectives, about substance use and journeys of recovery. Their stories are educational and informative for friends … Read More
Physical abstinence from alcohol and other drugs is one of the first steps on the road to wellness, but emotional sobriety, the ability to regulate emotions without external sources, is what allows for true freedom. This article tells us that “the essence of emotional sobriety is good self-regulation.” Emotional sobriety allows us to self-regulate without … Read More
Tai Chi and Qigong are ancient Chinese practices that involve meditation, controlled breathing and movement. These low-impact exercises have been studied because of their many health benefits, including reducing anxiety and stress, aiding in relaxation, minimizing clinical symptomology, and improving immune function.
Hope can feel like one of those rose-colored concepts that seem superfluous, particularly during times of struggle. According to University of Wisconsin psychologist, Shilagh Mirgain, when things are difficult, hope can provide an anchor by reminding us that “things will work out.”
Have you ever felt like a fraud? Like somehow you would be found out as not good enough, not belonging, or not deserving? In 1978, psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Susanne Imes identified a set of symptoms they called impostor syndrome, which gave a name to these feelings. Many folks in recovery struggle with impostor … Read More
