Extra Mile Recovery:
Addiction & Recovery Blog

Learn 12 effective tips on how to talk to your spouse about their drinking. Start a healthy, open conversation today.

It’s important to remember that sobriety isn’t an endpoint, it’s an ongoing journey — and not necessarily one that takes you in…

Does alcoholism run in families? Learn about the complex relationship between genetics and environment in developing alcohol use disorder.

Understanding sobriety vs recovery and their similarities and differences are key. Contact Extra Mile Recovery for help.

Knowing what to do when you relapse can set you on the path to recovery. Contact Extra Mile Recovery today for more information.

The holiday season can be tricky for anyone, due to financial stress, complicated family dynamics, feelings of loneliness, and more. Factor in...

It’s a new year and a new sober you — take a moment to recognize and appreciate the steps you’ve taken and the ways you’ve grown since undergoing...

At Extra Mile Recovery, we stand by the 12-step model as a tried-and-true method for building toward a life of sobriety. The 12-step model is...

Women and men who struggle with substance use disorder (SUD) face many challenges as they begin to rebuild their lives and learn to live without...

For most of us, the holiday season is a cheerful time for celebrations and family gatherings. But for those recovering from addiction, holidays can add significant pressure and feelings of isolation. With excessive parties and colder, darker days, holidays can be extremely challenging and may even trigger relapse.

While it may seem silly at first, weather can absolutely affect your mental health and, as a result, your addiction. The weather even has the potential to be a trigger!

While changes in weather are inevitable, the triggering feelings it can cause don’t have to be. Here’s what you need to know about how the weather affects addiction, and what you can do about it.

The holidays can be a difficult time for anyone, but they pose even greater challenges for people in recovery, even if you enjoy them: there are simply a lot of potential stressors and triggers to navigate this time of year.

You may have learned about meditation during the rehabilitation process and even experienced some of its benefits, but as our alumni know well, you can continue to reap the rewards of meditation throughout recovery — and even find new ways for it to improve your day-to-day.

Triggering feelings, circumstances, and events are always going to be an obstacle to living a sober life — but those road bumps can become mountains if you’re unprepared or unsure how to respond.

The holidays, no matter which ones you celebrate, are stressful. In addition to the ebb and flow of normal everyday life and its responsibilities,...

Hobbies are important for everyone: they can act as a fun and healthy outlet, or even something that brings more meaning to your life. But they’re crucial when you’re in recovery. Early in sobriety, you may only have energy for therapy and self-care. But as time goes on, you’ll need to spend…

Relapse is an often-misunderstood part of the addiction cycle. A substance use disorder (SUD) is a disease that can rear its ugly head throughout someone’s life: as such, we have to recognize warning signs of relapse, and respect the person suffering from those symptoms, the same way we would…

People struggling with addiction deal with the side effects of their disease impacting their health, employment, and personal relationships, but often not considered is the effect the disease can have on one’s financial well-being. Simply put, substance abuse can cause significant…

As you leave rehab and re-enter society with your sobriety intact, it’s natural to reconsider your circle of friends to ensure the healthiest life possible: after all, before rehab, it’s likely that you were spending a lot of your time with people who abuse drugs and alcohol. While some relationships…

Even though humans are naturally social animals, we all need our “alone time” every now and then. While there are ways to use this time in a positive way, such as with meditation or other activities that help with mindfulness, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing.

One of the most disheartening aspects of addiction is the way that it can truly affect anyone. Addiction is a disease, and like any disease, there are risk factors, symptoms, and treatments, all of which can differ from person to person based on their individual needs.

It’s no secret that going outside can drastically improve your mental health; in fact, studies have shown that spending time in nature can reduce symptoms of mental illnesses like depression and anxiety, and can even lower stress levels.

​It’s difficult enough to make the decision to go to rehab, but as you’re choosing who to trust with your recovery, you might find yourself asking a surprising question: should I lean towards a gender-specific program?

Recovery is a challenging journey, not only for the person struggling with substance abuse, but also for family members and loved ones.

The effects of addiction are far-reaching: they not only wreak havoc on an individual’s physical and mental health, but they can also strain relationships with loved ones to the breaking point.

​The COVID-19 lockdowns at the beginning of 2020 impacted nearly every part of our daily lives, from our jobs to our errands to our leisure activities.

From the challenges that recovery presents to our alumni, to the unfortunate stigma placed upon those in recovery by the law and society, keeping a job

About twenty percent of Americans experience some form of seasonal affective disorder. [1] Although the symptoms are usually contained to...