Reading Time: 3 Minutes The holidays should be a time for gathering, celebrating, expressing gratitude, and reflecting. Still, they often bring stress and worry, especially to those struggling with underlying issues such as substance abuse. The first year of sobriety, especially during the holiday season, can be a sea of ups and downs. Emotions can range from gratefulness and […]
recovery
Tips for Recovery During the Holidays
Reading Time: 3 Minutes The holidays can be a stressful time of year for anyone and can be even more stressful if you are in recovery. Addiction is more pronounced during the holiday season, and when one individual is struggling with a substance use disorder, the entire family unit is affected. Family gatherings, hectic preparations, holiday shopping, financial stress, […]
The Eight Gifts of Christmas in Recovery
Reading Time: 3 Minutes Christmas is a magical time of year for many, but it can also be a difficult time of year for those who cannot spend it with loved ones or those who are struggling with an addiction or mental health disorder. This year is particularly challenging with the global pandemic, which has resulted in so much […]
Tips on How to Celebrate the New Year in Recovery
Reading Time: 3 Minutes Ringing in the New Year is a memorable experience for many as it represents closing the chapter on the current year while looking forward to new memories, friendships, and milestones in the coming year. New Year’s Eve can be challenging and scary for individuals who are in recovery and for those trying to abstain from […]
Honesty in Recovery
Reading Time: 3 Minutes Substance use disorders, whether it is heroin, marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, or stimulants, no doubt, harvest secrecy, isolation, and deception. Individuals with a substance use disorder often live in a complex web of lies specifically designed to keep dangerous coping mechanisms in place and “protected” from those who sincerely want to help. Individuals will often hide […]
Ingredients to a Healthy Relationship in Addiction Recovery
Reading Time: 4 Minutes Boundaries are important for every relationship. From early childhood, we learn to set boundaries to protect ourselves and help others understand what is acceptable. All healthy romantic relationships have boundaries; whether they are spoken or unspoken, we set them for ourselves and our partner. They especially protect and help us during our loved one’s addiction […]
The Importance of Family Therapy in Addiction Recovery for Indigenous Communities
Reading Time: 4 Minutes Challenges of Mental Health Disorders or Substance Abuse Mental health and substance abuse disorders affect all individuals regardless of their ethnicity, culture, or race. Anyone can experience the challenges of mental health disorders or substance abuse regardless of their background, however, background and identity can make access to treatment much more difficult. Studies have shown […]
Building Resiliency During Recovery
Reading Time: 3 Minutes Resiliency is often defined as “the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress, such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors”, according to the American Psychological Association. As much as resiliency involves “bouncing back” from these tough situations, it often […]
Five Things Not to Say to Someone in Recovery
Reading Time: 3 Minutes “You don’t get over an addiction by stopping using. You recover by creating a new life where it is easier to not use. If you don’t create a new life, then all the factors that brought you to your addiction will catch up with you again.” -Anonymous Recovery can be viewed by many as a […]
Sobriety versus Recovery
Reading Time: 3 Minutes Our team at AKUA Mind and Body believes in celebrating recovery daily as addiction recovery is based on progress, not perfection. Each new day is one step forward in the right direction. The terms “sobriety” and “recovery” are often used interchangeably. However, these two terms have very distinct meanings when it comes time to addiction. […]