Topic: relaxation

The benefits needn’t be long-lasting, just readily accessible when you discover you need them.

There’s not much point in pretending that all those years of dousing the brain with toxins hasn’t left its mark.

We were using the same kind of language to talk about it: Focusing, centering, in the moment, relaxing, stress-reducing, peaceful.

It’s just an extremely effective way to establish a reasoned, rational sense of self that is unaffected by crisis and conflict.

There may be new practices specifically to support recovery — taking up yoga or meditation, a sport or hobby, or making important changes in diet or exercise.

For most of us, sleep problems are related to the recovery process itself, and the complex changes that occur as the brain heals following considerable abuse

Sober Chrystal talks about the moment when her five years of sobriety hung in the balance and nearly went over the cliff.

Doesn’t mean we can expect to solve the problem right away, just that we’ve done something that moves us in the direction of a solution — and gives us permission to relax for a while.

Treatment generally includes identifying high risk situations and making a plan for dealing with them. Benny knew his sales meetings were high-risk; he just wasn’t willing to give them up without a trial. Three slips later, he acknowledged reality.

It helps to think of anxiety as simply a part of our body’s natural response to stress. It’s a protective response with both physiological and psychological aspects.