Addiction Archives

Writing a Recovery Journal

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Excerpted from Chapter 10 of The Recovery Book.

Many people who are sober and in recovery keep a journal. Writing things down can be a very powerful way to process your feelings and get them “out of your head.” Often, problems don’t seem quite so big or so awful once you’ve worked through them on paper.

A journal is also a great way to keep an eye on your progress as you move beyond active addiction and into recovery. A year or two from now, you might look back on what you wrote and be astonished at what you have accomplished. And proud of yourself.

Your recovery journal doesn’t have to be fancy—you can get your thoughts down in a notebook, email memos to yourself, use a recovery app, or just start a computer file. You can write about whatever you want. And no one has to ever see … Read more...

How to Choose an Addiction Treatment Program

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Excerpted from Chapter 5 of The Recovery Book.

Addiction treatment programs—inpatient and outpatient—can be quite varied. Some specialize in alcohol rehab, others focus on drugs. Some are just for women, others are just for men, and some are for teens only. Some focus on the LGBT community, particular ethnic groups, or chronic pain patients.

Addiction Treatment Programs – Basic Criteria

When you start looking for a treatment center, first consider several basic criteria:

Location. Can the patient as well as others in the family travel to a treatment center that is across the country, or is a center close to home preferred?

Treatment. What types of treatment are offered and what is the philosophy of treatment?

Certification. Are the counselors certified? Are there doctors on staff?

Expense. How much does it cost? Do they accept insurance? Do they have a payment plan?

Aftercare or continuing care. Is an … Read more...

How to Choose an Addiction Treatment Program – The Recovery APGAR Score

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Excerpted from Chapter 5 of The Recovery Book.

When a baby is born, doctors do a quick assessment of its condition using what is known as an APGAR score. You can do a quick screening of treatment programs using our Recovery APGAR system, which rates treatment programs on a scale of 0 to 10 on the basis of whether or not the most critical components are present. Any program that gets a score of 7 or higher is probably good.

You should be able to get the answers from websites or program materials, or by asking a program director, counselor, or admissions person the following questions. Award one point for each positive response. Unknown, ambivalent, and negative responses all score zero.

Alcoholism as a primary disease:

Does written program material state that the staff believe that addictive illness is a primary disease? ___

During the program is a … Read more...

On the Radio! Dr. Mooney and Catherine Dold on WGN Radio in Chicago

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Dr. Mooney and Catherine Dold recently had a great talk with Rick Kogan on his WGN Radio (Chicago) show, After Hours With Rick Kogan.

Rick chatted with us for 45 minutes about the face of addiction today, the gift of recovery, and what’s in The Recovery Book. He called it a “remarkable book that could probably save your life.”

Give a listen over at WGN Radio – After Hours with Rick Kogan.

Back to School & Sober: 12 Tips for Success

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Heading back to school this fall as a newly sober person? Maybe you just finished treatment, or maybe you took a year off to build a really strong foundation for your recovery.

Wherever you are in your recovery, you might be nervous about heading back to school. Totally understandable. Maybe you’re worried you’ll be the only person not partying. You might fear you won’t have any fun. You might be afraid you’ll be tempted to use again, being surrounded by lots of partying students.

The good news is, these days there are many high school and college students in recovery. You are not the only one. Far from it.

With some preparation you can have a school year filled with academic achievements, a great social life, and no relapse. Below, a dozen ideas to help you succeed:

1. Get involved in a recovery program. Recovery programs help build self-esteem, self-respect, … Read more...

Back to School & Sober: How to Resist Peer Pressure

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“I just went back to school after six weeks of addiction treatment and summer vacation. What do I do when my friends ask if I want to get high?”

When you go back to school you will likely run into temptations to drink to use drugs. You need to make a plan to deal with this kind of situation long before it comes up, or you might have trouble refusing these offers.

Peer pressure can be tough to fight, but you can resist. All you need are the right tools. You probably got some of them in treatment, and you’ll pick up others as you go to more AA or NA meetings.

Talk about this issue with your counselor, your sponsor, and other students at your school who are in a recovery fellowship. Ask them exactly what they do to avoid problems. The following tips may also help:

Think ahead