Smokers Under 65 are more Vulnerable to COVID-19
Like many respiratory based viruses, new research suggests that smoking can influence the spread of COVID-19. The Origin of the COVID-19 The origin of the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak occurred during the Chinese New Year celebration in January 2020, the Year of the Rat. This virus, like most respiratory-based viruses, spreads by micro-droplets in the air […]
Social Networks and 12-Step Sponsorship
Attendees of 12-step meetings and venues learn early on that the secret to sustained abstinence and quality recovery is securing a sponsor. What is a sponsor? A sponsor is a person that has been in abstinence-based recovery for at least a year and acts as a newcomer’s mentor, recovery-friendly advisor, and support person. Sponsors are […]
Abstinence Among Members of NA
Abstinence among Members of Abstinence-Based Narcotics Anonymous There are more than 58,000 abstinence-based Narcotics Anonymous (NA) groups in the world. There are relatively few research studies examining the members of Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Galanter and associates studied “the nature of the participants in NA who are primarily abstinent, long-term members” to shed more light on […]
Toxic People: Cleaning Up your Friends List in Recovery
If you want to stay stuck, be unhappy, enjoy hours of dread and misery… by all means do not change toxic people, places and things when you get sober. It may seem mean to cut some people out of your life, but it’s a necessary evil in your early recovery. Toxic people are draining, and […]
Exercise and Your Recovery
Can exercise help keep you sober? The honest answer is, we don’t know, but it looks like it helps. Exercise and a better diet help just about every part of your physical body. Exercise helps elevate and regulate your mood. We also know it’s a wellness therapy or practice with very little downside or side […]
Mindfulness & Recovery from Substance Abuse
Quality of Life in Substance Misuse Disorders & Various Severe Mental Illnesses Self-perceived health related quality of life is a measure of treatment worth for people with substance misuse disorders. Adan and associates decided to study self-perceived health related quality of life for people with substance misuse and: Schizophrenia bipolar disorder major depressive disorder To […]
Do I Really Need To Go To Meetings?
So, you went to detox, and successfully completed treatment. You’ve probably got a few months of sobriety under your belt, and you should have a solid foundation of recovery at this point. Much of your decision-making process during treatment was left up to someone else to decide. Someone was always holding you accountable for your […]
Teen Drug Use: Does a Lack of Supervision mean More Drugs?
When supervision is astray, drug-experimenting teens will play. A new study shows that teens are more likely to experiment with illegal or recreational drugs during the summer months¹. This analysis confirms several prior studies that underscore the need for continuous remote-supervision of teens when they are not attending school and during scheduled vacations from school. […]
Recovery Means Curbing Attempts to Control
Control is one of the biggest obstacles to sobriety. In pursuit of a peaceful and meaningful life, you must let go of control and surrender yourself to the help that you have been reaching for. Sometimes your efforts to avoid responsibility are disguised as graciousness and politeness. Examples of these run along the lines of […]
What’s Up with Aftercare?
One of the most significant reasons that aftercare and continuing group participation are so essential, is that true lifetime recovery involves a lot of thinking and problem-solving. In aftercare and group therapy, thoughts and problem-solving are guided by addiction counselors and peers— which is valuable as the process teaches you how to sharpen your own […]
