Newly released!

Just released: “The Circle Stays Unbroken,” a story that’s already resonating with families, educators, and clinicians across the country.

Set in Wisconsin’s Northwoods, this children’s novel follows Eli and his brother Sammy as they navigate the return of their father from prison—a homecoming marked by hope, disappointment, and the tough reality of addiction’s impact on families. Through their Ojibwe heritage shared with them by their stepfather’s stories, they discover that circles—like families—can stretch, bend, break, and still, miraculously, hold.
This book isn’t just for kids. It’s for adults who love them, for anyone whose life has been touched by addiction or family struggle, and for professionals looking for ways to spark tough but necessary conversations. Written with honesty, compassion, and the wisdom of lived experience, “The Circle Stays Unbroken” is a testament to resilience—reminding us that healing is never linear, but always possible.
If you work with children, families, or in mental health, I hope you’ll check it out, share with your clients, or add it to your recommended reading lists. The conversation about addiction and recovery can’t start early enough—or include too many voices.
Available now on Amazon: https://a.co/d/howYzxb

Let’s keep the circle whole. 💙

 Ever feel like you’re fighting through recovery, burnout, or just plain life—and nobody’s talking about what it’s really like?

I am.
“Progress is Progress” is the blog for people who keep going, even when it’s ugly, slow, or weirdly hilarious.
Real talk. Real community. Subscribe for free and join the crew that knows a comeback is possible for everyone—including you.
progressisprogress.substack.com

BIG NEWS! 🚀 Progress is Progress has officially moved to Substack!

 BIG NEWS! 🚀 Progress is Progress has officially moved to Substack!

I’m honestly so excited to share this with you. After over a year of sharing my story, my struggles, my recovery, and the real, raw side of addiction and mental health right here, I’ve found a new home — and I want you to come with me.

Why Substack? Because it lets me reach you directly, no matter who you are or where you’re at. Whether you’re in recovery, thinking about it, stuck in the cycle, supporting someone who is, working in the field, or just curious about what addiction and recovery really look like, you’ll find something here for you.

Subscriptions are FREE. Free means free — for the everyday person who wants the honest truth about addiction, recovery, and mental health. Whether you’re struggling right now, you’ve tried to get help a thousand times, you’re looking for something different, or you just want a “been there, survived that” perspective from someone who’s BEEN on both sides of the desk (yes, I’m a clinical substance use counselor, but I’m also in recovery myself) — this is for you.

There’s also a paid subscription for anyone who wants to go deeper. That gets you access to more in-depth articles, some pro-level insights, and even the chance for personalized recovery coaching sessions with me. If you’re a counselor, parent, teen, advocate, or just someone who wants to dig in, paid subs will have a lot to love. BUT — and I mean this — if you want paid access and can’t afford it, just reach out to me directly. Money should NEVER be a barrier to help, hope, or knowledge. Ever.

This isn’t a profit thing. This is my passion, my way of giving back, and my attempt to be the person I wish I’d had. Subscriptions help keep the lights on, but this is about helping as many people as possible.

So if you’ve ever found value in my writing, if you’re looking for support, or if you just want to keep following this messy, beautiful, sometimes hilarious recovery journey, please subscribe. Join me at our new home:

progressisprogress.substack.com

Let’s keep making progress together — mile or millimeter, it all counts.

With hope (and a little dark humor),
Belle

Progress is Progress now on YouTube

 

https://www.youtube.com/@ProgressIsProgressMileOrMill

Join us now on YouTube as well! 

The Healing Power of Telling Your Truth — Expanded with Dark Humor and Heart

Telling your truth isn’t just a Hallmark card cliché or some airy-fairy advice from a wellness guru. It’s a bold act of reclaiming yourself from the mess of addiction, trauma, and all the crap life has thrown at you. When you share your story, you’re not just spilling your guts—you’re processing, growing, and healing on a level that’s both terrifying and transformative.

But let’s get real: it’s not always a neat, feel-good moment where you stand on a mountaintop and shout your truth to the world like a superhero. Sometimes, sharing your story feels like handing over your soul to a room full of strangers who might just judge you or run for the exit. It’s messy, it’s raw, and you’ve got to be ready for it. If you’re not ready, that’s okay too. Healing isn’t a sprint; it’s more like a slow, awkward dance where you sometimes step on your own feet.

There are countless ways to tell your story—writing, art, music, therapy sessions, whispering it to a friend, or even yelling it into a pillow at 3 a.m. The method doesn’t matter. What matters is that you give yourself permission to be heard in whatever way feels right. Your story doesn’t have to be a polished novel; it can be a scribbled note on a napkin or a shaky voice on a phone call.

