I've known people who found it helpful to say, as an example, "I've been #sober 320 days of the past year." This can highlight your progress even if you haven't been able to completely abstain yet. #recoveryposse #harmreduction

Austin Evans: I'm Making Progress

ALT: Austin Evans: I'm Making Progress

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I was in #trauma therapy for the first 6 years of my #sobriety. And returned several times, due to challenging events or not having my ptsd/anxiety under as good control as I wanted. Which is an example of a fundamental recovery strategy: Pay attention and get more help if needed. #recoveryposse

The scientific literature shows that recovery from #addiction is common, not rare. A majority of people who once met criteria for substance use disorder eventually achieve remission, and long-term stable recovery becomes increasingly likely over time. #recoveryposse #wedorecover

Useful guide for medical professionals treating pregnant women with opioid use disorders, including tapering off v. ongoing medication. #harmreduction #opioids #addiction library.samhsa.gov/sites/defaul...

Over the years of my #addiction, many doctors saw my track marks, from shooting meth. A few asked me about it, I gave a vague answer, and they didn't pursue it. None offered me treatment. This still is too common today, usually from stigmatizing attitudes or lack of knowledge.

When I wrote my From Junkie to Judge #memoir, and revisited the #trauma source of my #addiction, I released some of my last bits of self-judgment. My choice to use drugs, even excessively, was understandable. Those drugs helped me handle my pain, in the beginning. a.co/d/0amDLRaf

Seven #alcohol drink per week only slightly increases health risks, but 14 notably does so. Which reinforces the general guidance that less is better, even if you don't have an alcohol use disorder. scitechdaily.com/two-drinks-a...

I sometimes refer people seeking help with their #addiction, and their friends or families, to this SAMHSA Evidence Based Practices Resource Center. www.samhsa.gov/libraries/ev...

Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center

samhsa.gov

Motivation is important to #sobriety success. But ambivalence is common in the early days. Many of us struggle to believe we can survive stopping drug use, due to deep pain or mental health symptoms. Start where you are, rather than waiting to feel 100% motivated, 100% committed, or 100% confident.

Interesting piece related to some of my common themes, including that in the beginning the drugs worked to help me handle my trauma pain. And that my recovery required me to understand this connection and heal. @andrewtatarsky.bsky.social #addiction #harmreduction andrewtatarsky.com/why-people-k...

Why People Keep Returning to the Behaviors They Hate

Why do we return to behaviors we hate? Discover how trauma, habit, and the shame cycle drive these actions, and how harm reduction offers a compassionate way out.

andrewtatarsky.com

75% of fatal #overdoses occurred in isolation, when a person was alone. This is why "don't use alone" is an important #harmreduction message, including to teens. #opioids evidence.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

U.S. Drug Overdose Deaths that Occurred in Isolation, 2022–2024

Timeliness of drug overdose response efforts may be improved when bystanders are present to provide life-saving care. From January 2022 through December 2024, a total of 191,577 unintentional or un...

evidence.nejm.org

Even when I got #sober, it took time to understand all the ways my wide and varied trauma history still impacted my emotions, thought processes, and behaviors. And once I understood this, it took even more time to remedy these.

Although this is Canada, this site has some useful information, including strategies that could be implemented in your community to address #addiction. #recoveryposse #policy www.ccsa.ca/en/guidance-...

Interesting program to help pregnant #women struggling with substance use. #addiction #WomensHealth www.uchealth.org/today/recove...

Recovery coach doulas bring life experience in protecting pregnant women with substance use disorders

Medical providers work to reduce stigma and shame that often complicate care and increase the risk of harm and death for mothers with SUD.

uchealth.org

I often tell newbies that patience and persistence are keys. Because ambivalence is common in early #addiction recovery. For those of us with long-term sobriety, acknowledging that helps the newcomer, I think. So they don't feel they won't succeed because of this. #recoveryposse #wedorecover

Dory and Marlin: Just Keep Swimming from Finding Nemo

ALT: Dory and Marlin: Just Keep Swimming from Finding Nemo

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My mother was violent, but not nearly as bad as my stepfather. The biggest damage she did was due to emotional neglect. In my earliest memories I already knew that she wasn't going to help me, support me, or really even see me. #recoveryposse #anxiety #depression

Interesting piece about how to modify PTSD and treatment criteria for young children. One reason this is important is that untreated trauma and mental health disorders in kids are frequent pathways to #addiction. www.acamh.org/blog/assessi...

