For people with addictions, whether substance abuse or process addictions, understanding the various pathways that lead to addictive behaviours is critical to getting proper treatment and support. The connection between trauma and addiction Awareness of substance abuse is one of the keys to … Read more about Does Trauma Always Lead To Addiction?
For those with traumatic histories, escaping or forgetting painful memories from the past can seem like an attractive option. Although many people often use drugs and alcohol socially and recreationally, some use substances to escape, a way to numb or forget painful memories, feelings, and … Read more about Drugs and Escapism: The Trauma Behind Substance Addiction
My name is Renee, and I am an alcoholic. A recovering one at this point, but never recovered. Always recovering. How it Started: Sparkly Golden Chardonnay I took my first drink at age 14. At that time, I worked for a catering company, and the owners were my neighbors. They paid me … Read more about What Alcohol Recovery Means to Me
Addiction and co-dependency share a strong connection: shame. Shame is much stronger than guilt. Unlike guilt, which is rooted around specific actions, shame makes a person feel inherently wrong. This feeling of wrongness can lead to feelings of being unworthy, unlovable, and undeserving of … Read more about Healing Shame: The Core of Addiction and Codependency
As many people will attest, living with an alcoholic is no easy feat. People who live with alcoholics or those with substance abuse problems get accustomed to specific behaviors. Alcohol use Friends and family members of alcoholics have likely tried everything in the book to get the person … Read more about 5 effective ways to manage your mental health when living with an alcoholic
Having difficult conversations is never easy - this is especially true for the people we love, particularly when we suspect they may have a problem with addiction. Family members, friends and partners may have a hard time communicating with someone with an addiction. Firstly, there's the shock … Read more about 5 ways to communicate with a loved one if you suspect they have a problem with addiction
Stress. We all have it. Whether it’s a new job, a lost job, an illness, the death of a loved one, a move across the country, a divorce, or the global Covid-19 pandemic, no one is exempt from stressors in life. Stress can result from a myriad of factors and is defined “as the degree to which you … Read more about The link between Stress and Alcohol
Feeling lonely is common, especially amidst a global pandemic. No one is immune to feeling isolated from time to time, but what if it becomes a chronic feeling that you can’t shake? Psychology Today defines loneliness as a “function of the affective need for companionship and belonging.” Left … Read more about The Disease of Isolation: Cycles of Loneliness and Addiction
