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Massage therapy is more than a “spa day” favorite or celebrity pastime; when combined with traditional therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or a 12-Step program, massage therapy can effectively reduce stress and muscle pain in individuals with a substance use disorder (SUD).

Alcohol is a popular addition to weddings, birthday parties, dinner celebrations, and other social events. Your journey in recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) does not need to circumvent these major events, as long as you are aware of the risks and prepared to face triggers.

Complementary therapies reinforce cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), 12-Step programs, group therapy, and other professionally facilitated forms of treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) and comorbidities. These activities engage the mind, body, and soul in unique ways, allowing for creative self-expression and healing. The Department of Health & Human Services of Australia lists aromatherapy, acupuncture, and yoga as some of the most popular complementary therapies, though rehabilitation facilities across the globe offer many different options to fulfill treatment needs for anyone in need.

The decision to pursue a romantic relationship after consideration of your mental state indicates emotional stability and increased levels of self-awareness. This is a big step, and even if you feel prepared to start a romance, your intended partner may not feel the same way. When your advances are not met with the desired reaction, you may feel embarrassed, anxious, depressed, or alone. It is easy to submit to these negative feelings, but you are strong enough to handle the temporary pain of rejection.

The day you complete a recovery program can be an incredibly joyful experience. At the same time, it can be pretty scary. You may be in a structured in-patient treatment facility or regular outpatient appointments, but the idea of suddenly tackling recovery and sobriety alone can cause a lot of stress. This is why it is important to develop an aftercare plan for an easier transition. The purpose of an aftercare plan is to support your transition from recovery, prevent relapse, and meet goals.

Using experiential therapy in recovery has become increasingly popular in recent years. In these therapies, a patient uses creative tools to re-create situations or emotions from the past. Experiential therapy recreates experiences that bring subconscious feelings, urges, or behaviors into a person's conscious awareness. These techniques are not used in recovery on their own, but often supplement parts of treatment programs to provide a patient with tailor-made treatments. It's hard to create a formal definition of experiential therapy because so many therapeutic methods can be used. Baecause of this, there are a lot of misconceptions about these techniques. Whichever technique is used, experiential therapy should provide insight into the nature of a person's behaviors and feelings.

During rehabilitation, your daily schedule will be structured according to your treatment plan. Individual therapy, group sessions, complementary therapy, recreational time, meals, and social events, will fill your days. Once you graduate from the program, however, you will probably have much more free time. Too much free time can cause boredom or restlessness, thereby increasing your risk of relapse. Unfortunately, activities like seeing a movie, visiting a museum, or shopping can be expensive. When planning your schedule, consider some low- or no-cost hobbies to occupy your time.

A “fun run” might not sound like a fun way to spend your day, but speed walking and running are excellent forms of exercise for their numerous mental and physical benefits. Everyone needs to keep active to stay healthy, and if you’re considering new ways to exercise, running might be right for you.

Establishing a friendship is difficult at any age. Meeting new people is tough — especially during a period of social distancing — and learning to be vulnerable with another person is typically a long and arduous process. Individuals coping with substance use disorder (SUD) and any comorbid disorders, such as anxiety, may find opening up to be more challenging than peers without SUD. Finding new friends is no easy task, but when you forge meaningful friendships with new people, you make progress in your recovery journey.

There has been a rise in social acceptance of marijuana use within the past decade. Eleven states have some form of recreational marijuana, and 47 states allow use for medicinal purposes. It’s not as cut and dry as it may seem, and there are a lot of important considerations when using marijuana regularly. There have been studies that show a link between prolonged marijuana abuse and mental illness. Of course, there are a lot of factors that play a role, including the amount of drug used, the age at first use, and genetic vulnerability.

You may have heard someone say that you are being “difficult” — or maybe you have called someone else “difficult” before. You may be asking yourself what exactly this means, and how can you make yourself less “difficult”. Emotional intelligence is typically thought of as the ability to recognize, understand, and healthily express one's own emotions, coupled with the ability to recognize, interpret, and respond to other people's emotions. A lot of us struggle with being aware that we have feelings or why we are feeling something at all. We don't know what to do once we realize we are feeling something. A lot of this comes from feelings of dissociation and avoidance due to trauma. Because of this, it is difficult to trust our intuition — that feeling in our gut or our "moral compass" that directs us to do the right things versus acting on impulse. This leads us to dismiss our feelings, and dismiss others by proxy. It hinders our ability to experience self-regulation. This can cause negative consequences — for example, we may be more reactive, take things more personally, and/or be a lot more judgemental of ourselves and others. There have been numerous studies that followed the importance of having emotional intelligence and how to attain it. There are five categories of emotional intelligence.

Relapse is considered a very taboo subject for those in addiction recovery, often because nobody wants to associate themselves with that feeling of “going back,” “failing,” or “being weak.” Despite what you may have heard about relapse, it is a common occurrence for many of us in recovery. It can be used to teach people valuable lessons about themselves and their journey through recovery. As you navigate the experience of healing and sobriety, it’s important to remember that forgiveness – and understanding that you’re human – can carry you through the dark days.