Assessing and Treating PTSD in Young Children

Learn how PTSD appears in young children, why it’s often missed, and how PTSD-YC criteria and CBT-3M improve early identification and treatment.

acamh.org

Good reminder of the need to use evidence-based strategies to reduce teen drug use, rather than DARE or Just Say No type programs that are ineffective. #teenagers #parents #harmreduction www.ncsl.org/state-legisl...

Some posts claim that staying #sober is a constant, daily fight forever. To me, if that's true, there might be more work to do. Being free of that fight is part of what's allowed me to recover in other ways. My mental and emotional energy, and my time, have been focused elsewhere for decades.

Clawdeena: It's So Much More Than That!

ALT: Clawdeena: It's So Much More Than That!

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Many people benefit from structure in early recovery but don't need it long-term. For my 1st 18 months, I did 5 weekly meetings, individual therapy, and couple's counseling. A daily recovery appointment helped. Then I started reducing my meetings, eventually to zero for years at a time. #soberlife

Zoe: I Have A Plan (The Back-up Plan)

ALT: Zoe: I Have A Plan (The Back-up Plan)

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Interviewed on @kalwradio.bsky.social's Your Legal Rights. Deep dive into my personal story, how I healed from my #trauma and addiction, by building a recovery plan that worked for me. Also discussed some policy issues, treatment and peer support options, and resources. www.kalw.org/show/your-le...

Good article about strategies to reduce the large number of #alcohol related deaths and other negative impacts of this drug. #addiction #harmreduction www.statnews.com/2026/07/14/a...

12 ideas for tackling the U.S. alcohol epidemic

The U.S. can save lives from excess alcohol use without taking drastic measures. Here are 12 steps that can help.

statnews.com

Part of improving my poor behavior was understanding the source, which allowed me to address it more effectively. A lot of it was trauma based. Some of it was copying what my mother modeled. #recoveryposse #soberlife #PTSDWarrior

sometimes point out that society has a hierarchy around drug use. Better to use #alcohol than meth. Better to pop pills than shoot up. Which is one reason I talk about shooting meth for many years, but am now 32 years sober and a retired federal judge. #addiction #wedorecover

When I train about #addiction and recovery, I include that it's not necessary to wait until the substance use disorder is severe. Intervening at the mild or moderate level is advantageous. Waiting risks life, health, finances, relationships, jobs, and more. #recoveryposse #sobriety

Daniel Green Says 'OK, You Can Stop Now'

ALT: Daniel Green Says 'OK, You Can Stop Now'

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The loss of my beloved husband of 42 years is devastating. My reaction, though, is proof of the depth of my #addiction and #trauma recoveries. No inclination to pick up alcohol or other drugs. And my anxiety is within normal parameters, rather than the pre-healing extreme.

In the beginning, giving up #alcohol and other drugs often seems like a major loss. In the long-run, we see how unimportant this is. #recoveryposse #soberlife

Thats Over

ALT: Thats Over

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Asking for help is a self-empowerment action. You did the analysis, decided what you need, and took the steps to get it. #empowerment #addiction #recoveryposse

Lucky Prescott: I Need Your Help (Spirit Untamed)

ALT: Lucky Prescott: I Need Your Help (Spirit Untamed)

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"In contrast to crisis-focused messaging, which may reinforce fear or hopelessness, recovery narratives foreground agency, opportunity, and community belonging." #addiction #recoveryposse #harmreduction www.frontiersin.org/journals/pub...

Frontiers | Living Proof: centering recovery narratives in public health communication

In the United States, stigma about substance use, addiction, and treatment affects people’s awareness of and willingness to seek effective services. Addition...

frontiersin.org

Sometimes I get accused of encouraging people to relapse by stating the truth that many people don't have, and really aren't capable of, perfect abstinence from day 1. I think it's better to acknowledge this and encourage persistence.

Persistence Nick Zetta

ALT: Persistence Nick Zetta

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