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 […]
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 […]
Recovery Actions have Expiry Dates
Many people come through our treatment centre and believe that the work they put in here is enough and that the work they put in here is going to carry them for the rest of their lives. This is a dangerous myth and one that […]
Triggers | Associations
Triggers and associations are strong reminders of the past. For people in early recovery, a trigger or association can be the influencing factor which leads to a relapse. A few triggers are easier to see than others, for example, the bar you used to drink […]
Do and Dont’s for Early Recovery
In Early Recovery this is probably the single most important piece of advice for someone who continues to struggle with drug or alcohol addiction. The reason such a person is struggling is because they are dealing with a problem all by themselves, and they are […]
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 […]
Maintaining Recovery in early recovery
If you want to maintain recovery and keep running strong, you need to take the same approach a mechanic would take when tuning up a car. But what should you do in order to maintain your recovery successfully? How can you react to the little […]
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, […]
