We announced a while back that the Home Depot Foundation was donating some closet organizers and cabinets for our recovery house for women and children. And now they’ve arrived! This is a big deal for the women and children who live there. While we have made the bedrooms of this sober living home nice —…
WSTC BLOG
Shared Values for the Recovery Community
In our last post, we discussed values and how they play a role in recovery. Now, in addition to assessing our personal values, National Recovery Month encourages us to consider the values of the recovery community (which of course should include all of us because recovery is for everyone). According to Faces & Voices of…
Values: Tools You Can Use for Recovery
Values are important recovery tools. They’re also important life qualities, for that matter, because values are the theories, beliefs or attitudes that act as guiding principles for our behaviors. The values we hold dear may also be what give us the strength, courage, and stamina to stay true to our recovery journey. Or, our values…
Signs You’re Headed for Relapse and How To Stop
Most people think of a relapse as the moment that they give in to temptation and use their substance of choice. However, relapse actually starts much sooner, and if you can catch the early warning signs, you may gain an advantage that helps you stop the process before you use. The Yale Journal of Biology…
What You Need To Know in Case of Opioid Overdose
Fatal overdoses from opioids, and especially fentanyl, are climbing in Washington. This July may have been the worst month for overdoses in almost two years, with 1,031 overdoses reported in 31 days, according to the Washington State Department of Health. Fortunately, Naloxone can prevent an opioid overdose death if it is administered quickly. Emergency responders…
3 Reasons To Consider Intensive Outpatient (IOP) Treatment
If you’re ready to start your recovery journey now, you may think the first step is an inpatient facility. Inpatient substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs are the lifeline that some people need, especially if they have other medical or psychiatric issues, a high risk of withdrawal symptoms and/or a need to be in a…
Shopping To Fight Addiction
Many retailers make donations to nonprofits through shopping rewards programs based on their customers’ preferences. You may have heard of the Amazon Smile program, which donates 0.5% of the amount of your purchase to the charity of your choice? Well, Fred Meyer has a similar program! If you’ve signed up online and you have a…
Keys to Recovery
A person who chooses recovery does it over and over because it’s a process, not an event. But what does it take to keep making the choice? According to SAMHSA, it takes hope, because people in recovery need to believe that they can overcome the challenges of addiction. It takes relationships – families, friends, peers…
Identifying Substance Use Disorders
Maybe you suspect you have a problem with alcohol or another addictive substance, or maybe someone who cares about you has said something to that effect. As long as you don’t know for sure, you may think you can avoid facing up to it. Shining a light on addiction isn’t that hard, though. You can…
The Importance of Drug Court Programs
The nature of addiction often leads to breaking the law, whether it’s driving after too many drinks, taking someone else’s prescription drugs, or using an illegal substance. Most of the time, those types of activities result in jail time or a prison sentence. Sadly, people suffering from substance use disorders don’t typically get what they…