Drugs are often easily accessible to teens. While most teenagers don’t use drugs, some teenagers become heavily involved in drug usage. To help you determine if your teenager is using drugs, we have listed some obvious and not-so-obvious signs of drug use in...
Addiction
Demystifying the First 3 Steps of AA
In this blog, I will try to explain the essence of the first 3 Steps of the 12 Steps of AA. All steps in the 12-step process are important; however, the first 3 steps are fundamental, and it is imperative that a newcomer to sobriety is familiar with these steps and...
A Big Element of Rehab: It is Time to be an Adult
One of the difficulties that come with ceasing addiction and learning to live life one day at a time is learning to be an adult. Now on the surface, this seems like a no-brainer moment. Due to our age and responsibilities, we assume that we are already adults. The...
Help for Alcoholics and Addicts Who Need More Than Alcoholics Anonymous During Covid – 19
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a lot of dysfunction in everyday society. This dysfunction can be felt from the new onset of working from home or the ordering of food and essentials online for home delivery. It seems the traditional way of living day to day has...
Thoughts and beliefs: How they affect our sobriety
When beginning the recovery process from drugs or alcohol, we must examine what our thoughts and beliefs are and if our actions are supporting those thoughts and beliefs or discounting them. The old adage that you are what you believe you are is still very true. At...
Having a MASTER PLAN for Recovery
Recovery from substance abuse requires a plan. So many times an individual will know they need change in their life and make a statement such as, “All I need is a plan”. Well, here it is, a daily plan/routine that if followed could be the beginning of something new,...
Stages of Change in Addiction
Just like other health issues, Addiction and recovery have a process that can be tracked and followed. Knowing about this process is helpful in determining where an individual is in that process, what can be expected next, and if progress is being made in the process....
Intrusive Thoughts
If you have ever had intrusive thoughts, you know that they can be disturbing. For some people, intrusive thoughts can become overwhelming and can begin to consume increasing amounts of time, energy, and attention. To get control over these thoughts, it is helpful to...
Why Do I Hate Myself?
Do you struggle with self-hate? Ever wonder why? Ever wonder how to stop self-hate? To answer these questions, it is helpful to first understand some of the most common reasons why some people develop self-hate. Low self-esteem Low self-esteem often develops because a...
The Process of Recovery and Letting Go of the Past By Gary Hilliard, LCDC
When in the process of recovery from an addiction it is very common to focus on the things you did in the past and dwell on how much you wish that you could change them. At times it seems these are our only thoughts and they consume us during our day-to-day affairs....