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Articles by Peggy Ferguson

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84 articles by Peggy Ferguson · showing 34

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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Using Valentine's Day to Build Your Own Marriage Enrichment Initiative

Routine. Boring. Settled in. Comfortable. You love your spouse. You believe that she and the family are the most important people in your life. You have settled into a comfortable routine, accepting that you are loved and appreciated by your family. Your comfortable routine consists of an ongoing cycle of work, dinner, tv, bed. When you talk to this most important person in your life, your wife, you talk about replacing the roof, what the kids did that day, what you need from the store, or maybe something that happened at work that day. The conversation lasts maybe ten minutes.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Quitting Pot: 16 Steps to Help You Quit and Stay Quit

Ok, so you have decided that your life needs a little help and to accomplish this, you have decided to quit smoking pot. You have flushed or given away your stash. You have gotten rid of the paraphe alia. It has been a couple of days since you smoked pot and you're feeling cranky. You are not sleeping well. You feel anxious and jittery. You're sweaty; you're experiencing shakiness and you're sick at your stomach. You just don't feel good and you keep thinking that just a couple of hits from a joint will take the edge off. Those detox symptoms will go away if you don't use.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
8,334 views4/5 (3)
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Addiction and Recovery: Understanding The Nature of Addiction to Understand Cross Addiction

Early addiction recovery is a fragile thing. One of the most frequent contributing factors in relapse is something we call "cross-addiction". Essentially what cross-addiction means, is that if you are alcoholic or addicted to other mood altering drugs, you a potentially addicted to all mood altering drugs. To truly understand cross-addiction, you must appreciate the character of addiction and the nature of mood/mind altering drugs. Addiction is a disease. It is frequently described as a primary, chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
2,871 views3/5 (1)
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

How to Overcome Seven Obstacles to New Year's Resolutions Success

I love the New Year. I feel like I am the threshold of a new year. I am glad that there is a week betwee Christmas and the New Year because it gives me a chance to recover, regroup, and rethink. Of course, I would like to think of a new year as a fresh, blank, Big Chief Tablet to write whatever I like on, but that is not really the case. Our lives are not marked off in 365 day intervals, where everything begins a new on day one. There are many things, situations, circumstances, and processes that transcend years and even decades.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Getting Married: Building Healthy Step-families

If your family is a "remarried family" or a "step-family" then you're in good company. The experience of building a remarried or stepfamily is a common experience, not only for recovering people, but for the general population as well. There are lots of difficulties involved in putting together a stepfamily. One of the major difficulties is in the perception that a step-family is something less than desirable. Stepfamilies can be healthy.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Working Through Feelings in Addiction Recovery

One of the most important tasks necessary for maintaining abstinence and growing in recovery is learning how to appropriately work through feelings. Many people use alcohol and other drugs in place of dealing with or managing emotions. Alcoholism/drug addiction often involves skill deficits. When the chemical is eliminated, the roles that the chemical played in the addict's life must be replaced by healthy living skills. Sometimes recovering alcoholics/addicts must re-lea to do routine daily tasks without aid of the chemical.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Using The “Cognitive Therapy for the Holidays” Worksheet To Reduce Your Holiday Stress

Try a little cognitive therapy to reduce your holiday stress. Cognitive therapy examines the thoughts and beliefs that lead to feelings, and thus to behavior. Everyone has some cognitive distortions which are irrational ideas, thoughts, or beliefs, that get in the way of optimal functioning. People acquire these cognitive distortions in many ways, including family of origin, cultural norms or biases, and personal experiences. Cognitive distortions are often a major symptom of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

The Naked Truth About Sexual Addiction

There is nothing sexy about sex addiction. Compulsive sexual behavior is not a pastime or hobby. Sexually addicted people use all kinds of excuses and defense mechanisms to deny the truth to themselves. The naked truth about addiction is that once it is addiction, the addict is spiritually and ...

