During active periods of substance use, unhealthy relationships are unfortunately all too common. I’ve found that the work necessary to keep these unhealthy relationships can serve to steer us further and further from recovery. Toxic relationships built on the foundation of substance use can create an unhealthy reliance on…
There is no such thing as a “perfect relationship.” Every relationship, whether it’s a friendship or marriage, has its own unique issues – and that’s okay. Clinical psychologist Dr. Alyson Nerenberg has spent over three decades listening to couples, families, and friends discuss their relationships openly so she can…
Dealing with a substance abuse problem can be difficult, demanding, and draining. That’s why I cannot emphasize enough how important having strong, healthy relationships with the people that support your healing are when you’re trying to recover. With unhealthy relationships and addiction recovery, it isn’t always easy to get…
As we exist in the modern world, many of us have become very proud of being independent and self-sufficient. Our culture and society depend on being strong individuals, taking sole responsibility for the circumstances in our lives, and pulling our own weight without asking for help. However, it is…
If you haven’t heard about it, The 5 Love Languages is a great book by Gary Chapman. I was first introduced to the idea of love languages about five years ago when speaking with a therapist about some relationship struggles I was facing. As we talked, she suggested that…