Like almost everywhere else, addiction is widespread in the UK. It occurs in every stratum of the community. Addiction is not limited to the abuse of illegal substances such as…
Author: Addictions UK
Why Choose a Home Detox?
Over the last ten years, alcohol and drug-related deaths in the UK have steadily been on the rise. Currently, figures relating to deaths as a result of drug usage are…
Addicts are not criminals
Are Addicts Criminals? Despite all the awareness about addiction being a ‘disease’, there is an undeniable stigma attached to alcoholics and drug addicts. Addicts and alcoholics are not just viewed…
How I got in and out of the pit of alcoholism
I loved life as a child, I was the youngest of 4, and with 3 older brothers, I was the only girl my parents had. My dad and I had…
Now I Have Choices
I was born into a regular family and always felt that my real troubles did not start until high school. I found it hard to fit in and was bullied,…
Recovery Capital
What is Recovery Capital? Every so often there is a buzzword that is attached to recovery, ‘Recovery Capital’ is one of those. However, unlike other buzzwords that seem to serve…
Free Yourself from Regret
6 Sure-Shot Steps To Turn Negative Emotions Into Positive Action We have all felt sometimes that life would have been better if we had taken a different path. If only…
Harm Reduction or Abstinence – which is better in Addiction Treatment?
Primarily, there are two addiction treatment strategies available for drug addicts and alcoholics – harm reduction and abstinence. Proponents of both these methods claim high success rates by quoting medical…
Lessons Learnt in Recovery from Addiction
In an active Addiction, many of us caused significant harms. The lies and broken promises meant we often hurt others when their only crime was to love us. Those who…
How to Achieve Happiness with Acceptance
Most of us fail to see reality. We see things as we believe them to be, or wish them to be. Examples are all around us. Whether it’s religious beliefs,…
What’s your purpose in life?
We are all born and start our journey in life towards inexorable and inevitable termination. The years between birth and death is the period we have goals with or without…
From Pride to Humility
One of the main characteristics of an alcoholic or addict is his self-centeredness. He or she is full of pride, though there may be little he can be proud of….
Life is a terminal disease
Life is full of change. Ever-changing, never still. Change is the only constant. Youth comes and goes; beauty and pleasure are transitory. The sun, nature, matter – all are in…
My journey into meditation
Ways to develop, practise and reasons to be patient. Meditation and I have never gone hand in hand. I’ve often been closed-minded and reluctant to build it into my daily…
My Journey from Addiction to Recovery
Sometime in July 2011, I attended my first Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting. Up until that point I had always claimed I could get clean whenever I wanted, just as long…
The Impact of Addiction and Recovery on Financial Insecurity
For most individuals in active addiction, the ability to adequately manage their finances is an almost impossible task. They are no strangers to financial insecurity. Addiction is a progressive illness:…
Is Social Media Harmful?
Social media is now part of our lives. It includes popular sites such a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok. There are concerns about its impact on our lives, especially…
Life in Recovery: Is it Boring?
One of my biggest fears about quitting addiction was that I would be perceived as boring, or my life in recovery would be dull. Speaking to many of my recovery…
Fareshare and Addictions North East Food and Provisions
Addictions North East with the help of the County Durham Community Foundation, The Ballinger Trust, the Greggs Foundation and Addictions UK distribute food and Provisions to service users in County…
7 Types of Freedom in Addiction Recovery
Addiction is a trap. The addict is robbed of any real choices – he or she has to drink or drug. They have no freedom from their compulsions, obsessive thoughts…
The Trouble with Resentments
Holding on to grievances, often may seem justified, but is it worth it and who does it harm? I am sure we can all relate to finding certain people in…
Messages of Madness: The Power of Denial in Addiction
Denial gives powerful messages of madness to the person in addiction. Such messages tend to fuel addictions – alcohol, drugs or behavioural. They are also the primary triggers for relapse….
HALTT – a Self-care Tool in Addiction Recovery
I recall being in a treatment centre some years back. It was early in my attempts at recovery. I was waiting to be seen by a medical professional and sat…
Food and Wellbeing: What’s the connection?
Today, the world is faster, and we always seem on-the-go dashing from task to task. Finding time to eat adequately in between can often be a hard task. Despite being…
Adult Children of Alcoholics: Does the hurt ever heal?
The term “adult child of alcoholic” (ACOA) first came out around 1980, to describe the multitudes of “children” trapped in adult bodies. These individuals were in a constant state of…
Home Detox Programme
Many people would prefer to be treated at home for any illness and we know that this is particularly true of people…