Recovering from addiction is a lifelong process. Every addict knows this. And one of the most crucial parts of maintaining sobriety is finding that activity, passion, or calling that fills you with purpose.

People actively engaged in addiction often spend an enormous amount of time, effort, and money pursuing their drug of choice. When they enter recovery, they often feel a void. Suddenly, they have all this time on their hands, and they don’t know what to do with it. Boredom and complacency can quickly lead to temptation, cravings, and even relapse.

This is why many experts believe it is crucial to replace a drug habit with a positive habit: an “anti-drug.” A hobby or interest can be tremendously helpful for an addict in recovery. It keeps them busy, keeps their mind off addiction, and gives them something valuable and fulfilling to pursue. 

Finding your “anti-drug” can be challenging and requires a bit of self-reflection. Here are some tips to help you discover yours.

1. Explore Your Talents and Interests

One of the best ways to find your “anti-drug” is to explore former talents and interests that you may have forgotten about. Start by examining what you excelled at or enjoyed when you were younger. Did you play football? Did you sing in the choir or play an instrument? Did you run track? Were you a great writer?

Find something you really enjoyed in the past and start doing it again in the present! There are tons of opportunities to get involved in new activities as an adult. Pick up that old guitar or take a painting class. Find a local club or organization that meets each week and pertains to your interests. Join a running club or recreational sports team. Whatever you decide to pursue, make sure it’s something that you really enjoy doing. 

Start by taking a look at your local parks and recreation website. You’ll find programs that span from theater to swimming to adult leadership programs. Simply looking at a list of the offerings may spark your interest!

2. Evaluate Your Personality 

So, maybe you lack a talent or interest that you feel really passionate about, and that’s okay! Take a step back and evaluate who you are as a person to find an activity that you might love.

A great place to start is by taking an online personality test. There are lots of free options, such as 16 Personalities or VisualDNA, that will help break down some of the key characteristics of your personality. 

For example, you might have an outgoing personality and thrive in social environments. This is an excellent trait to have and could be put to use as a volunteer coordinator for a non-profit organization or a coach for a sports team. 

Maybe you have a highly empathetic personality and a passion for the environment or humanity. Use this passion to get involved with an environmental awareness organization or local human rights foundation. Many recovering addicts even use this trait to become a counselor or mentor for other addicts.

3. Listen to What Others Say About You

Another great way to gain insight into your perfect anti-drug is to listen to what others have to say about you. We’re not always the best judges of our own characters, especially during recovery when self-confidence may be low. The people around you often have a different perspective on your strengths, and they can help you see things you may not normally see in yourself.

Do people tell you that you’re a great listener, or that you inspire those around you to better themselves? Has someone told you that you are a strong writer or speaker? These are all hints that can give you a better idea of where your talents lie. Sit down with someone you know and trust, and ask for them to give you an honest assessment of who they think you are or what you excel at. The answers you get could be very illuminating and could help guide you down a new path. 

Finding your anti-drug can positively impact the success of your recovery. Don’t be afraid to try new things and explore your options. You can have a lot of fun on your path to self-discovery and sobriety. For more information about recovery, addiction, and the benefits of sober living, contact us today.

The journey to recovery is a long, hard road, and it’s imperative that you arm yourself with the best tools possible to protect and nurture your sobriety. Mindfulness meditation is one such powerful tool for learning how to recognize cravings, resist impulses, and calm the mind. Through mindfulness meditation, you can learn how to manage urges and emotions without experiencing self-condemnation or suffering a relapse back into use.

Mindfulness meditation is based on the traditional Buddhist practice of Vipassana, which literally translates to “seeing things as they really are.” It begins by focusing on the breath and gradually increasing your awareness to include sensations, thoughts, and feelings. The emphasis is to become intensely aware of the current moment, as it is unfolding in the present, and to notice your surroundings, including yourself and your emotions, in a non-judgmental way.

Researchers at the University of Washington used mindfulness meditation to develop an approach to relapse prevention called Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP). The approach was put to the test in a study comparing it to a standard relapse prevention program and a 12-step program. At six months, MBRP proved more effective than the 12-step program. One year later, MBRP proved more effective than both the 12-step and the standard relapse prevention programs in reducing drinking and drug use.

Another recent study shows that mindfulness can help treat addiction in those who also suffer from depression or anxiety. UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center found that mindfulness is beneficial in treating addiction even at the early stages of recovery when symptoms are still severe.

“Our findings suggest that mindfulness is especially helpful for people who struggle with anxiety and depression along with their addiction,” UCLA researcher Glasner said. “This might be because part of their reason for using drugs is to deal with those uncomfortable emotions. Mindfulness helps them manage their symptoms on their own, without turning to drugs and alcohol.”

UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center offers a host of information and research on mindfulness meditation, including free guided meditations that you can practice on your own.

If you live in the Chicago area and are seeking a sober living facility, please contact us. We provide a structured and safe environment that helps men and women rebuild their lives and build a strong foundation for a successful recovery.

Blogging has become one of the most popular ways to connect and give and receive information on the internet. These days, there are blogs on practically any topic you can think of. For anyone on the path to sober living, reading about and connecting with others on the same path is a great way to get additional support and to learn from the experiences of others in recovery.

Here are just a few of the many blogs on sober living that are worth following:

1. UnPickled

On her first day of sobriety, Jean, the founder of Unpickled, starting writing a blog. Before working towards recovery, she drank in private, but she decided to document her recovery publicly for accountability. Her blog grew from there and now serves to encourage others on their path to sober living. Not only does she post her day-to-day experiences, thoughts, and feelings towards sober living, but also the coping mechanisms she uses to stay on the path.