To read the full article please click the link  https://progressisprogress.substack.com/p/the-healing-power-of-telling-your 

 

Why Mental Health Care Must Be Central to Addiction Treatment

Belinda Morey BS, CSAC 

Clinical Substance Use Counselor - IGNTD Coach - Recovery Coach - Blogger - Editorial Advisor Board member - “doing all the things”

August 27, 2025

Addiction is too often misunderstood as a problem of willpower or moral failing. Clinical experience and extensive research tell us it’s far more complex—deeply intertwined with trauma, anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.

Trauma alters brain regions critical for emotional regulation and decision-making, increasing vulnerability to addiction and complicating recovery. Studies show trauma-informed care reduces relapse and improves engagement by creating safe, supportive environments that foster healing (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2023).

Yet, despite this evidence, many addiction treatment programs still treat mental health as an afterthought. Detox and abstinence alone do not address the root causes driving substance use. Integrated care models that simultaneously treat addiction and mental health conditions are essential for sustained recovery.

As a counselor and person in recovery, I’ve seen how sidelining mental health care undermines progress. Recovery requires healing the whole person—mind, body, and brain.

How are you incorporating trauma-informed, integrated mental health care into your practice or organization? Let’s share strategies to improve outcomes for the people we serve.

Here is a sneak peek at this weeks post on my Blog at https://progressisprogress.substack.com/

If you would like a free paid subscription contact me....

Why Mental Health Care Can’t Be an Afterthought in Addiction Treatment

Hook — Let’s Bust This Myth Wide Open

If addiction were just about willpower, we’d all be sipping cocktails on a beach instead of fighting cravings in our pajamas at 2 am. Yet, somehow, the myth that “just quit” or “just try harder” works still hangs around like a bad party guest no one wants but everyone has to deal with. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work. Not for most people, anyway.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth nobody likes to say aloud at family dinners or in some treatment programs: addiction and mental health are freakishly tangled up together like the worst kind of headphones in your pocket. Ignoring mental health in addiction treatment isn’t just a minor oversight — it’s like trying to put out a forest fire with a squirt gun.

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Why Mental Health and Addiction Are Like Those Dysfunctional Friends You Can’t Unfriend

If you’ve ever tried to untangle a necklace chain that’s been in a pocket with keys, you get the frustration of disentangling addiction from mental health issues like trauma, anxiety, and depression. They’re so intertwined, it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.

Trauma—whether childhood abuse, neglect, violence, or systemic oppression—reprograms the brain’s stress and reward systems. It hijacks emotional regulation, leaving anxiety and depression to tag along like clingy shadows. This tangled web creates a breeding ground for addiction, because substances often feel like the only way to mute the noise or escape the pain...............https://progressisprogress.substack.com/

The Recovery No One Talks About: When Progress Feels Like a Setback

 

Here’s the truth nobody wants to admit: sometimes recovery feels like one step forward, two steps back. You think you’re winning, and then boom — a craving, a bad day, a moment that makes you question everything. But guess what? That’s not failure. That’s part of the damn process.

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My Setback Story: When the Ground Gave Way

I remember a point in my recovery when everything looked good on paper. I’d hit a few months clean, was checking all the “right” boxes, and telling myself I was solid. Then, out of nowhere, I had a day that felt like a total collapse. A craving hit me hard, my anxiety spiked, and I found myself spiraling into old thought patterns faster than I could catch them.

It felt like I’d blown it all — like all the work was for nothing. But looking back, that day was a brutal, honest teacher. It forced me to face the parts I’d been ignoring: the unresolved trauma, the gaps in my coping skills, the isolation I hadn’t admitted to myself.

That setback wasn’t a dead end. It was a detour that showed me where I really needed to focus.

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Why Setbacks Happen: The Science and the Real Life

Recovery isn’t a straight line because addiction rewires your brain. It’s about more than just willpower. The brain’s reward system remembers the highs of substance use, and triggers—whether stress, certain places, or emotions—can light up those old pathways. So when life piles on stress, or you’re feeling isolated or overwhelmed, your brain can pull you back into familiar, destructive patterns.

But here’s the key: your brain is also wired to change. Neuroplasticity means those old grooves can be softened, and new, healthier paths can form. It just takes time, effort, and yeah, sometimes falling down before you get back up.

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Leaning Into the Mess

When a setback hits, your first instinct might be to run—from the feelings, the people, even yourself. But leaning in, facing the discomfort, is where the real work happens. It’s about dropping shame, asking what triggered the moment, reaching out for support, and adjusting your recovery plan with honesty.

If you treat setbacks like failures, you trap yourself in a cycle of shame and secrecy. But if you treat them like signals, like brutal but valuable feedback, you start to build real resilience.

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Hit reply and tell me about your own ugly progress moments. We’re in this mud together.