Whether you're on it, off it, or somewhere in between
Social anxiety is more than shyness — it’s a mental health condition that can seriously affect a person’s ability to interact with others. This can make addiction recovery challenging, especially when so many programs emphasize social interaction and fellowship as a means to long-term sobriety. For me, this was a big problem.[…]
It’s the typical trope — a bunch of people in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting drinking cup after cup of coffee. It seems that the moment someone gets sober, a cup of coffee magically materializes in their hand. Is the coffee and sobriety stereotype actually true? Or am I under the spell of a common recovery […]
When it comes to my struggles with addiction, alcohol was king. From the second I caught my first buzz, alcohol became my master and I was its sloppy, drunken servant. Since I preferred to drink, drugs were never really my thing and I seldom ever sought them out for recreational use. However, if the opportunity […]
As a person in recovery, practicing gratitude is a key part of my daily life. It has to be — otherwise, I start to slowly slip back into a self-centered, self-pitying, reckless way of thinking that if left unchecked, will most likely lead me back to the easy-out comfort of my former best friend, vodka. […]
Webster’s definition of rock bottom is “the lowest point possible.” While the expression can be used to identify low points on Earth, people hitting rock bottom from a substance use disorder can feel lower than the lowest points on the planet. What is a rock bottom? Hitting rock bottom means […]
The Wagon loves a good recovery story. Here are five of my favorite, totally random celebrity recovery stories that you may not have heard — yet! Adam Clayton, U2 Adam Clayton, the bassist for U2, has been outspoken about his mental health struggles and history with alcoholism. […]
There’s nothing like a good, cathartic cry. You know, those let-it-all-out sob-fests that leave you feeling so much better once you’ve purged yourself of pent-up emotions. I used to have such soothing feelings of calm after one of these, as I wiped away those purposeful tears, like I’d just cleaned […]
Ketamine and Matthew Perry. Two things that few Friends fans would have associated with each other before this week. But after the full release of the late actor’s autopsy report on Friday, the dissociative anesthetic and the beloved sitcom star are forever linked. And it’s really unfortunate. And unfair.
Been on a bender through December? Up for a challenge? Dry January is approaching and anyone can participate. Dry January is a challenge where people voluntarily abstain from drinking alcohol for the entire month of January. Some people participate in Dry January as a healthy way to kick off […]
When I was drinking, especially towards the end, the quality of the spirits I imbibed was of little meaning to me. Sure, I loved fancy Manhattans and very dirty Ketel One martinis, but at the end of the day, a cheap bottle of any vodka worked just fine. All I really needed was a chilled […]
People in recovery often refer to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s as the Bermuda Triangle and with good reason — it’s a back-to-back trio of holidays that’s filled with triggers, from family issues and finances to travel stress and social anxiety. Not to mention the fact that alcohol […]