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 […]

Of all the ways to describe the disease of addiction, “lonely” and “isolating” are among the most accurate. It’s much easier to isolate ourselves than to face our problems head-on. Although isolation may provide some temporary relief, it doesn’t address the negative thought patterns, unstable emotions and destructive behaviors that lead to and are exacerbated by addiction. The benefits of community-driven treatment cannot be overstated. Surrounding ourselves with positive influences while making contributions to the community only improves the likelihood of achieving a successful, lasting recovery. 1. It changes your outlook. It’s human instinct to want to connect and bond […]