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Addiction and Recovery: Cross Addiction and Relapse: 5 Cross Addiction Relapse Prevent Tips

Although definitions of "Addiction" seem to be continuing to evolve, addiction is still "a primary, chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease". The last decade of research has led to a refined definition of addiction as a "brain disease which is manifested by compulsive behavior". Cross addiction means that an addict can be addicted to any mood altering drug which s/he ingests. Cross addiction can be an example of relapse and/or a trigger to returning to one's previous drug of choice.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Staying Sober After In-Patient Treatment: Ten Reasons To Follow Through With Continuing Care Even If You Don't Want To

The majority of patients who successfully complete inpatient and have the desire to stay clean and sober relapse in the first year after acute care treatment. Anyone who has been to inpatient treatment has noticed that the among the other patients around them, that there is a large percentage who have been through inpatient treatment before. This is largely because addiction is still being treated as an acute illness rather than the chronic disease that it is.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Standing At The Crossroads: Trying to Quit Using Drugs

People do not easily come to the conclusion that they have an alcohol or other drug problem. The telltale signs have been there quite some time. Addiction carries with it its own camouflage devices. It can look like a lot of other illnesses from the perspective of an outsider looking in. From the perspective of an alcoholic/addict the telltale signs can be chalked up to a million other problems or causes.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Are You Suffering from Someone Else's Sexual Addiction? - Part 4

Are you angry, depressed, confused, and constantly trying to figure out what your spouse is up to? If you are spinning your wheels, trying to strategize and find solutions for your spouse and your relationship before you have actually identified the problem, keep reading. Family members can suffer from the sexual addiction of spouses, and spend countless hours trying to solve the problem before they really know what they are dealing with. If you are suffering negative consequences of someone else's sexual behavior, you might be in a relationship with a sex addict.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Addiction Recovery: 12 Do's and Don'ts For the Family While the Alcoholic is in Rehab

Your significant other finally went to rehab. With all the events leading up to his agreeing to go to treatment, it may feel like a let-down. You may have breathed a big sigh of relief as you drove away from the airport or the treatment center after dropping him or her off. You may feel hope. You may still be waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Family Members Know You are Going to Relapse in Your Addiction Before You Do - Listen Up

The family dynamics of recovery is rarely smooth sailing. Relapse, which is a process, has a tremendously negative effect on significant others. Family members who have labored and struggled to remain with the addict through all the active years of addiction, to assist them in finding their way into recovery, find their hopes and dreams dashed in the midst of relapse. Anyone in a relationship with an alcoholic/addict is affected by addiction. Loved ones would understandably be upset and angry with the alcohol/other drug (AOD) addict when they relapse.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Getting Started: "Ready, Set, Talk!"

Sometimes couples wish they felt more emotionally close to their spouses. You may feel taken for granted and might even recognize that you take your spouse for granted. One or both of you might be daydreaming about dedicating some time and energy to restoring that eroding emotional connection. You are probably both aware that marriage, like anything else we value, requires nurturing and sustained effort to maintain it. One spouse might even mention that he or she wants to set aside some time to spend together—just the two of you.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Family Dynamics of Addiction Exposed: Identifying The "Real Problem" and What To Do About It

Many non-addicted spouses complain about how their addicted significant other is driving them crazy, making them depressed, or leading them toward suicide or homicide. These comments only illustrate the destructive nature of the family dynamics of addiction. The addicted and non-addicted spouses get locked into mortal combat over the addiction, even when they have not identified the problem as "addiction". Of course the non-addicted spouse is angry. S/he is picking up all the slack caused by the addict's abdication of responsibility.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Addiction and Recovery: Plan Your Vacation, Not Your Relapse!

