The Aviary Recovery Center Blog

When you go to your favorite restaurant, there is a good chance you don’t really need to see the menu. You likely have a dish or two or three that you order regularly. Sure, every now and again you might want to try something new, but your favorite restaurant is...

Many, many people experience anxiety—that feeling of worry or panic that can arise even when nothing in particular seems to be wrong. The nervousness and edginess that are hallmarks of anxiety can pop up seemingly out of nowhere. In many cases, the best way to address ongoing anxiety is a...

Give Yourself Grace to Allow for Growth When you are in the grips of a substance use disorder, it can feel like you are trapped. You want to give up drugs or alcohol, but withdrawal symptoms chase you back to more substance use. You might feel like nothing will ever...

Here’s an experience you may find familiar. You are sitting at your desk or on your couch or in your car, and all of a sudden you feel yourself tensing up. Maybe you are experiencing some anxiety. Perhaps you are having cravings for drugs or alcohol. Maybe you are just...

It would be truly wonderful if getting treatment for a substance use disorder worked like a vaccination against cravings. Imagine being able to leave your treatment facility secure in the knowledge that you would never again experience an intense desire to use drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, as most every person...

Have you ever caught an old episode of Mr. Ed on television? The sitcom starred a “talking” horse who frequently gave advice to his owner, an architect named Wilbur. Hijinx generally ensued. When you hear the term “equine therapy,” you might think the process involves getting advice from horses—and that...

This is the third entry in our series about substance use disorder myths. And while we have built the series around the classic MythBusters television series (here’s a clip for Star Wars fans), we also wanted to quote Ray Parker Jr.’s iconic theme song for the original Ghostbusters film.  That’s...

This is the second “episode” of our MythBusters-style look at myths about substance use disorders. (Since we are borrowing their schtick, we think it is only fair to share another clip from the original show. In this short video, the team uses a controlled explosion in an effort to make...

Do you remember the original MythBusters series? In each episode, the cast would address a myth to see if they could confirm it, declare it plausible, or bust it. The show was a great way to learn about science and was a favorite of kids and adults alike. The team...

There and Back Again: The Path to Addiction and the Journey to Recovery There and Back Again is the subtitle to J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novel The Hobbit—which is, of course, the story of someone going on a journey and then coming back home. The journey is dangerous and full of...