Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an evidenced-based practice that has been shown to help people tolerate uncomfortable emotions and decrease conflict in relationships. Developed by Marsha Linehan, DBT was initially used with individuals who have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Since its inception, DBT has been adapted to help people who have survived trauma, … Read More
What is mindfulness? How does it relate to recovery? Very often, drugs or alcohol are used to either make us feel less or make us feel more, while taking us out of the present moment. Simply put, mindfulness is the ability to notice what is happening right now. This awareness can serve to help people … Read More
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse has studied people with both substance use disorders (SUD) and eating disorders (ED), and has found that somewhere around 50 percent of individuals who present for eating disorder treatment meet criteria for a substance use disorder, versus 9 percent of the general population who meet criteria for … Read More
Sometimes it feels like our pets know exactly what we’re feeling or if we’re upset or sick. For many of us, animals play a large part in our lives, and home just wouldn’t be home without our beloved dog or cat. Research has shown that the relationships we form with our pets can be transformative … Read More
In recovery, we are often reminded to practice good self-care. The problem is, we never learned what “self-care” really meant. How do we learn to actually care for ourselves, when in our past we may have felt that substance use was self-care? This article reminds us that it isn’t all about candles, yoga and indulgence, … Read More
Have you heard the term “boundaries” tossed around and wondered what it meant? Do you find it difficult to say no, or feel guilty when you put your self-care first? How do boundaries relate to personal growth, sobriety and mental health? Read on, for some good tips and tricks for learning how to begin setting … Read More
A simple definition of trauma is the psychological or emotional response to a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. Many times, trauma refers to something that can be life threatening or potentially life threatening and feels inescapable. By this definition, we are in a moment of global trauma with the emergence of COVID-19. You may find … Read More
During times of uncertainty and stress, it’s normal to feel increased anxiety. For those in recovery, this can translate to increased cravings and potentially to relapse. So, how do you protect your sobriety during a time of unprecedented global uncertainty? Harvard Health has some great suggestions.
Upon first glance, models of addiction that view drugs and alcohol as the problem can be quite compelling. For instance, it is hard to argue that if there are no methamphetamines, there are no meth addicts. But what about the second and third glances? That is what the Hungarian psychoanalyst, Radó,* contemplated in a 1933 … Read More
By Michael Roeske, PsyD As a psychologist, I have worked and trained with psychotherapists who possess a wide range of training backgrounds and beliefs. With that being said, I am sometimes dismayed at the lack of respect given to those who think differently than them. Not surprisingly, the issue has been most strikingly seen between … Read More