2. Hip Sobriety

Hip Sobriety is the result of one woman’s recovery—not only from alcohol abuse but also drugs and an eating disorder. Today she is a writer, an advocate for those in recovery, and a sobriety coach who blogs about her own recovery and offers encouragement and support for others. Her posts teach readers things like how to build a sobriety tool box and offer real-life advice on the daily challenges of sober living.

3. Drunky Drunk Girl

Healthline honored the blog Drunky Drunk Girl as one of the best alcoholism blogs of 2016. This blogger tackles topics like her fear of going out to social events, wondering if she is consuming too much caffeine, whether or not she misses drinking, and more. This blog is a great way to get into the head of another person who is still very much on the path to sober living. It’s honest, raw, and a great reminder that you’re not on this path alone.

4. Alcoholic Daze

Alcoholic Daze is written and maintained by a blogger who is not only recovering from alcohol herself but also lost her husband to the disease. She started the blog after his death to document her recovery from her addiction and also from her loss. Her blog entries also take on the portrayal of alcoholism in the media and challenge the myths and stereotypes those in recovery often face. Her’s is a story of loss but also of renewal.

5. The Discovering Alcoholic

Gavin, the author of The Discovering Alcoholic wanted to create a blog to connect with others in recovery, and to create a place for those in recovery to come together. Sober since 1994, Gavin has taken his experiences and written about them in this blog. He writes about music that helped him on his path, his observations on sober life and recovery, and coming back from relapse. Also on this site is a sober living toolbox, which helps you select the techniques that will best serve you in your daily life.

6. The Immortal Alcoholic

The Immortal Alcoholic offers a glimpse into the life of a non-alcoholic living with someone suffering from addiction. Linda is not an expert on addiction or recovery, but her husband has struggled with alcoholism during their 40-plus years of marriage. Linda writes about topics like navigating family holidays, her encounters with others going through similar experiences, and the health effects of alcoholism.

7. I’m Just F.I.N.E.

To gain the perspective of a child of an alcoholic, check out I’m Just F.I.N.E. Syd’s father was an alcoholic, as was his sister. As an adult, he went on to marry an alcoholic. He says that he has had to recover from many of the same issues that his father, sister, and wife had to battle. The posts in his blog are his opinions and experiences and reflect his own personal recovery.

Connecting with the experiences of others can help you on your path to recovery, and reading blogs like these is a great way to connect with others who have been where you are. Don’t stop there however – explore the opportunity you or a loved has at a Chicago sober living facilitity like Stairway to Freedom. If you need more guidance on your journey to recovery, we are here to help. Please contact us today.

Should sober living homes for women in Chicago be any different from that of men who live in aftercare recovery facilities? Over the past two decades, research with drug and alcohol dependent women has indicated that female substance abusers have special needs and characteristics that justify gender-sensitive drug treatment approaches and aftercare recovery treatment.

The study suggests that while some specialized services such as women-only therapy groups and child care are growing in numbers, a lot of treatment programs do not provide these services in a context that supports and promotes women specifically. As a result, women continue to experience negative stereotyping and sexual harassment as their gender-specific needs remain silenced, ignored, or deemed pathological.

Moving to a female-only sober living facility can be a positive step toward integrating back into normal life. The help of an all-female support system, composed of individuals facing the same trials and tribulations, can add that extra touch of emotional strength needed to overcome obstacles and get back on track toward living a well-balanced, productive life.

What Changes Are Needed?

Integration back into society presents a tough challenge that many recovering women face, specifically due to the gender-specific stigmas associated with women and addiction. In an article published in Salon Magazine, Anna David, New York Times best-selling author, wrote about her own experiences with addiction and recovery as a woman.

Her story was laced with the many stories about the issues faced by women who are in recovery, ranging from abuse to behavioral health.

David’s argument is that female addicts face problems that are distinguished from those experienced by men. The reasons why women become addicted in the first place often differ from those of men, and are all too often related to experiencing horrible traumas. Women tend to begin experimenting with drugs or alcohol early in life, in order to cope with their trauma.

Another reason why women’s addiction and recovery should be treated differently than that of men is because their bodies are biologically different and deal with drugs and alcohol differently from their male counterparts.

Gender-Specific Aftercare Recovery Facilities

With more than 10,000 aftercare recovery facilities and rehab centers in the United States, a surprising number have women-specific options. By moving to a female-only sober living facility after the completion of treatment, but before fully integrating into society, recovering women are better able to sort things out in a safe environment among others on the same journey.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information conducted research that suggests that, while in treatment, rehabilitation counselors and physicians should address the specific factors that are associated with the different sexes. By doing this, treatment centers can result in higher success rates with drug and alcohol dependent individuals fully recovering and remaining sober once they leave treatment facilities to enter aftercare recovery programs.

Stairway to Freedom

At Stairway to Freedom, the specific needs of women looking for a safe, sober living facility are addressed in ways that offer comfort and solidarity with other women. All-female housing helps to instill a more supportive environment. Female participants can help one another develop better coping skills through true empathy and a shared sense of community.

If you live in the Chicago metro area and are seeking an aftercare recovery facility tailored to your specific needs, please contact us. We provide safe spaces for both men and women to recover and get the support they need.

Sources Cited:

Copeland, J. A. N., & Hall, W. (1992). A comparison of predictors of treatment dropout of women seeking drug and alcohol treatment in a specialist women’s and two traditional mixed‐sex treatment services. British Journal of Addiction, 87(6), 883-890.

Benson, D., Boguski, M., Lipman, D. J., & Ostell, J. (1990). The national center for biotechnology information. Genomics, 6(2), 389-391.

David, A. (2014). Is rehab harder for women? Salon Magazine.