Wish Recovery’s Blog Category

Many people believe that it’s OK to drink and drive because they are responsible people. But the truth is, getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol can have devastating consequences for those around you, as well as yourself. Drinking and driving can have severe impacts on not just your safety but also others—from minor injuries to severe injuries to fines to jail time to death. Too many people believe in the fallacy of immunity that it can’t happen to them. Even if you’ve never had an accident because of drunken driving, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t responsible for other people’s lives when you drink and drive.

The Six Stages of Change - popularized by the Transtheoretical Model developed in the late 70s—has become a measuring tool in behavioral health settings. It helps people embarking on intentional change. These self-changers use the stages to navigate through the process of addiction recovery.

If there were any truth to the misconception, some people have, that all anyone must do if they genuinely want to stop drinking or using drugs is to say, “No,” “I’m done,” “That’s it. I quit,” then, there wouldn’t be nearly 35 million people in the U.S. today diagnosed with a substance use or alcohol use disorder.

Overcoming substance use disorder is a complex process requiring a comprehensive approach beyond avoiding drugs or alcohol. This is where the idea of recovery capital comes into play. Recovery capital involves utilizing the resources and assets available to aid in your journey toward wellness. Recovery capital includes tangible and intangible resources, such as social support networks, employment opportunities, housing, education, and psychological well-being. Accessing and utilizing these resources can unlock your potential for long-term recovery and overall wellness. Recovery capital is like a beautiful tapestry that you can weave with determination and perseverance, offering hope and healing.

To prevent relapse into addictive behavior, "burning bridges" is a skill that involves radical acceptance, determination, and action. To "burn one's bridges" is to cut off all links with anybody or anything that might trigger a relapse to the addicted drug or behavior. You effectively block that route out of your life by severing the tie that binds you to addictive behavior.

Knowing the differences between the misuse and abuse of drugs or having a dependence on or an addiction to psychoactive substances like alcohol or pain relievers can help you communicate to others, particularly medical and mental health professionals, about your relationship with substances. These affiliated terms of substance use may seem to represent the same thing, and you'll find that some providers use a few of them interchangeably. But, if you want to understand the breadth of your relationship with psychotropic substances, the descriptions of these terms below may be informatively revealing.

Learn the five critical elements of a relapse prevention plan and how to create an effective strategy for long-term recovery. Watch this video now and read the article for practical tips and insights.

Recovery from addiction requires more than just eliminating the addictive behavior or substance. A positive outlook, proactive approach, and strategic mindset are essential to navigate each day successfully.

Four specialists. Every test. And they all say there's nothing physically wrong with you. But your body knows different. It's been trying to tell you something.

But every doctor says the same thing: "All your tests came back normal. Have you tried managing your stress?"

As if that explains why your jaw clenches in your sleep. Why your heart races when you're just sitting there. Why chronic pain lives in your body without a visible cause.

What if they're asking the wrong questions?

Relapse isn't failure—it's the middle of your recovery story. If you used again after weeks, months, or even a year sober, that voice screaming "failure" is operating with incomplete information. This video unpacks what your brain actually built during your sober time, why most people who make it long-term got there through detours, and one 90-second practice you can do right now.

Luxury drug and alcohol rehab in Los Angeles | Wish Recovery

Your recovery doesn't look like the highlight reel—and maybe that's not the problem.

If you've ever smiled through the gratitude posts while falling apart in private, this one's for you. In this video, we're talking about what "good vibes only" culture actually costs people in recovery, why toxic positivity is so hard to name when it's dressed up as wellness, and what healing honestly looks like when it isn't performing for an audience.

This isn't another inspirational pep talk. It's a real conversation about the pressure to stay "above water"—and what happens when you're not.