Recovery Enthusiast/ Recovery for Women

Not all antidepressants come in a pill. A new study suggests that food can dramatically enhance your mood.   Researchers at Deakin University in Australia tested the theory on a group of participants with unhealthy diets who experienced moderate to severe depression. Half were asked to switch to a modified Mediterranean diet and nutritional counseling, while the other half continued their usual eating habits.   After 12 weeks, the Mediterranean-style diet group had significantly fewer symptoms, and 32% were in full remission. The other half, who received only social support, showed far less progress.   While these results are dramatic, you don’t have to be clinically depressed to reap the benefits of eating more produce. Another study at the University of Otago in New Zealand found that extra servings of vegetables and fruits boosted the psychological well-being of healthy young adults in just 2 weeks.   See how changing your diet could cheer you up. Run through thi...

 Do you have racing thoughts and anxiety? It’s hard to focus on anything else when anxiety takes control of your mind. You’re filled with worries and uncertainties. You can’t calm down or rest. Fortunately, there are ways to control anxious thoughts, and it just takes practice to master the techniques.   Try these tips to control your anxiety:   Distance yourself from the worrisome thoughts. Learn to look at your anxious thoughts in a different way.   ○       The key is to reshape how you think about things.   ○       When you get an anxious thought, immediately identify it as a sign of your worry and not reality.   ○       Labeling your thoughts correctly raises self-awareness and makes it easier to control them. It also gives you something else to focus on instead of constant worry.   Ask yourself questions. When you get an anxious thought, ...

 There’s a lot of talk about intentional living. But what does that really mean? Intentional living is living with purpose and making decisions that support that purpose.   It’s the opposite of what most people do. Most people are satisfied with the status quo and only take action to deal with their disasters as they happen along the way.   Intentional living is about choosing the type of person you want to be and the type of life you want to live and then holding yourself to it .   Steps to living an intentional life and stop relying on luck:   Understand that choices matter. An intentional life is all about making choices that make sense for you and your beliefs. Your choices determine the direction of your life and are the first step to creating the results you experience. ●       Your greatest power is the power of decision. ●       Your past doesn’t ...

  Productive Versus Unproductive Thinking   How much of your time do you spend thinking each day during your waking hours? Most likely, at least 99% of the time. But how much of that thinking is productive?   There are two basic types of thinking: productive and unproductive. Productive thinking helps motivate us, reach our goals, and create the life we desire. On the other hand, much of the unproductive thinking we do is actually harmful to our happiness, contentment, and success.   What types of thoughts do you find yourself spending the most time on?   Consider how unproductive these types of thinking are:   ·        Thinking about the past in a way that creates regret. This is a common type of negative thinking that has no positive benefits. Remembering that time you embarrassed yourself in high school or had a huge argument with your partner only serves to lower your mood and put you into an unresource...

  R esistance can prevent you from being successful anger quest to live the life you desire. Your challenging circumstances could be attributed to two things: either you're indecisive about what you want or you're too uncomfortable to make it happen.   Use these steps to lessen the level of discomfort associated with an action: Find a place where you won't be disturbed for five to 10 minutes. with practice, you'll likely only need one minute. Close your eyes and think about the action you want to take. imagine yourself participating in the uncomfortable activity make the experience as meaningful and realistic as possible. Notice the feelings in your body. fear, anxiety, stress, and any other feelings are just labels we assign to specific sensations within our bodies. For our purposes, start to recognize where you feel the discomfort. It's usually located in your stomach or chest area but it could be different for you. Imagine a door at the location of the d...

 No matter how hard we may try, there’s just no way to avoid some difficult conversations. However, there are positive things you can say and do to help you handle them better.   Your first response may be to change the subject when faced with a difficult discussion. This won’t solve the problem or heal the hurt that caused the situation in the first place. It’s better to take a deep breath, gather your thoughts, and face the difficulty now rather than later.   Remember it’s not your job to fix the situation unless you were directly involved. People sometimes just need a friend to listen to when they’re going through tough circumstances. They really don’t want you to fix things for them.   Being available to listen is sometimes the best way to show your friend that you care.   If the situation requires you to talk with someone going through difficulties, try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. What would you want a friend to say to you ...

 One of the most difficult things for many people but particularly addicts and alcoholics is communication. And spend my experience personally and working with others that addicts tend to lack interpersonal skills. Whether we are innately shy or have not developed those communications due to our isolation. When we get clean and sober, we must communicate to other people how we're feeling, which could be one of the most challenging things to do. For a lot of us, we drank and drugged those feelings away. Sometimes we don't even know what those feelings are; it's hard for us to identify them, never mind communicate them to someone. Also, a lot of times, we lack the confidence to express ourselves to other people. Through my courses,  groups, and one-on-one, I teach that, like anything else, it takes practice. People may think that it is bizarre that a grown person would need to practice communicating, but if you are someone who hasn't done a lot of it or a lot of healthy...

  Forgiveness Definition of forgiveness: interpersonal forgiveness is a willingness to abandon one's right to resentment, negative judgment, and indifferent behavior toward one who unjustly injured us while fostering the undeserved qualities of compassion, generosity, and even love toward him or her.   Other people will inevitably get you upset, disappoint you, and at times hurt or offend you.  However, the fact is, if you are always looking for reasons to be offended or hurt, you will find them. Instead, try to look for the good in others the same way that you would want them to focus on the good and you. Forgiveness , ultimately, is for you, not for them. I've had people say to me I will not give them the satisfaction of forgiving them; I will not let them off the hook that easily. But that is the meaning of the saying drinking poison and expecting my enemies to die .  Forgiveness is freedom for you. Of course, this is easier said than done. It is tough t...