The Aviary Recovery Center Blog
Addicted to Success? High Achievers and Substance Use Disorders
Sometimes it seems like the high achievers in life are coasting along on a tide of good fortune. They get good grades, go to powerful schools, rise to high levels in their workplaces—maybe even start their own business that leads to great wealth and influence in...
Accountability and Support – the Benefits of Group Therapy
You’ve probably heard this catchy phrase: “Teamwork makes the dream work.” It started as the title of a motivational book and has entered the popular lexicon. You hear athletes and coaches say it. You hear teams on reality and game shows say it. You might even have...
Do Not Join This Club – Club Drugs Are Dangerous
If you were a member of an alien species tasked with researching the culture of people on Earth, with a focus on the culture of the United States, there would be plenty of resources to consider. But let’s imagine that your alien research center has only been provided...
Keeping Your Cravings at Bay in Recovery
Craving Sobriety Here is something almost everyone in recovery can agree about: the cravings can be tough, right? Unfortunately, those cravings—the strong desire to use drugs or alcohol even though you have gone through the hard work of getting sober—are unavoidable....
The Best Present Is Staying Present Throughout the Holidays
The Year-End Holidays The end of the year brings with it a variety of big holidays representing a range of different traditions and beliefs. What many of those holidays have in common is the giving and receiving of gifts. While it may seem that gift exchange should...
Do Some Planning Work Before You Return to the Workplace
Many people have a complicated relationship with their work. On the one hand, they may enjoy their job, the people they work with, and the goals they are trying to achieve. On the other, there are likely any number of frustrations: some of their coworkers may be...
Get Motivated to Get Help Via Motivational Interviewing
Wise Words Jim Rohn, the late American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker, had a pithy comment about change in our lives: Your life does not get better by chance; it gets better by change. That’s an easy statement to agree with. We can’t just wait for our...
‘Informed’ Is Not Enough – Moving Toward Trauma-Responsive Care
Choosing Your Approach Imagine someone brings you a piece of news. Let’s say they rush up to you to let you know that someone is towing your car. Now that you are informed, what will happen next? One option would be to keep the information in mind while you figure out...
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...
Furry, Feathery, or Even Scaly Friends Can Provide a Boost to Your Recovery
When times are tough, sometimes we just don’t want to talk about it—not with our friends or family, not with our therapist or sponsor, not with our church group or 12-Step crowd. Sometimes we just want to sit quietly. But even when we want to sit quietly, sometimes we...