The Aviary Recovery Center Blog
You Want a Holistic Approach for a Whole Lot of Reasons
Not too many songs are built around a single musical note. Even the famous song “One Note Samba” involves a lot more than a single note. A song is a complex combination of melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics, and more. The same is true about a person. No single trait can...
The Pink Cloud is Weather. Long-Term Sobriety is Climate.
Sometimes we mistake the weather for the climate. Maybe it is unexpectedly rainy today, so you think a long drought has come to an end. Or maybe it is cool for June, so you are not so sure about all those claims about higher global temperatures. In both cases, you...
New Warning from Surgeon General: Alcohol Causes Cancer
Most everyone knows that cigarettes and other tobacco products are required to have a message on their packaging from the Surgeon General of the United States warning of the potential dangers. When it comes to cigarettes, a number of different messages appear, such as: Surgeon General’s Warning: Smoking Causes Lung...
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...
