“There’s so much grace in acceptance. It’s not an easy concept. But if you embrace it, you’ll find more peace than you ever imagined.” – Loretta LaRoche Like all significant acts of healing, addiction recovery is a lifelong process – one that happens moment by moment. From the very moment we make the decision to […]
Inpatient treatment is often necessary for those who are unable to stop using drugs or drinking on their own. Perhaps an individual has come to terms with the fact that he has a problem with chemical substance, and has attempted to quit or cut back, finding himself unable. Perhaps he has agreed to attend an […]
We stole from our mothers. We lied to our friends. We manipulated our grandparents and helped ourselves to the medications they needed to live. We failed out of school. We lived on the streets. We sold our bodies for drug money. We showed up to work drunk and embarrassed ourselves, incessantly, in front of our […]
Owning up to what we have done wrong is no small task – in fact, admitting that we have significantly harmed our loved ones is one of the most painful processes we may ever undergo. Making amends does not merely entail admitting where we were at fault, it requires an honest and thorough look at […]
The link between trauma and addiction is no secret – since the 1970s, addiction specialists and treatment professionals alike have been closely studying the relationship between early trauma and the development of substance abuse disorders. However, the crucial role that emotional trauma plays in the occurrence of addictive disorders is often overlooked. We at Next […]
2 out of every 3 addicts has undergone some form of significant childhood trauma. Have you ever wondered to yourself, “Why am I an addict – why me?” It may sometimes seem like life has dealt you an unfair hand for no apparent reason. It may seem as if there is no true cause for […]
As human beings, social interactions are not only a crucial component of our lives – they typically provide us with the most joy (and the most pain) that we will ever experience. The first relationships we form, those with our primary caregivers, are shown to have profound and lasting effects on our psychological and biological […]
“When you complain, you make yourself a victim. Leave the situation, change the situation, or accept it. All else is madness.” – Eckhart Tolle For the average addict, chaos is comfortable. Many of us grow so accustomed to living amidst dysfunction and disorder, that imagining a life of peace and serenity is all but unfathomable. […]
“The cure for pain is in the pain.” – Rumi We drink and drug to excess for a variety of reasons. Maybe we find that we don’t fit in; we can’t relate to our peers, and drinking makes the awkwardness and exclusion go away. We drink and we can speak – we can interact, we […]
Although we are often not aware of it, the relationships we develop with our primary caretakers throughout infancy and early adolescence will shape our future relationships – often for the remainder of our lives. If we grow up in loving, supportive environments with caring, encouraging parents or guardians, we are more likely and able to […]