The Holidays are always a tough time of year for anyone who suffers from any addiction: process addictions, substance abuse, and alcoholism. It’s a time where memories, feelings, and emotions are intensified. There are many triggers that lead individuals who have been in recovery from addiction for different periods of time to relapse.

We talk about a lot of things when we speak about becoming healthier, more balanced. Eating a nutritious varied diet, daily meditation, regular exercise, and getting enough sleep are among the most obvious points that come up in my discussions with patients. However, while many of us are pursuing a healthier lifestyle, we often forget to make time for fun and relaxation. While I personally think of exercise as fun, I realize that not everyone feels that way.

Rituals provide a way to connect with the emergent truths contained in powerful narratives.  Historically, mythical stories founded - and simultaneously reflected - the crux of community belief systems.    The communities then employed rituals to connect with those stories (and the power contained within) through reenactment of important narrative events.

Recovery capital is a relatively new concept in the field of recovery.

Let’s define this concept.

Our recovery capital is determined by the number of external and internal assets that we have which support recovery. External assets are things like having a home group that we attend regularly, or a good connection with our sponsor, or the support of our family, etc.  Legal problems can also be an external asset because they provide a certain level of motivation to change. A few examples of internal assets are our level of commitment to recovery, the degree to which we have accepted our devastating weakness, our attitude towards our problems and our attitude towards ourselves and others.

We should feel proud as a professional community. The addictions field has impacted the entire mental health field by being among the first to incorporate yoga, meditation, exercise, journaling, guided imagery, and good nutrition into the treatment of the whole person. Researchers routinely confirm what we have already learned through clinical trial and error: that these simple approaches are effective and life-changing. Even our gratitude lists have become evidence-based. Now research is taking a deeper look at the power of affirmations in shoring up that ephemeral thing we call a sense of self.

There’s something very special about gratitude. It can change everything in life. Why is that? Is it magic? You could say that it’s magic because of the way it can transform us – the way we think, the way we behave, and ultimately the way we feel. A regular practice of gratitude is so simple and yet it has amazing positive outcomes. So if you ask me, it’s the closest thing to magic. Small acts of gratitude can help us to develop a more expansive and positive view of our lives.

The cursory interpretations of the words empowerment and vulnerability imply opposite connotations. It is easy to associate vulnerability with being fragile, weak, or susceptible to emotional pain – which indeed it is. Nevertheless, taking the risk to expose one’s vulnerability opens the door to personal growth. Embracing one’s authentic self to include our weaknesses creates a sense of acceptance, while at the same time opens truthful communications with others. People are attracted to the combination of authenticity and humor. Once someone recognizes these traits in another individual, they usually respond by displaying the same level of vulnerability.

Does a stigma around substance abuse really harm others? People assume a variety of attitudes about others, especially if they have no life experience or framework that gives reference to their own identity and quality of life.