July 27, 2020
It’s easy to say that you are ready to change, and so tempting to make your quit date tomorrow. Even better is to push your quit date until after the weekend – after the bender. You tell yourself you will use this one last time. And since it’s going to be the last time, then you should really get the most out of it. You promise yourself that this is it – the last time.
July 17, 2020
Overdose is the ultimate price that an addict may pay, but it is certainly not the only consequence of substance abuse. The staggering rates of overdose indicate a growing population of individuals who will potentially incur legal charges as a result of their addiction. Common charges related directly to drug or alcohol use include DUIs or drunk in public charges. It is important to remember that addiction affects entire family systems. Often the legal concerns that an addict will face is in relation to those family systems; such as divorce litigation or child custody battles.
July 9, 2020
Every addict knows that intense cravings for alcohol, or your drug of choice, can take you out and lead to relapse in early recovery. Often, addicts find that they do not just crave their drug of choice; they begin to crave for cross-compulsions like sugar, caffeine, nicotine, gambling, porn, sex, relationships, video games… any substance or process that will quiet that inner discomfort for a time.
June 26, 2020
You have been gifted with a pause. There are few times in life when we come across an event that allows us to stop and completely re-envision what we want for our future. Coronavirus has given us a collective break to step back from work or commuting every day, and place our attention on other things. The question is: how are you utilizing this pause?
June 18, 2020
Now that Virginia is in Phase 2 of reopening, we are testing the waters for in-person group therapy sessions. There was a debate among the clinical team as to which scenario would beat out the other in popularity: an intimate group in which you can’t see anyone’s face or a distanced group that is not masked.
June 11, 2020
Do you have a family member whose addiction has escalated during this pandemic? If so, you are not alone. Not only is the pandemic the perfect environment for addiction to grow rampant, but also the perfect time to make a change.
June 4, 2020
I remember the first time I heard someone introduce themselves as a “grateful recovering alcoholic” at an AA meeting. I thought to myself, “What are you, nuts? How can you be grateful to be an alcoholic? What a terrible fate this is! I’ll never be grateful for this!”
May 29, 2020
The following protocols are intended to ensure the health and safety of the Bridging the Gaps’ community. The introduction of a new member to the Residential House represents a host of therapeutic opportunities towards sustained recovery while also representing a measure of risk in spreading the Coronavirus.