This blog is bursting with all kinds of ideas and topics. After all, the development and dangers of substance use disorders, the details of the treatment process, and the direction your recovery journey might take are all complex subjects. Each can be broken down into many individual parts—and each of those parts can be explored in many different ways.
Still and all, there are some topics we find ourselves returning to with some regularity. In the blog post, we are going to look at three such topics—each of which we have written about at least three times. Think of this entry as a helpful jumping-off point for exploring these subjects in greater depth.
Replacing Recovery Falsehoods with the Truth
It is unfortunate but true that there are a lot of incorrect ideas floating around about substance use disorders, their treatment, and recovery. For a person who is struggling with drugs or alcohol, who is in treatment, or who has begun their recovery, this kind of misinformation can be confusing and even dangerous. That is why we tackled a variety of myths in a three-part series titled “The Truth About Recovery.”
In those three entries, we debunked seven incorrect assertions:
- Part One:
- Addiction is a choice! People can stop using drugs or alcohol if they really want to!
- Quitting ‘cold turkey’ is the best option for getting sober!
- Substance use disorder treatment is something you only have to do once!
- Part Two:
- You are experiencing too much success to have a substance use problem!
- If a drug were unsafe, it wouldn’t be legal!
- Part Three:
- You don’t need to get help for a substance use disorder until you hit rock bottom!
- If you get sober, you won’t ever have fun again!
In a separate entry, we have explored some of these ideas from slightly different angles:
- Here’s the Truth: All of These Addiction Myths are False
- You could easily achieve sobriety if you were of better character or had more faith!
- Getting treatment for a substance use disorder or addiction is a waste of time!
- If you experience a relapse, you will never be able to stay sober!
Remember, each of those statements above is false. We encourage you to explore the original entries to see how we debunked each and every one of them.
Mindfulness Is Often on Our Mind
Many, many people—perhaps including you yourself—spend a lot of time thinking about the past or worrying about the future. When looking backward, it is easy to focus on mistakes or regrets. When looking forward, it is easy to find yourself exploring a whole range of worst-case scenarios. Neither habit is particularly useful for anyone at all, but they can be particularly dangerous practices for those who are in recovery from a substance use disorder. A focus on regrets or on worries can set a person in recovery on the path toward relapse.
Mindfulness practice offers an alternative to our tendency to look back or ahead by encouraging us to stay in the present moment. Here are three ways we have turned our mind toward mindfulness:
- Three Ways Mindfulness Practice Can Support Recovery
- Mindfulness and Yoga: Two Sides of the Same Coin
- Mindfulness: Doing ‘Nothing’ Can Be Something Good for Recovery
We have also devoted a full blog post to a specific type of mindfulness that can help you handle cravings when they arise. The entry is titled, “Curb Cravings with Urge Surfing.”
Would mindfulness be a helpful practice for you in recovery? Read the blogs linked to above for more information, and then give mindfulness a try.
We Talk Turkey About Thanksgiving
You might be surprised to see a roundup of blog posts about a specific holiday. That is fair enough, but we believe that Thanksgiving, in particular, offers plenty of lessons for a person in recovery from a substance use disorder—and that many of those lessons apply not just to other holidays, but to your life more generally. And let’s face it: the big holiday is not that far away.
Here are three blogs devoted to Thanksgiving topics:
- Make Your First Sober Thanksgiving Less Stressful and More Joyful
- Thanksgiving Guide to Good Nutrition in Recovery
- Thanksgiving is a Good Reminder that Thankfulness is Good for Your Recovery
Big holidays can come with real stress—on you and on your recovery. We hope the posts linked to above can help you navigate that stress successfully so that you can experience more of the joy we all hope the holidays can bring.
We Are Here to Help You Overcome Drugs or Alcohol
Located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, French Creek Recovery Center is in the business of helping individuals take back control of their lives. We provided personalized approaches to the treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders. And once your time in treatment comes to an end, we continue to offer support and resources to help you start your recovery journey with confidence. When you are ready for a reset—a life free from the influence of drugs or alcohol—we are ready to help.