Now that you’re in recovery, it’s natural to expect things to change for the better – but you’ll need to be careful that you don’t expect things to change too fast or too drastically. Recovery is a journey and the goal is progress, not perfection, after all. Setting unrealistic expectations during recovery can mean setting yourself up for failure. In fact, for many people, unrealistic expectations can lead to relapse. For example, a person can create a list of impossible demands for sobriety and, when those demands aren’t met, he or she can use it as an excuse to drink […]

September is Recovery Month and, as part of the celebration, people in recovery from across the country are celebrating their successes and sharing their personal stories in an effort to spread awareness, increase education and inspire others. There are plenty of ways to share your personal recovery tale. You can submit your story via Recovery Month’s “Voices for Recovery” on Recovery.org or you can share during a group meeting, with a trusted peer, friend or family member or via social media. Whichever way you choose, the benefits are vast and include helping to stop the stigma against addiction. Here are […]

Running on a treadmill for one hour, five days a week may be key to preventing cocaine relapses, according to researchers from the University of Buffalo. “Cocaine addiction is often characterized by cycles of recovery and relapse, with stress and negative emotions, often caused by withdrawal itself, among the major causes of relapse,” Thanos, senior research scientist in the UB Research Institute on Addictions and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, said in a statement. According to the mice study, this type of aerobic exercise can help cause “memory clearance” that […]

A big part of self-care is setting boundaries. This is because laying out your boundaries allows you to prioritize your own wellbeing. It helps you to define and let others know what you need (physically and emotionally), how you expect to be treated and to recognize your right to have feelings, beliefs and personal time. It forces you to put you and your recovery first and to take a giant leap in self-worth. Creating healthy boundaries can be a powerful tool for lasting sobriety. Setting and enforcing limits can increase your self-respect and self-esteem and help to create a supportive network […]