Sober Summer Fun is NOT an Oxymoron in Portland Oregon

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  Summer is here! While the warm weather and fun activities of summer may make you excited to get out there and soak up the sun, many people in recovery – especially those in early recovery – find that summertime months can be very triggering.  With so many parties, get-togethers, picnics, beach days, BBQs, camp […]

What is Outpatient Addiction Treatment? Why Is It So Popular Right Now in Portland?

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When most people think of addiction treatment, they think of residential treatment, colloquially referred to as “rehab.” In the popular imagination, addiction is a problem with only one solution. You’ll hear things like “she needs to go to rehab,” “I’m trying to get him into rehab,” and “they’re trying to make me go to rehab.”  […]

Developing a Routine in Early Recovery is an Essential Ingredient to Your Long-Term Success

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Structure. Routine. Discipline.  What do these words mean to you?  For some, they represent safety, sameness, predictability. Others feel stifled or even oppressed by what these concepts represent. Our previous experiences – or lack of experience – with structure and routine will often color how we feel about embracing these tools in recovery.   Whatever these […]

Your Guide to a Sober 2021 Holiday Season in Portland Oregon

Celebrating the holidays, namely New Year's and Christmas, while staying sober and surviving a pandemic in Portland, Oregon isn't easy. Here's our top picks for 2021.

  If you’re in recovery, you know that it’s important to have a game plan for handling special occasions in new and healthy ways – without relying on old patterns to get you through. That means staying connected to your recovery program during the holiday season, thinking outside the box, making new traditions, and exploring […]

Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired: The Four Warning Signs of Addiction Relapse

The HALT acronym helps people in recovery from addiction to remember the four negative headspaces you want to avoid in recovery: hungry, angry, tired and alone.

  Have you ever heard the acronym HALT?  It stands for Hungry, Lonely, Angry and Tired.  When we are feeling some or all of these symptoms, it’s much easier for us to make bad decisions that we will regret later. This is true of all humans, regardless of mental health diagnosis – everyone can be […]

So You Had a Dream About Using Drugs or Alcohol. Now What?

Drug dreams, using dreams or dreaming about getting high are all common experiences of people in recovery from addiction.

  When you are in recovery from substance use disorder, it is very, VERY common to dream about using.  A lot of folks find these dreams really disturbing and upsetting.  When you have a “drug dream,” do you find yourself wondering:  If you are at risk of relapse?  If you are working your program hard […]

Sober and Sad? Here’s 3 Cures for the Winter Blues in Portland, Oregon

Feeling blue during Portland Oregon winters isn't unusual, especially if you are in recovery or undergoing addiction treatment.

  Wintertime blues are nothing new.  It’s usually that time before spring’s first bulbs but after the holidays that hits people the hardest.  Dark days, bad weather and chilly temperatures tend to get the best of us down. But when you’re in recovery, it’s so important to do everything you can to practice self-care, stay […]