recovery

  • Ask for Help

    Ask for Help

    This time of year brings up A LOT of feelings for people. Situations we avoided for the first eleven months of the year thrust themselves to the forefront. Every relative you don’t want to see you now feel obligated to visit. Those losses you experienced (usually a passing or separation) rear their ugly heads with

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  • The Ultimate Validation

    The Ultimate Validation

    Working in any helping profession often comes across a thankless and underappreciated. After working in the mental health field, I’ve learned that it isn’t to be expected. You don’t usually get to see the end result of your work and need to celebrate the small wins. However, once in a while, you get a reminder

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  • Adventure Time

    Adventure Time

    No, not the cartoon. Although the cartoon is pretty good too. I’m talking about taking a trip down the beaten path. Going out on a limb to do something different. Taking that risk. The week prior beat me to a bloody pulp. I looked like Rocky Balboa near the end of the first movie. Picture

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  • Sometimes You Just Have To

    It hurts. My body hurts. My head pounds. My neck,  shoulders,  calves, and hips feel heavy. Yet somehow, I press on. Through the pain, agony, and misery, I find the motivation to do what I must. As much as I probably need a break, I can’t always let my illness beat me down. Over the

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  • Just Cause

    Just Cause

    I finally finished an audibook! If you’re looking for a good listen on day-to-day acceptance, I do highly recommend Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Dr. Steven Hayes. Towards the end, I loved one concept that I wanted to share. It’s called “just cause.” The whole premise is to take a menial task and works towards

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  • Moving It Right

    Moving It Right

    A bit of a follow-up on my last post. I’m in the midst of a move from my home state of New Jersey (born, raised, and resided for the last 33 years) across the Delaware to our neighbor Pennsylvania. I do not fair well with change – any kind of change. Good or bad. I

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  • The Benefits of Having a Pet Companion

    Now that I have lured you in with an absolutely adorable picture of a golden retriever, I would like to introduce you to Butler. Although he is not technically my dog (belongs to my landlord), I have been in his life every day since he was two months old. He just turned six years old,

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  • Another Hit

    Another Hit

    Feeling disheartened this week. After thinking I had my health under control, it decided to throw two middle fingers in my face. Two weeks ago, my stomach had a familiar nauseous feeling. The bouts of nausea were followed shortly by multiple visits to the bathroom. Since being diagnosed with GERD (or reflux) back in February,

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  • I Can’t Even.

    I Can’t Even.

    Fridays are for fun! My idea of fun this last Friday was driving an hour to meet with my accountant and do my taxes at 8:30 in the morning. Friday? More like Fri-yay! Am I right? Since I decided to avoid the tolls, my GPS took me on the scenic route. It added maybe five

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  • For Yourself

    For Yourself

    I work at my drug and alcohol job only three hours a week, but it somehow always manages to teach me worth a lifetime. It was a small group that day – three women and me as the counselor. Two of the three invested so much time into their recovery. This was far from their

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