Blog
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Working out to work it out
One of the more promising and least talked about tools for treating and recovering from addiction is exercise. Anne Fletcher made note of this in her book, Sober for Good, when she asked more than 200 people who had at least five years of sobriety how they sought pleasure after giving up alcohol and found that one of their most common responses was “exercise.” This was also one of their most frequent answers to her question about how... (more...)
Don’t leave your brain at the door
Many of our clients have been exposed to Alcoholics Anonymous/ Narcotics Anonymous meetings or 12-step-based treatment programs, and then find their way to Practical Recovery because they’re looking for something different. Also, the 12 steps have become part of popular culture – with TV shows and movies seldom depicting alternative recovery options and the proliferation of 12-step groups for every problem under the sun. For these reasons,... (more...)
Setting up a winning “competition” with using
So often, when someone is trying to get off drugs or alcohol, it’s all about the substances. The focus is on notdrinking, not taking painkillers, having urine tests showing you’re off the stuff. But an extensive body of research demonstrates that reinforcing an alternative, competing behavior can reduce participation in an unwanted behavior. So instead of focusing on “not using”, Practical Recovery encourages setting up a... (more...)
Moving away from “not using” and “addiction”
Recently at Practical Recovery, we invited Anne Fletcher, author of Sober for Good and her new book, Inside Rehab, to visit with a group of current and past clients for several hours. We asked everyone to share with Anne what percentage of time they felt we at Practical Recovery focus on addiction. Nearly everyone in the room said that it was less than 30 percent. Anne observed this, too, when she came here four years ago to do research... (more...)
Don’t Toss Away The Serenity Prayer
For people opposed to “prayers”, AA meetings, traditional 12-step-basedtreatment, and/or prayer in general, it’s too bad that the Serenity Prayer has beenco-opted. What you probably don’t know, according to “The Secret History ofthe Serenity Prayer” by author Susan Cheever at TheFix.com, is that the prayerwas originally conceived by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr – “not as an antidoteto addiction but in response to the barbaric... (more...)
Rules for Happiness (from the SMART Recovery website)
RULES FOR HAPPINESS • Don’t blame others for making you unhappy. Take responsibility for making yourself happy. • Give yourself permission to make yourself happy — even if in so doing, others make themselves unhappy. • Make time for yourself to do things which bring you pleasure and enjoyment in the short-term. • Do things for others and your community without expecting anything back in return. •... (more...)
A mindful outing
This past weekend our residents went on a whale watching tour, leaving from the San Diego harbor. This time of year, whales are migrating south to warmer waters, so it is a wonderful time to spot them on their trip down to Mexico. “I’m sitting atop the deck of our ship, frustrated with my hair blowing everywhere except back from my face, impatiently waiting for the now half hour delayed voyage to get started. I turn to... (more...)
Willpower vs. self-control
Willpower versus Self-control There’s been a lot of talk about “willpower” lately, in part because of a recently published book by psychologist Roy Baumeister. Ph.D. and journalist, John Tierney called Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength. The truth is that Dr. Baumeister tends to talk more about self-control, a term we at Practical Recovery prefer. Why? Willpower is the resistance of desire when it arises... (more...)
Small steps
As a new year begins, many of us take the proverbial pledge to swear off an excess of some sort or to tackle an unhealthy habit – making a decision to do something about a drug or alcohol problem may be part of that. In the world of addiction treatment, we see a lot of people who decide or are told that abstinence is “the only way”, who then feel like failures if they have a slip or a fall. The truth is that drug and alcohol problems... (more...)
Addiction during the Holidays
The holidays can be a particularly difficult time for people new to recovery – between family gatherings and parties where alcohol is present and emotional triggers such as stress and sadness related to past memories. You can build resistance to these triggers by preparing a plan. Here are some general tips that can help those recovering from an addiction through the holidays: 1) Be careful about which events you attend. Avoid... (more...)