Scrolling Sober: The Wild West of Social Media Recover

 

Scrolling Sober: The Wild West of Social Media Recovery (Yeah, It's a Thing Now)

Let's get real for a hot second: as someone who's both been there (hello, recovery!) and now sits on the other side of the desk as a counselor, I've watched the recovery landscape transform faster than you can say "TikTok made me do it." And let me tell you, it's a whole new world out there, folks.

The Digital Sobriety Revolution (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Zoom)

Remember when getting help meant physically dragging yourself to a church basement? Well, welcome to 2024, where recovery support is available 24/7 from the comfort of your couch (pants optional, but recommended). As someone who now provides telehealth services office-to-office and office-to-client, I can tell you it's been a game-changer. And yes, sometimes my cat Steve Or Baby Dog  makes guest appearances during sessions – consider it free pet therapy.

The Good: Why Digital Recovery Doesn't Totally Suck

1. Accessibility is Through the Roof

   • No more "I can't make it" excuses (unless your WiFi is being temperamental)
   • Support networks available round-the-clock
   • Connect with recovery warriors worldwide

2. New Platforms Dropping Like Hot Mixtapes

   • IGNTD (shameless plug for what I'm working on)
   • Unbroken Recovery (shoutout to my blast-from-the-past recovery warrior)
   • Various digital tools and apps for tracking sobriety and maintaining connections

The Bad: Because Nothing's Perfect (Like My First Year Sober)

1. Trigger Warning (No, Really)

   • Social media can expose you to triggering content faster than you can say "scroll past"
   • Those targeted ads seem to know your past better than your therapist

2. The Comparison Trap

   • Everyone's recovery journey looks Instagram-perfect (spoiler: it's not)
   • Depression and anxiety can spike from too much scrolling

The "How Not to Go Broke Getting Help" Section

Because recovery shouldn't cost more than your former habit (dark humor, remember?):

1. Insurance Coverage

   • Most insurance plans now cover some form of online addiction treatment
   • Telehealth flexibility extensions through 2024

2. Free Resources

   • SAMHSA's National Helpline (free, 24/7, and they won't judge your 3 AM calls)
   • Online recovery communities (because misery loves company, but recovery loves it more)
   • Many platforms offer free basic versions

Making It Work (Without Losing Your Mind)

1. Set Boundaries Like Your Recovery Depends On It (Because It Does)

   • Designated social media times (no, 3 AM doom scrolling doesn't count)
   • Curate your feed like you're planning a sobriety party
   • Use those block buttons liberally (yes, even on your party-loving cousin)

2. Mix and Match Your Support

   • Combine traditional and digital recovery tools
   • Use telehealth for professional support
   • Join online communities for peer connection
   • Keep some in-person connections (because humans need hugs, and screens aren't great at those)

The Bottom Line (Because Every Recovery Blog Needs One)

The digital recovery world is like a buffet – take what works, leave what doesn't, and maybe don't try everything at once (we're in recovery, not trying to create new addictions here). Whether you're connecting through IGNTD, finding your tribe on Unbroken Recovery, or just dipping your toes into the telehealth waters, remember: recovery in 2024 has more options than a Netflix homepage.

And hey, if all else fails, there's always cat videos. They're never triggering (unless you're in recovery from cat addiction, in which case, we need to talk).-Belle- 

recovery #sobriety #digitalhealth #mentalhealth #addiction #recoveryjourney #sober #healing #telehealth #onlinerecovery

 

Patience in Recovery: When "One Day at a Time" Feels Like Forever

Let's talk about patience – that elusive virtue that everyone preaches about but nobody actually enjoys practicing. You know, that thing we're supposed to have while watching paint dry, waiting for water to boil, or – oh yeah – rebuilding our entire lives in recovery. 🙃

The Instant Gratification Paradox

Here's the thing: We live in an Amazon Prime world. Want something? Click. Bam. It's at your door tomorrow. Need information? Google it. Done in 0.3 seconds. Hungry? DoorDash is already sending you notifications about your favorite takeout.

And then there's recovery. Where everything. Takes. Forever.

As both a recovery counselor and someone who's walked this path (plot twist!), I can tell you that the universe has a pretty twisted sense of humor when it comes to teaching us patience. Just when you think you've got it figured out – BAM! – life throws you another "growth opportunity." (That's therapy-speak for "challenging situation that makes you want to scream into a pillow.")

The Family Factor

One of the hardest tests of patience? Family relationships. We get clean/sober and suddenly expect everyone to trust us again, love us again, forget all the chaos we caused. Meanwhile, our families are still processing their own trauma, and we're sitting there like, "But I've been good for THREE WHOLE WEEKS!"

Spoiler alert: It doesn't work that way.

