The Aviary Recovery Center Blog
Ways to Add Some Walking to Your Routine
If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you know that we frequently mention the benefits of exercise for individuals who are in recovery from a substance use disorder. Of course, regular exercise is good for everyone, but there are some specific benefits for folks in recovery—including the fact...
Do Not Let Sugar Serve as a Substitute for Drugs or Alcohol
You probably remember Mary Poppins’s approach to getting the children in her charge to clean up their room. She sings a song about gamifying chores—and uses the idea of employing “a spoonful of sugar” as a metaphor for taking bad-tasting medicine. (Interesting sidenote: the song was inspired by the practice...
You Need to Get Help – There is No Excuse for Excuses
Most of us learn to make excuses at a young age. As children, we make excuses to our parents (“I didn’t know it would break if I picked it up!”). We make excuses to our teachers (“I didn’t do my homework because my little sister kept interrupting me!”). We make...
Stay on Budget, Tidy a Mess, and Don’t Doomscroll in Recovery
When you are in recovery from a substance use disorder, it is a good idea to keep an eye on your stress levels. That is because high levels of stress can put you at higher risk for a relapse. Of course, plenty of different things in your life probably cause—some...
Recovery Superpowers: Truth, Resilience, Kindness
Even if you think of yourself as a Marvel Comics fan (or not a comics fan at all!), the odds are pretty good that you can name the three most famous and beloved characters in DC Comics. They are, of course, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. They are so important...
Healthy Eating in Recovery — From Your Garden to Your Kitchen
In our series on healthy eating in recovery (previous entries: one, two, three, and four, we have written extensively about what foods you should consider eating to make your diet healthier and better for your ongoing recovery. In this entry, we want to focus on a couple of ways you...
Healthy Eating in Recovery — Focus on Five Kinds of Food
Healthy eating is important for everyone, but it is especially critical for a person in recovery from a substance use disorder. In our “Healthy Eating in Recovery” series (part one, part two, part three), we have explored ways to make healthy choices on a meal-by-meal (and snack-by-snack) basis. We have...
Healthy Eating in Recovery – Third in a Series
This blog post is the third in our series dedicated to helping you make healthy decisions about what you do and do not eat. Eating healthily is, of course, important for everyone, but making good choices around food can be particularly crucial to a person in recovery from a substance...
Getting on the Same Page – What to Expect from Family Therapy
A Family Matter If someone in your family is struggling with a substance use disorder, there’s a good chance that each family member is dealing with the situation in different ways. Maybe one of you wants to cut off all contact with the person who is drinking or using drugs...
What if 12-Step Programs Aren’t the Right Steps for Your Recovery?
Alcoholics Anonymous is surprisingly famous for an organization with “anonymous” in its name. AA and the 12-step program at its heart are what most people think of when they think about recovery from a substance use disorder. The idea of a group of people sitting in a church basement, using...
