Getting Help

Why Quitting On Your Own Often Doesn’t Work

If willpower were enough, addiction treatment wouldn’t exist.  Most people who enter treatment have already tried to quit on their own, often multiple times. They’ve made promises to themselves, set deadlines, thrown substances away, and convinced themselves that this time will be different. They’ve had mornings where they felt fully committed to change and evenings where that commitment seemed to disappear. By…

Mental Space

Why Addiction Takes Up So Much Mental Space

People often think addiction is only about substances themselves: the drinking, the pills, the cravings.  But for many people, the hardest part is the constant thinking.  Addiction has a way of slowly occupying emotional and mental space long before it completely takes over someone’s life. Thoughts begin revolving around access, timing, control, guilt, recovery, hiding, and regret. Even during moments…