Running Towards Recovery - Mike's Recovery Story
At that moment, all I could think about was how small my life had become. A small box of downtown and every single-occupancy locking bathroom between the Waterfront and the base of the West Hills. We hopped on the MAX, met the man, and split our bag. I knew I wanted to try again. Try to get sober. Try treatment again. I was done being miserable, cold, dopesick, wet, and alone. I was tired of "friends" whose only goal was to get what you got if you had anything. I knew at that moment that I was capable of so much more than being a junkie...
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Top 10 Journaling Prompts for Depression
Finding an outlet to express your overwhelming thoughts can be difficult, but therapeutic journaling can help you healthily express challenging emotions. Journaling can be an easy outlet to help cope with depression and understand it without breaking the bank… If you’re having trouble getting started, how about some prompts to get the juices flowing? Here are 10 of my favorites:
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From Displacement to Amazement
It can be said it takes a whole community to help get people into recovery and arrest the disease of addiction and provide services for mental health. There are many community Organizations that go into supporting just a single person to accomplish this goal. There is no final destination or finish line. There is only progress and the people you meet on the journey
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Why Don't You Just Get Over It? The Secret Heart of Dual Diagnosis
When I sobered up in 1977, there was no such thing as dual diagnosis. Depression was dismissed as a “sincere form of self-pity.” … Once, during my first year, I was speaking in a meeting in the basement of the Alano Club, trying to work out something about my self-image, and Don, who enjoyed putting people in their places, stood up and said, “Self-image, schmelf-image! You’re an ALCOHOLIC!”
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6 Tips for Beating the Blues and Managing Depression
Depression can be overwhelming and difficult to manage. At times, our fears can get the best of us. Here are some techniques a person can use to help manage their difficulties.
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The Best Resources for Couples Facing the Challenges of Our Changing Times
If your relationship is struggling to regain its footing, you aren’t alone. With so much change over the past months, you might feel like life is generally in the dumps. Thankfully, there are ways you can not just survive what’s happening but thrive, both as individuals and as a couple.
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How Community Involvement Supports Neighborhood Health
COVID-19 is a double pandemic -- a threat to our physical and mental health. As we try to ward off the Coronavirus through masks and social isolation, the virus is taking a toll on our mental health.
A vaccine can't prevent the isolation we feel from social distancing. But a sense of community can.
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6 Tips On Managing The Fear Of These Uncertain Times
During these fearful times, one can’t help but worry about what’s going to happen next. When it feels like the world has turned upside down, the uncertain future can produce fear and anxiety, even in people who have not struggled with it in the past. Stan Popovich offers a list of techniques and suggestions on how to deal with this fear of the unknown.
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Queer Girls With Guts
This is the blog I was never going to write. “Who am I to write about being queer and living with Crohn’s?” I kept asking myself. There are certainly far better LGBTQ+ advocates in the IBD community, people who are confident, showing us excellent examples of positivity and joy.
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Tools That Have Helped Me In Long-Term Recovery
My name is Terry. I'm an alcoholic. My sobriety date is April 22nd, 1995. I'll give you a little bit of a background on where I came from and what it was like, and then share some recovery tools that have really impacted my life and made me become the person I am today.
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Good Grief: Why Moving on Doesn’t Have to Be the Goal
The truth is that grief has and is touching us all, especially in our current moment. We are allowed to grieve the time we’ve lost to COVID-19 and recognize the monumental loss of life we are facing. Chances are you or someone you know has lost someone to this virus. We don’t get to hold funerals for them…
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Measure 110: How Oregon Became the First State to Decriminalize Personal Possession
This historic moment for the U.S. has, in part, been paved by the hard work of Oregon's network of #peers like those at Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon! Hopefully, this is only the beginning for Oregon's government and health care system caring for drug users and those in recovery in the ways they need and deserve.
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Finding Wellness in Art: Turning Pain into Beauty
While at home from the pandemic, finding a small amount of time in the day to practice art, whether it’s through writing, painting, drawing, etc can provide an outlet for expressing your emotions while creating something beautiful. The therapeutic effects of art-making shows how creative expression is a safe, fun way to experiment and find meaning in your life.
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Peers Nominated to Cabinet Level Positions in Biden-Harris Administration!
During the #CongressGoesPurple observance of National Recovery Month, Congresswoman Haaland wrote on Twitter “As someone who is in recovery, I want to offer a message of hope to anyone struggling with addiction. You are strong and you have my support.”
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