Addiction Recovery: Distinguishing 'Who I Am' Versus 'What I Do'

a post by Edie Weinstein for the World of Psychology blog



While speaking with a young woman who is newly in recovery with more than 100 days clean, the topic of change arose. She said that she was unhappy with who she was. I inquired further and asked what she was distressed about in her life. She went on to tell me her history and all of things she had done over the years that caused pain and sorrow, dysfunction and addictive behaviors.

We delved deeper and explored the catalysts for those choices. What became apparent was that she had internalized behaviors and saw them as a reflection of her identity. Her sense of self worth was in the basement, despite having turned her life around. She is not alone. This description could fit any number of people who find themselves on the upside of addiction.

She had determined that where she was heading was clearly not where she wanted to end up. I asked if she could tell the difference between who she was and what she did. Looking puzzled for a moment, she was able to share her finer qualities and still recognized the need for altering her self-perception and her relationships. I reminded her that even good people make poor choices that are not of benefit to themselves and those around them. Recovery encompasses far more than refraining from indulging in her substance of choice, but rather that “searching and fearless moral inventory,” Step 4 of the 12-step model. She had never had so many days of consecutive sobriety and never so much hard-won wisdom.

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Could Low Progesterone Contribute to Addiction?

a post by Kristen McGuiness for the World of Psychology blog

When I had six years sober, my husband and I decided to get pregnant. I quit the birth control pill and entered the darkest depression of my life.

I wasn’t surprised when the test results came back. After three chemical pregnancies and one miscarriage, it was clear that I was having trouble getting pregnant. But what I didn’t expect was that my fertility troubles might be related to my past struggles with addiction. And what was that common ground? A lack of progesterone.

For years, I had struggled with depression. Though I never charted the highs and lows of my mental health to determine whether it was hormonal, after my OB/GYN explained to me that low progesterone levels could not only cause difficulty in the implantation process, but also depression, I felt like the detective at the end of Usual Suspects, Kaiser Soze. That’s what’s wrong with me.

Progesterone is one of the hormones that stimulates and regulates various functions, playing a key role in preparing the body for conception and pregnancy while regulating the monthly menstrual cycle in order to maintain pregnancy.

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Job Loss Presents a Unique Danger for People in Recovery

a post by Kelly Fitzgerald for the World of Psychology blog



Job loss was another painful reminder of why my sobriety must be the number one thing in my life.

It’s been a few weeks since I had a theoretical bomb dropped on me. I recently got laid off from my full-time job and my financial stability, my career, and overall sense of security were taken from me. It was unexpected, devastating, and made me question everything. Job loss is just that – a loss. I felt grief, anger, frustration, hopelessness, and defeat. I questioned if I did enough, if it was the job I really wanted, if I deserved that job, and if I’ll ever find another job as good as this one again. Being laid off had me questioning my life, my worth, my value as an employee, and even my sobriety.

Like so many situations in sobriety, job loss can present a unique danger. As a person in recovery who used drinking as a coping mechanism for the majority of my life, being laid off led to me wishing that I could drink. I wished I had the luxury of numbing my emotions for a moment. I wished I could take myself out of living in the moment for a second. Logical, sober me, knows that alcohol wouldn’t make the situation better, only worse. Sober me knew that alcohol might make me forget for a little while, but it wouldn’t make my pain go away.

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How Technology Can Help Your Sobriety

a post by Beth Leipholtz for the World of Psychology blog

Whether you need some words of encouragement or to be talked out of picking up a drink, instant communication is extremely valuable.



It’s no secret that people have been going through the process of getting sober for decades. But over the years, that process has changed. The stigma around alcoholism and addiction has shifted and the advancements of technology have allowed for a more open dialogue. For those of us who have gotten sober in recent years, technology has likely been part of the ride. Inventions such as the internet and smartphones have provided us with a number of resources that haven’t always been around.

Yes, it’s obviously possible to get sober without the aid of technology. But the truth is that there are many ways in which technology can be helpful for sobriety and recovery. These are just a few ways people in recovery can take advantage of that technology.

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