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Allowance is the amount to which you permit something into your experience. In the absence of allowance, you may find yourself meeting resistance and feeling stuck physically, relationally, emotionally, or spiritually.

Beginning treatment for substance use disorder and mental illness can feel overwhelming. Not only are you learning to manage all the pieces of your treatment program, but you are also beginning to change in ways that you never have before and challenging parts of yourself that are destructive but have become your normal. Because healing can feel overwhelming and uncertain at times, it is important to take it one step at a time.

What is your relationship like with acceptance? It is common to confuse acceptance with staying “stuck." The line between acceptance and stagnation is thin and sometimes blurry. Despite that fact, what if acceptance of yourself and your situation was the launchpad for change, growth, and healing?

A functioning alcoholic is a person who does not match the classic image that usually comes to mind when thinking of alcoholism. Learning how to identify this person in your family can clarify when it is time to get help for alcohol abuse. Flexible treatment programs like partial hospitalization may be the most appropriate and effective way to get your loved one on their path to sobriety.

Self-forgiveness is essential not only for intentional healing journeys—like those from substance abuse or mental health issues—but in life in general. Even if you often allow yourself to forgive other people, sometimes it feels like forgiving yourself is off-limits, especially if you tend to have patterns of perfectionism and a loud inner critic.

Healthy connections with others can be something you desire just as much as you resist. This is usually the case with all things that are desired most because it is common to experience fear surrounding that which you most want. Experiences such as substance use and mental illness can often lead you away from yourself, others, and life as a whole. The antidote to suffering is creating space for connection and allowing it to help you reach your goals for recovery and healing.

Recovery from substance use disorder and mental illness can feel both exciting and scary. Healing requires you to push yourself out of your comfort zone. It is important to remember that healing is not linear, and there will be moments when you may feel like you are just not getting anywhere. It is these moments that are most important that you show up for yourself, regardless of the resistance present.

A complex can influence the way you think about yourself and others. The God complex leads you to believe your power is on par with God. This condition is closely related to narcissistic personality disorder, a mental health problem that requires proper diagnosis and treatment.

Self-trust can feel like learning a foreign language, especially if you have spent most of your life searching for answers through external validation, comparison, and doing what you “should” do. Perhaps you have never even asked yourself the question, “What do I want?” Maybe it has never even felt like an option.

Many, if not all, humans have a voice inside their heads known as the "inner critic." Although what this voice sounds like differs from person to person, it is common for this voice to keep you stuck in patterns of self-judgment. It also can block you from cultivating self-acceptance and making peace with yourself.

Most people have experienced some form of trauma in their life. Regardless of what type of trauma you have encountered, it is valid and you deserve proper healing. There is not a trauma that is “better” or “worse” than another trauma. Trauma is often at least partially responsible when people develop mental health issues like substance use disorders (SUD), mental illness, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Fear is a powerful emotion that can significantly impact the type of decisions you make. If you are thinking about getting treatment, you may be struggling with your fears about the future. Learning to think about your fears differently can help you control them instead of preventing you from growing. It is time to find your doorway to freedom.