Dr Gabor Mate defines addiction as “Addiction is manifested in any behaviour that a person craves, finds temporary relief or pleasure in but suffers negative consequences as a result of, and yet has difficulty giving up. In brief: craving, relief, pleasure, suffering, impaired control. Note that this definition is Continue Reading
addiction
TO SOBRIETY AND BEYOND
As the (No)Buzz Lightyear”s that are the heroes of Dry January consider their missions into to sobriety and beyond (Parched March anyone?), we thought we would highlight some relatively new approaches in the recovery universe. The 12 Step fellowships work for a lot of people. They will continue working for Continue Reading
CONSEQUENCES OF THE CREATIVE CURSE
A great many creatives fear recovery from addiction might mean an end to their artistic achievements. Alcoholism and addiction have been see by many as the creative curse. That said alcoholic writers probably write (or wrote) just as well sober as drunk, and as South African playwright Continue Reading
The Power of Story
“By sharing our stories, it seems, we invite each other into our worlds. This enhances our interconnectedness, shared awareness, and possibilities for fruitful interaction.” Stories have power. The telling of the personal story has long been a cornerstone of connectedness, one of humanities most basic needs is connection to others. Continue Reading
What Does Recovery Look Like?
In the spirit of FAVOR’s #RAAW16 (that is Recovery Advocacy Awareness Week), we are giving their theme for Monday 2nd May a moment of consideration. #ThisIsWhatRecoveryLooksLike is the nominated hash tag. A cursory search on Google throws out hundreds of individual stories of what Recovery means to people through their Continue Reading
Recovery Advocacy Week – Opening Up Recovery
Those of us who have found a path in Recovery, or are just setting out on the journey often face a dilemma when it comes to disclosure about our problem. Sadly this often means we also remain silent about our solution. Openly sharing with others our “status” can be a Continue Reading
A Healthy Approach to Recovery
Our last post, Do You Want To Be Happy, Or Right? looked at the ‘We are right and you are wrong’ dualistic thinking that surrounds both addiction, treatment and recovery so we are happy to introduce you to a great article, and approach from Matthew Lovitt’s blog. A Master Nutrition Continue Reading
Defining Recovery (What Are We Talking Here?)
I like knowing what things mean. That can get quite difficult when you start talking addiction and Recovery. Whilst definitions of any word or phrase vary, it is generally accepted, by most dictionaries that Recovery is: re·cov·er·y (rĭ-kŭv′ə-rē)pl. re·cov·er·ies The act, process, duration, or an instance of recovering. A return to a normal or healthy condition.The act of obtaining usable substances from unusable sources. Despite the similarity in all the dictionary definitions those involved in Continue Reading
Why Online? Why Recovery? Why Now? The Academy Explained
The continued rise of online resources in various fields opens up huge possibilities for all kinds of communication, knowledge and understanding. Online environments offer opportunities for discovery and personal growth in two distinct ways, particularly useful both those in Recovery and those seeking more information. Firstly, online access to information Continue Reading
Want Recovery? Stamp Out Stigma
Shame and stigma block the pathway to Recovery for too many people. Yes, even today (as unbelievable) as it might seem owning up to a drink or drug problem is made harder by the stigma still so prevalent in our “enlightened” society. Asking for help, to detox, for rehab treatment, Continue Reading