Real Talk About Building Patience

So how do we actually develop this mythical patience thing? Here's what I've learned (usually the hard way):

1. Understand Your Instant Gratification Triggers

   • Notice when you're getting antsy
   • Ask yourself: "Is this actually urgent, or am I just being a toddler about it?"
   • Remember that your phone's instant notifications have rewired your brain (thanks, technology 🙄)

2. Practice Micro-Patience

   • Start small – like waiting in line without checking your phone
   • Count your breaths instead of counting the minutes
   • Pretend you're a National Geographic photographer observing wild humans in their natural habitat

3. Reframe Your Timeline

   • It took years to mess things up; it might take years to fix them
   • Recovery isn't Amazon Prime – there's no two-day shipping on healing
   • Progress isn't linear (it's more like a drunk squirrel's path, but eventually, it gets there)

4. The Family Healing Timeline

   • Give them the time you took away
   • Remember: Trust is rebuilt in drops but lost in buckets
   • Their healing is on their schedule, not yours

The Hard Truth About Patience

Here's what nobody tells you: Patience isn't about waiting. It's about how you act while you're waiting. Are you growing? Learning? Building? Or are you just sitting there checking your watch every five minutes?

I tell my clients (and remind myself) that impatience in recovery is like trying to microwave a gourmet meal – you might heat it up faster, but you'll miss all the flavors that come from slow cooking.

The Plot Twist

Want to know something funny? The moment you stop obsessing about how long everything's taking is usually when you start noticing how far you've come. It's like watching grass grow – stare at it all day and you'll go nuts, but look away for a while and suddenly it needs mowing.

Your Daily Patience Practice

Start small:

• Wait 5 minutes before responding to that triggering text
• Sit with an uncomfortable feeling for 30 seconds longer than usual
• Practice not interrupting people (yes, even when they're wrong)
• Give yourself permission to be a work in progress

The Bottom Line

Patience in recovery is like trying to train a cat – it's going to happen on its own timeline, and forcing it will probably just result in emotional scratches. The best we can do is create the right conditions and try not to take ourselves too seriously in the process.

Remember: Rome wasn't built in a day, and your recovery won't be either. But unlike Rome, you're still standing – and that's something worth being patient for.

Keep going. Keep growing. And when all else fails, remember that time passes whether we're patient or not – might as well practice some patience and make it suck less.

RecoveryLife #OneBreathAtATime #PatienceIsAProcess

Hump Day Reality Check

🌟 Hump Day Reality Check: What's Your "One Thing" Today? 🤔

You know how we're always like "Thank god it's hump day!" and counting down to Friday? I caught myself doing that this morning, and then I had to laugh because... aren't we supposed to be living in the present now? (Pretty sure that was mentioned once or twice in the history of recovery 😉)

But for real though - instead of just pushing through to the weekend, I want to flip the script. What's ONE thing you're going to do for YOU today? Not tomorrow, not this weekend. Today.

Could be something tiny like finally making that doctor's appointment you've been putting off (guilty as charged), taking a 10-minute walk instead of scrolling through your phone during lunch, or maybe facing that work project that's been living rent-free in your head.

Recovery taught me that the small choices we make each day are what really move the needle in our lives. So I'm putting it out there - what's your "one thing" going to be? What small step are you taking today that your future self will thank you for?

Me? I'm committing to 20 minutes of meditation tonight. No excuses, no "I'm too tired" BS. Because I know when I do it, I show up better for myself and everyone around me.

Drop your "one thing" below. Let's lift each other up and make this random Wednesday count. 💪

Remember: Progress isn't always pretty, but it's always worth it.-Belle-

WednesdayWisdom #RecoveryJourney #OneDayAtATime #SmallStepsBigChanges

 

The Bizarre Mathematics of Suffering: When Loss Equals Gain

Ever notice how life has this twisted sense of humor? Studies show that 70% of lottery winners end up bankrupt within a few years, while 77.9% of cancer survivors report at least one positive life change from their harrowing experience. It's like the universe is running some sort of cosmic practical joke shop.

I've been thinking about what Musonius Rufus said about choosing sickness over luxury. At first glance, it sounds like the kind of philosophical BS that trust fund kids spout while "finding themselves" in Bali. But here's the thing – that crusty old Roman might've been onto something.

See, luxury is like that friend who shows up with cocaine at 2 AM. Seems fun at first, but before you know it, you're selling your grandmother's jewelry and wondering where it all went wrong. It doesn't just rot your body; it gets into your soul like termites in a log cabin. And much like those termites, by the time you notice the damage, your whole structure's about to collapse.

Take it from someone who's spent time in recovery rooms I've heard enough stories to fill a library). The most transformative stories often come from people who hit rock bottom. They lost everything – their homes, their families, their dignity – only to find something far more valuable in the rubble: themselves.

It's like that old saying: "The worst things in life come free to us." Except that's not quite right. The worst things in life often come with a platinum card and an Instagram-worthy lifestyle. Meanwhile, research shows that cancer survivors frequently report deeper appreciation for life and stronger personal relationships after their battles. How's that for a cosmic middle finger to our expectations?

This isn't some masochistic manifesto suggesting we should all go out and seek suffering. God knows life serves up plenty of that without our help. But maybe – just maybe – we've been reading the equation wrong all along.

When that freight train of misfortune comes barreling down your tunnel, perhaps it's not just bringing destruction. Maybe it's also carrying something else: the dynamite needed to blow up the walls we've built around our authentic selves.

