Topic: early recovery

In most cases, the intrusive thoughts associated with addiction (cravings, disturbing images, etc) go away during the course of recovery.

At the end of each day, make a list of what went right. Focus on that rather than the things that didn’t.

After years in the drug world, it may not be easy for someone new to recovery to fit comfortably into the larger society. It helps to find people such as yourself– who used to use drugs but no longer do– to relate to.

Ultimately, what replaces addiction in recovery is life, in all its glory.

The better we understand the origins of a depressed mood, the more likely we are to come up with an effective remedy.

You find yourself burdened with unfamiliar doubts and worries about the mechanics of living without alcohol and drugs. You wonder how you will ever adapt.

Like so much else, the grieving process tends to get lost in the miasma of substance use and addiction.

Somehow, your brain has interpreted this as a present threat and released anxiety chemicals into your system.

Good sleep patterns are an antidote for depression, and research shows that better sleep directly improves your mood.

None of us can change our past or exercise much control over what’s yet to come.