Addiction doesn't happen overnight. It follows a progression that researchers, clinicians, and people in recovery describe in consistent stages. Understanding these stages helps families recognise where their loved one is, and helps individuals understand their own journey with clarity rather than shame. At Cherrywood House, […]
RELATIONSHIPS AND MANAGING EXPECTATIONS IN EARLY RECOVERY.
So often we hear people saying “But why don’t they trust me? I’ve been clean for a few months now, I’ve done 3 months of rehab, surely, they should trust me already.” Firstly, I think we need to look at what a relationship looks like […]
Early Recovery Demands
There are a few “suggestions” for people in early recovery. I say suggestions in the same way that it’s a suggestion to pull the cord on a parachute when you jump out of a plane. The first thing to realise is that recovery has to […]
Surviving the Silly Season
As we fast approach the holiday season and Christmas time, many people in recovery start to feel the anxiety. They have a lot of spare time, they have to attend family reunions where alcohol is usually involved, and financial pressure rears its head. These are […]
Recovery isn’t just about stopping the using
Many people come into treatment and think this is recovery, if I could just stop using/drinking/acting out my life would be fine, it would go back to “normal”. Here’s the thing, what’s normal? Is normal that life you had before you started using/drinking? Is normal […]
Outgrowing Early Recovery
I’m taken back into those first few months of early recovery, some fond memories, some hard battles. Some lost and some won, one thing was certain from the start, recovery needed to be more than just not using. I wanted a new life, I’ve so […]
Relapse and what to look out for
Relapse is more than just using alcohol or drugs. It is the progressive process of becoming so dysfunctional in recovery that self-medication with alcohol or drugs seems like a reasonable choice. The relapse process is a lot like knocking over a line of dominoes. The […]
Enabling
Am I part of the problem? How to stop enabling addiction Part of the problem with enabling is that the behaviors feel so much like help. Learn to identify three (3) enabling behaviors here. Then, we invite your questions or messages about how to quit […]
Conflict Styles and Consequences
Here’s the dilemma; chemically problematic men and women don’t do well in ‘relationships’. An extremely high percentage of people who try to get clean and sober but then repeatedly find themselves relapsing, relapse because of relationship breakdowns and the subsequently overwhelming feelings of hurt, loss, […]
Just How Bad Are Energy Drinks for Recovering People?
For those recovering from alcohol and drug addictions, the urge to find a fix seems to be never-ending. To replace their drug of choice, the recovering addict will find other means to soothe their minds and souls. A replacement “high” that has become common among […]
