You “obsess” over obsessing and find yourself doing unnecessary things over and over again, completing them just because the anxiety won’t go away unless they’re done. A quick visit to your doctor’s office clarifies everything: you’ve got Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Now you have to figure out what to do about it. OCD is marked by […]
How do I get rid of this guilt?
Guilt is about feeling bad, even disliking ourselves, over something we did or didn’t do in the past. Guilt can be normal: the fact that we feel it proves that we have compassion for others. At the same time, guilt can become so toxic and destructive that it overwhelms, and that’s when it’s time to […]
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Getting to Know Yourself in Recovery
You’ve quit drugs. You’ve struggled and made it. The first few days, weeks, even months haven’t been easy. Between facing the past, surviving the present, and taking on an unknown future, sobriety can be overwhelming. Amidst all the chaos, you have to figure out who you are without drugs and alcohol. Who is this “new […]
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The Wacky and Wonderful Relapse Prevention Plan
The worksheet below is a rough copy of our Wacky and Wonderful Recovery Pamphlet, “Relapse Prevention Plan.” (This link will take you to a clean version you can purchase right away.) The handout includes 2 pages of check-lists meant to quickly help people in recovery maneuver past triggers and cravings. Page 1 focuses on identifying warning symptoms […]
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Addiction: 4 ways to battle cravings
You’re trying to escape an addiction. That could be food, drugs, alcohol, gambling, or smoking. One of the biggest challenges you’re dealing with, especially at the beginning of your recovery, could be those urges to “feed” the addiction. You’re bound to have cravings. It happens to all recovering addicts, and it isn’t easy. But remember, […]
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For fiction writers: 4 steps to writing your way out of depression
“I believe that words are strong, that they can overwhelm when what we fear seems more awful than life is good.” –Andrew Solomon, The Noonday Demon Writing as a weapon Depression is an evil companion. It challenges us with a duel to the death but takes away the very weapons we need to fight back: […]
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Ways to deal with PTSD triggers
We all come across things that trigger difficult memories, but for people with PTSD, these memories jumpstart a cascade of internal events that washes on panic, horror, or rage. Then there are the triggered thoughts. Sometimes they’re clear and distressing (“it’s happening all over again” or “I deserve this”), at other times a jumbled […]
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11 ways to overcome all adversity
“It is what it is. Isn’t that how these things always go? They are what they are. We just get to cope.” — Mira Grant, Feed Okay, give me a minute. Today I want to get up on my soap box and say “Yay!” to overcoming all adversity, finding the perfect life, and always knowing […]
