Articles

Mindfulness has become a movement over the past few years. Of course, mindfulness has been used in many cultures, in many different ways for centuries. I wonder, however, if in the west we have over complicated it? Have we hyped mindfulness up to appear for some people as unattainable or even unattractive? I would like to offer you a simple mindfulness practice that will only take a few moments of your day.  It promises to help you let go of bothersome and painful thoughts. It can help you recognise when you are in a thinking trap. And the practice can gently…

What is self-compassion? Self compassion is being kind to ourselves when we suffer. We care for ourselves as we would care for someone we truly love. Self-compassion includes self-kindness. A sense of common humanity and mindfulness. ~ Kirstin Neff There are 3 aspects of self-compassion Self-kindness: Nurturing ourselves in times of struggle and difficulty. When we do not behave how we would like to, fall short, mess up or are in pain, self-kindness is learning to treat ourselves with love, sympathy, respect and understanding. We will make mistakes in our lives. When we do we are to practice self-kindness when we…

I was recently asked for my top suggestions for recovery, off the top of my head I said…. Tips for addiction recovery Support: Addiction thrives in the shadows, it disconnects us from our loved ones and communities. We hide out of shame and guilt. Addiction tells us that we can handle our problems on our own. The opposite of disconnection is of course connection, this is so so important for recovery from any addiction- alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, shopping etc. When we reach out we are vulnerable we break the isolation we step into the light, we ask for help…

Addiction is an illness that affects total wellbeing. It is not just your physical body that is affected but your mind, your emotions your relationships and your sense of self. Because addiction can affect your whole self, treatment must also look after the whole self. For this reason, we will work together with you to design a holistic recovery programme that is individual to your needs. Working out treatment begins with an assessment The first step is to talk with me and share your story. This is an incredibly powerful way to start your treatment and gives us a strong…

Self-compassion or self-love may be a foreign concept for some people. This is especially true for those who were raised in abusive or unloving homes, where compassion may have been non-existent. A construct drawn from Buddhist psychology, self-compassion refers to a way of relating to the self — with kindness. It is not to be confused with arrogance or conceit, which usually indicates a lack of self-love. …. People who have self-compassion also have greater social connectedness, emotional intelligence, happiness, and overall life satisfaction. Self-compassion has also been shown to correlate with less anxiety, depression, shame, and fear of failure. These attributes are paramount…

Do you think that it is possible for you to be happier than what you are right now? If so what would that happiness depend on? Does your answer involve your loved one’s recovery, or are you reaching a recovery milestone? If you are in recovery or moving into recovery does this depend on others forgiveness, money or status? The idea of your happiness within your control and the notion of self-care is an almost foreign language when you are in a relationship with someone dependent on a substance, or in recovery yourself. When I broach this subject with my…

Questions to ask yourself about the effects of Substance Abuse Has your substance use become a priority in your life? Do you find yourself needing more? Thinking about your next use or recovering from your past use more often than not? Are your loved ones showing concern? Is your substance use a cause of arguments or resentments has it distanced you from those you love? Have you been trying to stop on your own? Does any of this sound familiar? You do need support education and understanding to begin to recover from substance abuse and addiction. Addiction is a recoverable…

Affected by a loved one or partner’s substance abuse? If you are in a relationship with someone with substance abuse, you will be impacted by the addiction. You could be suffering from such things as sleepless nights, anxiety and upset stomach issues. Physical and emotional symptoms are common amongst family members of those the abuse. Because you might want to ‘fix’ the dependent person in your life, you may be angry or think they would stop if they loved you more. You may have been trying to manage this disease on your own holding secrets out of shame and fear.…

As family members in a relationship with someone who is dependent on substances, we can feel as though we are trying to navigate in the dark. We do not understand our loved one’s behavior, their decision to continue to use is baffling if not infuriating and heartbreaking. Well, part of this could be attributed to what is happening inside your loved one’s head – literally, substances affect our brains in various ways. I need to preface this with the fact that I am not a neuroscientist, however for me personally and professionally knowing a little about the effects that substances…

Consider a time in your life when you’ve admitted to yourself that you indeed have a problem. How did that realisation feel? Perhaps you were relieved, overwhelmed, terrified, or calm. Perhaps your private admission was a fleeting one before returning to your previous state of denial- “She’ll be right- yeah, nah, all good.” Change is a process and not a straight trajectory. The family want their loved one to CHANGE now!! But what does this actually look like? Understanding change at a basic level may help you to strengthen your relationship with your loved one and protect you both when…

Tightness in your throat, racing heart, stomach cramps, speeding thoughts and insomnia- AGAIN!? When your loved one is dependent on a substance, ANXIETY is a permanent (unwelcomed) resident inhabiting your mind and causing havoc to your body and wellbeing. Like all of our emotions anxiety has a purpose- it isn’t all-bad, in fact it keeps us alive, it informs us that there is danger and readies our bodies to fight or flee the situation. The issue is that we have tens of thousands of thoughts per day and for someone in a relationship with a substance misusing loved one our…