Hey, friends. After a lot of thought (and probably too much caffeine), I’ve decided to move my blog over to Substack. Same soul, new address: progressisprogress.substack.com . Why the move? I want to keep the conversation going—about addiction, recovery, mental health, stigma, connection, and all the messy, real-life stuff we’ve always talked about here. Substack just makes it easier for us to connect, comment, and build a community (plus, you can get posts straight to your inbox, so you don’t have to remember to check in). If you’ve found something here that made you feel seen, made you laugh, or just made you think, I’d love for you to come along for the next chapter. Head over to progressisprogress.substack.com , subscribe (it’s quick and painless, I promise), and let’s keep this thing going. Thank you for being part of this journey so far. Seriously. I couldn’t do this without you. See you on the other side, Belle 

The Secret Life of Reoccurrence of Use: Why It’s Not Just ‘Using Again’ Let’s be honest: the phrase “reoccurrence of use” (aka relapse, but we’re trying to sound fancy now) carries a whole emotional freight train loaded with disappointment, guilt, and the kind of frustration that makes you want to hide under the covers forever. For a lot of people, it feels like hitting the reset button on all the progress they’ve made—like waking up from a dream where you finally had your life together, only to realize it was just a cruel joke. But here’s the kicker: for those juggling addiction and mental health issues (the lovely co-occurring disorders combo), reoccurrence of use is way more than just a “whoops, I messed up” moment. It’s a complex signal screaming, “Hey, something’s seriously off in here,” and if you listen, it can actually teach you something valuable about your recovery journey. Reoccurrence of Use Is a Signal, Not a Moral Failure Picture this: your brain’s running on anxiety fum...