So here's to the losers who end up winning, the survivors who end up thriving, and all of us stumbling through this bizarre cosmic comedy club called life. May our worst moments become our best teachers, and may we all be lucky enough to be unlucky in just the right ways.

Because that's the thing about rock bottom – it's a damn solid foundation to build on.-Belle-

P.S. If you're currently going through hell, keep going. Winston Churchill said that, and he was pretty good at dealing with freight trains.

Real Talk: You're Your Own Chaos Coordinator

 

Real Talk: You're Your Own Chaos Coordinator 🎭

Let's get brutally honest here (because that's what we do best, right?). Everyone's walking around saying "OMG, my mother-in-law is driving me crazy" or "This job is killing me!" Meanwhile, I'm sitting here thinking... hold up.

You know what's actually happening? We're basically volunteering to be everyone's emotional punching bag. Plot twist: we're the ones throwing the punches at ourselves. 😅

Quick reality check:

• That coworker who "makes your blood boil"? They're just existing. You're the one doing the internal screaming.
• The holidays that "stress you out"? They're just dates on a calendar. You're the one turning them into your personal horror movie.
• That person at the grocery store who "ruined your day"? Honey, you handed them that power like a free sample.

Listen, I get it. Life isn't all sunshine and rainbow-colored unicorns pooping glitter. Sometimes it's more like a dumpster fire that you're trying to put out with a water gun. But here's the thing – you're the one holding the matches AND the water gun. 🔥

So next time you're about to blame Karen from accounting for your stress-eating rampage or your PO for your blood pressure spike, remember: You're not a puppet, you're the puppet master of your own circus.

The good news? This means you've got the power. The bad news? This means you've got the responsibility. (Yeah, I know, responsibility – everyone's favorite word, right up there with "tax audit" and "family reunion.")

Take it from someone who's been there: Once you realize you're the DJ of your own mental radio station, you can finally change the channel from "Everything Is Awful FM" to "Actually, I Got This Radio."

And hey, if you're reading this thinking "This person doesn't understand MY situation," I see you. I hear you. But also... prove me wrong. 😏   -Belle-

RealTalk #MentalHealth #SelfAwareness #RecoveryJourney #LifeLessons

 

When Your Recovery Feels Like a Bad Netflix Series: Stuck on Repeat

Look, we've all been there. One day you're crushing it in recovery, feeling like you've finally got your shit together, and the next thing you know, you're staring at your ceiling fan wondering if it's spinning or if that's just your brain doing somersaults. Welcome to the recovery rut – that special kind of hell where your routine decides to ghost you like a bad Tinder date.

The "Oh Crap, Everything's Falling Apart" Phase

You know what's funny (in that not-really-funny way)? We spend all this time building these perfect little routines, like nourishing our bodies with healthy food, exercise, and consistent sleep schedules – things we probably laughed at during our using days. Then one day, poof – it all goes sideways. Maybe your meditation app unsubscribed itself from you (rude), or your support group started feeling more like a bad reality TV show reunion.

Family: The Ultimate Plot Twist

Let's talk about our families – those well-meaning souls who sometimes help us feel stuck faster than quicksand in recovery boots. Regular family meetings can help keep everyone on the same page, but let's be honest – sometimes these meetings feel like trying to explain TikTok to your grandparents. Frustrating, but necessary.

Breaking Free: The Great Escape Plan

Here's how to bust out of that rut (no prison break tattoos required):

1. Accept Your Current Situation

   • Yes, you're in a rut. No, the universe isn't conspiring against you (probably).
   • Take a closer look at your goals – are they still serving you, or are they about as useful as a chocolate teapot?

2. Shake Things Up

   • Mix up your routine – because doing the same thing and expecting different results is... well, you know the rest.
   • Try something new. Worst case scenario? You hate it and have a funny story to tell at your next meeting.

3. Communication: The Not-So-Secret Weapon

   • Be honest with your support system – they can't read your mind (thank god for that, right?).
   • Use "I" statements instead of "you" statements. Instead of "You're suffocating me," try "I feel overwhelmed." Sounds less dramatic, works better.

Finding Your Recovery Groove Again

Remember those early recovery days when you were trying to figure out who you were without substances? Plot twist: that journey never really ends. Creating a structured schedule offers stability and helps avoid those old behavioral patterns that were about as healthy as a deep-fried stick of butter.

The Bottom Line (Because Every Blog Needs One)

Recovery ruts are like bad haircuts – they're temporary, even though they feel permanent when you're in them. The key is recognizing when you're stuck and having the courage to do something about it. Maybe that means changing your routine, maybe it means having an awkward conversation with your family, or maybe it just means acknowledging that recovery, like life, isn't always going to feel like a motivational poster.

Remember: If you're feeling stuck, you're not broken – you're just due for an upgrade. And unlike your phone's software updates, this one's actually important.

P.S. If all else fails, remember that at least you're not trying to explain to your therapist why you thought buying a pet llama would solve all your problems. (Unless you did that too – in which case, we need to talk.)-Belle-