We’ll feature an expert in the mental health and substance use disorder field to answer questions Q: How important is fitness/wellness in the recovery process? It is very important! I always say, “If you feel better physically, you feel better mentally. And if you feel better physically and mentally, you are more likely to stay| The Phoenix Spirit
It never fails. About this time of year every year I start getting a pain in my gut and dread with no clear explanation why. Upon later reflection I realize why. It’s because I have to see my family — who are incredibly crazy... and the holidays are coming. I feel guilty thinking this way.| The Phoenix Spirit
My counselor recommended this clinic to me so that I could have a tooth pulled out. So, I was kind of disappointed to find out that you don’t do that here. I had to drive quite a way, with poor instructions from her. But that’s not your fault. And at least I got some information| The Phoenix Spirit
Grandpa was a difficult man. He was kind and loving on his own terms, but not at all forbearant with people, places, and things that he did not understand. My wife and her family didn't regard him as odd in the least—well, that's not true. They had simply grown accustomed to his idiosyncrasies and each| The Phoenix Spirit
Therapist John Driggs shares the reasons for divorce among older adults and ways to prevent divorce.| The Phoenix Spirit
Nutrition expert from Ball State University shares six tips for staying healthy during the holidays| The Phoenix Spirit
How to experience relationships, confidently and peacefully, has been at the core of my writing since my first book, Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women, was published in 1982. It makes sense when one considers my history: I was the third child in a family of four children with an angry, chronically| The Phoenix Spirit
Living with an emotionally distant, rageful father left Deanna Broaddus hungry for attention and solace. Men – lots of men – were her first recourse, and then alcohol and drugs. Except for a suicide attempt at age 18, Broaddus did well, working and pursuing a master’s degree so that she could follow her passion to| The Phoenix Spirit
The Phoenix · The Time is Now The eyes of the future are looking back at us, and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time. Terry Tempest Williams I write this as winter’s cold and ice extend across our country, shattering records unbroken for hundreds of years. Texas’ whole electric grid is failing,| The Phoenix Spirit
I stood at the edge of a parking lot near the zoo in Duluth, Minn., waiting for the sun to come up and for the mosquitos to quit biting. They were merciless that July morning, and I had not thought to bring insect repellent. I paced and swatted, hoping my constant movement would make me| The Phoenix Spirit
I take the subway from Central Park West down to Brooklyn. I’m headed to a party that some old friends from college are having. These are my chique, New York friends who unintentionally make me feel like a country bumpkin. My winter coat didn’t look so boxy, and my boots didn’t seem that scuffed, until| The Phoenix Spirit
A closer look at 10 common phrases used in recovery Addicts and alkies are often skeptical about the brief, pithy sayings we throw around in 12-step programs. The slogans seem to dilute the complicated issues of recovery down to stock, almost clichéd phrases. Yet, if you spend any time in Alano Club rooms, or even| The Phoenix Spirit
"Our life begins to end the day we stop being grateful." -Anonymous It's that time of year when many of us gather with loved ones intending to give thanks. We experience tender moments with family or at least what we hope will be tender moments. Too often we've become disappointed as the actual closeness with| The Phoenix Spirit
Older people can find plenty of reasons to drink alcohol or use other addictive drugs to excess. Pain relief. Isolation and loneliness. Feelings of boredom and uselessness after retirement. Loss after loss after loss. For some, it’s simply a decades-old habit. What’s hard to do is to stop using addictive substances when they are ruining| The Phoenix Spirit
