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We are currently in a strange place no matter where you are located in the world. You may be feeling anxious, depressed, or unsure of what to do during this pandemic. Now that it has been prolonged and we are not completely back to normal, you may be feeling restless or irritable. Feelings of economic insecurity might be rattling in your mind consistently. However, now is the perfect time to start your recovery process and take steps towards self-improvement. Most of us have a lot of time on our hands and that can be a bad thing for our mental health.

SMART Recovery is an abstinence oriented support program that helps individuals who suffer from substance use disorders. It is helpful for some individuals to utilize this adaptation of recovery after or during treatment. Its main objective is to help you become confident and self-empowered. Your substance use disorder does not define you and in fact, SMART recovery does not use labels like "addict" or "alcoholic" to identify you. It provides global support and meetings for anyone that may be struggling with substance usage. It uses a scientific 4 point program to help you become independent of your substance usage. Their model is based on a four-point program in behavioral change. This includes, building and maintaining the motivation to change, coping with urges to use, managing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in an effective way without addictive behaviors, and living a balanced, positive, and healthy life. The motivation they use is the awareness that we all have human problems. We don't want to experience pain and we want to experience happiness as much as possible. Our substance use minds want this, yet do not see the long term effects. We are impulsive and mainly focus on short term goals that can sabotage us in the long run.

There are many pathways to getting sober. You may find that you are not interested in joining a specific 12-step fellowship in regards to getting sober and that is okay. It is an important fact to disclose, however, that you talk about what method is best in line with where you are at in your recovery goals. Some people get to a place where they realize their relationship with substances is causing problems and they want to change their behavior. Others have a strong faith and relationship with a higher power that has helped them realize they no longer want to use substances. Whatever the case may be 12 step recovery is not the only solution or pathway in staying sober.

Loneliness is something every single person on this planet will or has experienced at some point in their lifetime. For some of us, it may spark an actual debilitating fear. For others, it's more intense when we don't have a significant other we're spending our lives with. The interesting thing about loneliness is it can also happen when we are not alone. We could be in a room full of people and feel just as lonely, because it is our perception of ourselves that accounts for this.

A dependent personality disorder is characterized by the anxious feeling of being alone or the inability to be alone. Individuals who suffer from this disorder rely on other people for comfort, reassurance, advice, and support. Some people experience something similar, for example feelings of insecurity. However, the major difference is people suffering from DPD need constant reassurance to function. This disorder typically presents itself by showing symptoms of:

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy where a group of individuals discusses their problems together under the care of a licensed professional. It is common to feel apprehensive at first when you are asked to get vulnerable and share with other people at this level. It can feel uncomfortable or there may exist fear that others won't understand. The common goal of group therapy is to identify patterns and behaviors concerning the problem. This is done with other individuals that suffer from the same problem. What this allows is complete acceptance of others and your dilemma. Groups provide support to the individual. When you experience a mental health issue it is common to feel like you are completely alone in feeling that way. Sometimes you are the only one in your family that may be struggling. If you suffer from substance use disorder it can feel like the world is against you. Other people who don't suffer from this may not understand completely although they want to help. When you are in a group therapy setting, other people with this common issue share about the difficulties and in that setting you won't feel alone. Feeling isolated in these disorders can be detrimental to the recovery process. Therefore, getting honest is key.

If you have been following the stay-at-home order, then you are probably starting to go a little stir crazy by now. If you live by yourself, you may be feeling lonely or sick of seeing yourself. There is a phenomenon where people are experiencing "Zoom exhaustion" from the consistent exposure of their own faces and other people's faces on camera. It may feel awkward and a little uncomfortable or like your privacy is hindered — because it is, in a way. We live in a world where that is currently the new normal. Anyone can stare at your screen and It is our human nature to be nervous about what people will think of us or say about us. It is different than before because when we had in-person meetings, most people would doze off into space or look at whoever is talking rather than be hyperfocused on any convenient screen.

Most of us have experienced some form of trauma whether it happened in childhood or the immediate past. Most individuals that have substance use disorders have also suffered from trauma. The road to healing must begin whenever you decide you are ready to take a look at it. It can feel discouraging at times or it can be overwhelming, however, what is most important is to remember that it doesn't define you. It is not your identity and you are not unlovable because of it. Patience is a key factor in getting better. Become aware of how you are feeling. It is important to become aware of how your body and mind respond to certain things. You may realize quickly that there are "triggers" which entice a panic response from your body and mind. By becoming aware of your emotions the next thing to do is allow them to come out. Many people experience panic attacks because they are suppressing unresolved emotions. They either avoid them because they don't want to experience them or shove them down as if they don't exist. This results in delayed emotional responses or inappropriate responses to situations that you may deem as stressful. Try keeping a log where you write down whenever you feel overwhelmed or stressed out. Maintaining a journal can help you track your progress as well as anything that may be triggering your responses. This is helpful to gain awareness of recurring situations. Minimize isolation as much as possible. It is our instinct to hide when we feel overwhelmed. When we aren't feeling well it is understandable that we aren't going to want to be around people. However, isolation can be destructive to the healing process. If you isolate it can cause you to avoid any pent up feeling or emotion that you may be avoiding further. Connection with others is vital to feeling better. Most of the time your friends have gone through something similar and can help you through it. It is something you must do together because the recovery process isn't lonely. Make sure to seek out the necessary support. If you are not going to a professional, it is recommended to do so. It is important, to be honest, and transparent about any obstacles you may be experiencing. The great part about it is you get to choose how the healing process occurs. If at some point you need to stop it is okay to do so, just keep in mind that it is a slow process.

Forgiveness is a word we hear often and we may think it is very easy to forgive. If a friend crosses us or a family member apologizes we know how to forgive them. We understand that they are trying their best just like we are. However, it can be difficult to think about how to forgive yourself for any wrongdoings you have done. Especially if some of the actions you have taken in the past are in your mind unforgivable. Being under the influence changes our state of mind. It alters how we perceive the world and it changes how we would normally behave. When we get sober all the memories of the things we did come flooding back like a tidal wave. This can be hard on our psyche.

When some of us hear the word God, we immediately experience a split second of judgment. We either determine that the word is good or bad. For some of us it has to do with how we were raised. We may have been raised in a very religious household. This instilled some sort of fear or bad connotation when mentioning God. For others we went the other extreme. Nobody had told us what to believe and we were left searching and wondering a lot of the time. Sometimes we felt as if God abandoned us because the things we asked for wouldn't come true. Sometimes we felt we didn't deserve other things that occurred. There are also those who are in the middle and those who don't believe in God at all.

It is said that there are three parts to the recovery program. That is the recovery part, service aspect, and the unity portion of the program. These three parts of the program are what is said to be the "recipe" for success in long term sobriety. When you first get sober, the program of recovery itself can be confusing. If it is your first time trying to get sober you may be wondering to yourself what are the steps, or what does a sponsor do?

Heroin, an opioid drug made from morphine, can wreak havoc on a person’s body. This drug can be consumed by snorting it, injecting it, or swallowing it. Whatever method is used, heroin binds itself to opioid receptors in the brain quickly – which means the euphoric effects associated with the drug can appear quickly as well. But effects that show up quickly also wear off quickly, leading heroin users to take the drug multiple times to continue receiving the influx of dopamine (the “feel-good” chemical in the brain) they now crave. If you or a loved one are battling heroin addiction or beginning the recovery process, it’s important to know the physical damages that heroin can cause and what they might mean for long-term recovery.