Category: Micah Robbins

Despite increased public sympathy for the problems facing addicts and their loved ones, misconceptions about drug abuse still abound. Here’s the truth about seven popular beliefs. Misconception #1: Alcohol is

Many substance-addiction problems begin in high school: the majority of teenagers either use chemical substances at least occasionally, or know someone who does. In fact, many parents breathe a sigh

“No one understands how hard it is for me!” How many times have you said that—before addiction, during addiction, and after detox? Often, it’s too close to the truth. The

The U.S. is notorious for allowing minimal vacation time, but even so, it’s a rare person whose routine doesn’t see some changes when summer arrives. Routine being an important factor

Addiction is not a one-person problem. It’s a family problem—and not just because its side effects cause trouble for everybody. Often, the addiction is only the most obvious of many

The trouble with most self-help writing is it minimizes the journey from “I saw what I was doing wrong and committed myself to developing new habits” to “now I’m a

Many cases of substance addiction are rooted in perfectionism: unhealthy stress thrives on feelings that you’re never good enough, that everyone is judging you, that life owes you cooperation in

The mockingbird is the state bird of Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. One reason he’s so popular is he can singlehandedly bring the music of a dozen birds to

If you violate your post-addiction abstinence—you’ve got plenty of company. The National Institute on Alcohol Use and Alcoholism, for example, reports that chances of making it through the first four

While working through the steps of recovery, you’re bound to come across painful reminders of things you wish you’d done differently. Especially if you spent years in addiction, there will

Broken any New Year’s resolutions yet? Even people who regularly moan “But I just can’t change” get caught up in the turn-of-the-year spirit and spend the last week of December

The same “quick fix” attitude that leads people into addiction can make addiction treatment less effective. Every behavioral-health professional has stories of patients who demanded quick cure-all programs, complained that

All of recovery, of course, is about starting over. But to start over means even more than giving up drugs, rediscovering a sense of responsibility and making amends to those

The majority of substance abusers retain some elements of “normal” life up to the time of entering rehab. Chances are that, treatment completed, you have a family, home and job

Regular exercise reduces stress and depression as well as improving overall health—and emotional and physical strength are powerful defenses against relapse. But if you have a full-time office job plus

If every criticism cuts you to the heart, you may have a TTP (Taking Things Personally) problem. If you assume that everyone who fails to answer your messages is laughing

Relapse is always a danger for recovering addicts, especially in the first 6­–12 months after treatment. Complete avoidance, though the best defense against relapse triggers, isn’t always an option, so

During the holidays, most people think about giving to charities as well as to loved ones. Since the best holiday charities help people help themselves, you may be able to

Fans of early-twentieth-century American literature often choose this time of year to reread “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. In that story, a poor housewife sells her only

Did you survive Black Friday? Officially, the “black” in the name refers to “being in the black” economically, because it’s among the biggest business days for retailers and among the

In the post-treatment period, you likely feel better than you have in years. Your cravings for the next fix have dissipated. Your personal energy is renewed. And the days ahead

If you’ve been in the sobriety game for a while or even just been to a couple 12 step meetings, you’ve probably heard the phrase higher power thrown around. In

If you’re thinking, “I’m sober, my life is over”. You wouldn’t be the first. This is one of the many misconceptions of early sobriety and especially if you don’t already

When you’re looking for a sponsor remember, they are a person, not “the one” and there is no perfect person on the planet. That being said, what’s important is the

In AA Meetings Part 1 we talked about different meeting sizes and styles to meet different needs. We also provided a list of all the meetings in Palm Beach County,