Coping Skills
The use of breathing techniques such as box breath, Wim Hof or fire breath to calm or bring about change to our internal systems.
Breathwork
Trained professional to provide continued support and space to explore, discuss and grow in treatment.
Therapist
This pattern can involve pretending a problem or emotional distress does not actually exist. Often a maladapted coping skill. Especially used when dealing with difficult to process emotions or hard truths.
Denial
Can be the root of a variety of emotions including resentment, frustration, annoyance or rage. While this emotion is a normal part of the human experience, an increase in frequence and decrease in tolerance levels may be a relapse warning sign.
Anger
A recurring bitterness, frustration or anger towards a person or situation. The Big Book refers to this as a “deadly hazard to the alcoholic.”
Resentment
The use of physical movement such as walks, the gym, yoga, or stretching to release dopamine and endorphins and provide space for a shift in emotional status.
Exercise
Non-professional, free member of 12 step community that provides guidance through the 12 steps.
Sponsor
Can be in the form of white lies, manipulation, deceit, omit the truth, or telling oneself or another a false version of the truth.
Dishonesty
Can display as frequent, recurring low moods, loss of interest in parts or all of life, diminished joy or apathy. If these symptoms appear, it is wise to speak with a doctor as well reassess your program of recovery to take action towards treatment and solution. Left unaddressed, this can be considered a warning sign of relapse for many.
Depression
Often at the root of many of our defense mechanisms, anxiety, or instinct to try to exert control. For some this can be paralyzing, for others it can drive them to react in ways that are not rational or well thought out.
Fear
The process of writing out or recording thoughts, feelings, experiences and reflections.
Journaling
Medical doctor that specializes in mental health and can assist with medication assistance, maintenance, or tapering.
Psychiatrist
The act of putting responsibility for self and behaviors on another person or situation rather than taking responsibility yourself.
Blaming
Excessive worry, fear, desire to control outcomes, overthinking, catastrophizing. Can be experienced in the mind as well as the body. If this persists beyond the occasional situational occurrence, it would be wise to treat this warning sign with due attention and speak with professional help as well as get back to basics in your personal program of recovery.
Anxiety
Three letter word - the part of self that aims to separate us, rationalize our beliefs and behaviors, and protect us from perceived threats that are often not actually a threat. Can lead to an inflated sense of self importance in relativity to the rest of people around us.
Ego
There are many ways to do this but the goal is to center and connect oneself to the present moment - the here and now. Examples can involve forms of mediation, using the senses to connect to one’s surroundings, repetition of a mantra, feeling your feet in the earth, etc.
Grounding
Often in the form of meetings or recreation activities, examples of this include AA, NA, SMART Recovery, CODA, etc. Used as a way to connect with others and share both in problem and solution.
Support Groups
The act of slowly or suddenly disconnecting and disengaging from outside support systems, friends, and family. Avoidance of connection and contact with others. Not to be confused with solitude.
Isolation
The experience of highly turbulent emotions with dramatic mood swings that can begin to feel unpredictable and difficult to regulate.
High Highs and Low Lows
Sometimes referred to as a “pink cloud” can be the response one experiences when life is going really well in recovery and a person begins to think they don’t need to continue to do work in their recovery and complacency sets in.
Overconfidence