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Imagine you are at a New Year’s Eve party. Your friend finishes off an entire bottle of champagne, stays up all night dancing, and still feels great the next morning. You have a few glasses of wine and wake up exhausted with a pounding headache. Why does this happen? It’s a well-known fact that different types of alcohol can have a variety of effects on us, based on our age, sex, race, size, the amount consumed and many factors. The body also metabolizes alcohol differently than food and other drinks - and the rate at which your own body metabolizes it can have a major impact on how we feel soon after drinking and the next morning as well.

In some cases, the signs of mental illness appear subtly and over time. We may not even realize we have a mental illness until it’s front and center in our lives. From the day we are born to the present day in our life, there are a number of different factors that can influence the way a mental illness develops, as well as how we manage it over the years. By understanding these factors, you’ll be a step ahead in recovery.

Millions of people across the world are diagnosed with schizophrenia, yet so many people still do not know much about this disorder. Individuals with schizophrenia often experience delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and negative symptoms such as feeling detached from oneself, general discontentment, anger, anxiety, and more. Unfortunately, movies and media often depict this disorder as dangerous – but the more we understand how it really affects those we love, the less fear we may feel about it.

“I’m too old for yoga.”

Have you ever noticed that you’re very particular about certain things, or that you like to be in control? Do things have to be a “certain way” for you to feel at ease? If so, you may have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Millions of Americans struggle with OCD every year – and if it’s not treated early on, other problems could arise. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that involves an unhealthy cycle of obsessions (unwanted thoughts) and compulsions (repeated actions). For example, a person with OCD could find themselves needing to knock on the door a certain number of times before they wait for a person to answer it. They may also like things organized in a certain way and feel extreme anxiety if they’re not able to organize the way they need to.

Recovery is considered a lifelong process for a reason – because we’re constantly learning new things and discovering how to work through our trials and tribulations. Recovery is about learning what leads us to better living and what puts us back in harm’s way. The beginning of our recovery journey can be especially difficult because of the heightened risk of relapsing. When a person relapses, they revert back to old addictive behavior patterns, even if temporarily. Relapse is one of the most feared aspects of recovery, simply because it’s often viewed as a sign of failure. But relapse is a normal part of the recovery process and should not be considered a failure - it is simply an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and what we need for complete healing.

Most of us strive to be happy throughout our lives – that’s all we want. Of course, there are many things that we might associate with happiness, including success, money, relationships, appearance, and more. You may have even spent lots of time thinking about what you can do to build your happiness in life, only to find that it’s short-lived. It’s not uncommon for people to seek out things that make them happy for a temporary amount of time, only to discover that they didn’t fill in the void that lies within their heart and soul. Although social media will tell us (or show us) that happiness means we need to be smiling all the time, it’s simply not feasible. What we can and should be doing, however, is taking control of what we feed our mind, body, and spirit each day so that we can enter into a beautiful state of flow, which is a form of happiness within itself.

In recent years there has been a severe increase in the selling and use of opioids. So much so, that it has been deemed a crisis or epidemic because of how fast opioid addiction continues to spread and how many lives are lost daily, as a result. Tragically, many opioid addicts are young and they’re dying much quicker and faster than those who chose to dabble in other substances. Much like the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, the opioid epidemic has received significant media coverage and is becoming the poster child for the war on drugs.

When you first hear the words “group therapy,” you may find yourself wondering what it is and how it can help you. Initially, the concept can seem intimidating, as many people struggle with vulnerability, especially in the presence of strangers. Maybe you were under the impression that therapy was supposed to be individual and confidential, and the thought of sharing personal information at a group level sounds scary to you.    We want to reassure you that one-on-one therapy does exist and is available. However, there are many added benefits to group therapy. Below is a list of some top reasons to give group therapy a chance.

Like music, art is very subjective, making it unique to each individual. Experiencing art is personal, and different pieces or styles of art elicit different responses, depending on the person. The practices of tapping into creativity and connecting to emotions in the present moment through art can be therapeutic, especially for those recovering from mental health and/or substance use disorders.

Music is defined as stringing notes together to create a melody. Like all forms of art, it is up to the listener to decipher its meaning. A piece of music can mean the world to one person, while someone else might find it tasteless and irritating. That is the best thing about art, its subjectivity. For those in recovery from addiction, music can be especially therapeutic because it helps them to connect to emotions and channel energy. Something as simple as someone’s favorite lyrics in a song can remind them that they’re not alone and give them hope that things will get better.

Many of us alcoholics and addicts are finding ourselves locked in quarantine with our families. This lockdown can contribute to many negative feelings as well as added stress, anxiety, and deeper depression. Despite all this, those of us in recovery must remember to stay grounded and connected to our sponsors and our higher power. During this quarantine, we must work harder than ever to practice acceptance in our daily lives, and not allow ourselves to get wrapped up in resentments.