When facing the loss of most of one’s structure in situations like vacation or business trips, relapsive thinking can return, even in established, stable recovery. The relapse thoughts can include some of the below, but this is not an all inclusive lists. When planning a vacation or business trip that takes you out of your established routine and structure, listen to your own “self-talk”. Pay close attention to those ideas that may place you in slippery places, around slippery people, or in slippery activities.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Addiction and Recovery: The Social and Environmental Triggers Worksheet

Associations between particular feelings, people, places, and events becomes intertwined with the alcoholic or addicts drinking and drugging behavior. When alcoholics and addicts find their way to recovery, the old associations between the drinking and drugging and the old feeling, people, places, and events persist, often triggering cravings to drink or use. When these cues trigger drinking or using memories and perhaps euphoric recall, unless you take action to prevent cravings and possible relapse, you remain extremely vulnerable to losing your recovery.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Keep Your Parents and Children Out of Your Marriage

Keep your parents and your children out of your marriage. Once they are in there, it's hard to get them out. When you are in conflict with your spouse, it is really tempting to use whoever is handy to vent to, regarding your marriage. And often the people available most available to us are our children and parents. They are typically most often in our presence, and if we don't see them throughout the day, they are often the people we speak to on the phone most often.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Addiction in Ongoing Recovery: Getting Acquainted With Middle Ground

The main task of early recovery is spent in trying to interrupt the momentum of the addiction to achieve sustained abstinence. Most of one's mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual energy is spent on that goal. In ongoing, stable, sustained recovery, the recovering person is no longer struggling to maintain abstinence and is now able to use more of their energy not only cleaning up the debris from their addiction, but being able to consciously move toward being the person that they have wanted to be.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Family Dynamics of Addiction and Recovery: 14 Enabling Behaviors to Quit Now

Family members, in their attempts to solve the problem of a loved one's addiction, try every thing they can think of, to turn the addict's life back around. They usually identify the problem incorrectly for a long time before it becomes obvious to them that addiction is the real problem. ...

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Marital Counseling: How to Make The Most of the Opportunities of Marriage Counseling

People seek marriage counseling because they need help or are in pain. In any given couple, there is usually one who is more interested in counseling than the other. With a list of complaints, each partner usually feels compelled to make his/her case to the counselor about their spouse being "the problem". Although initially both partners seem to have the agenda of having the counselor straighten out the other, the benefits of marital counseling can quickly guide the cooperative efforts of the partners for the benefit of the relationship.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Commumication In Recovery: Guidelines for Setting the Stage for Effective Talks with Your Loved Ones

When you want to solve some important relationship or logistics issue, you help assist help ensure your effectiveness by appropriately setting the stage for communication. Remember these guidelines while trying to solve a problem in your relationship. 1. Think about what you want to say ...

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Family Dynamics of Addiction and Recovery - How Can I Tell If My Partner Is Serious about Recovery?

Most spouses of alcoholics or addicts have been down this road before. Something has happened. Some crisis has gotten the attention of the alcoholic/addict and now he is motivated to get clean and sober. This time he is going to AA/NA and going to counseling. Promises made by the addict to stop the addictive behavior have gone unfulfilled in the past. Yet most of the time, when an addict is making those promises, he intends to keep them. This time is different. They mean it when they say it. That does not mean that what was stated as fact, is indeed, fact.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Family Dynamics of Addiction and Recovery - How Can I Tell If My Partner Is Serious About Recovery?

Most spouses of alcoholics or addicts have been down this road before. Something has happened. Some crisis has gotten the attention of the alcoholic/addict and now he is motivated to get clean and sober. This time he is going to AA/NA and going to counseling. Promises made by the addict to stop ...

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Six guidelines on how to improve your patience and tolerance for your family during the holidays

Most people experience a great deal of stress in that period of time betwee Thanksgiving and New Years, fondly known as “The Holidays”. Many of us, find ourselves becoming irritable, with our patience and tolerance stretched to the limit. Much of the impatience and intolerance involves unrealistic and/or unreasonable expectations of others, especially those we are closest to. Being raised in our own individual families of origin seems to set us up for conflicts about expectations for the holidays.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Couple Communication: Back to Basics To Improve Your Relationship and Restore Happiness

One of the most important tools to develop or restore communication skills is the use of “I” messages. "I" messages are not as likely to elicit defensiveness. They actually increase the probability that your message(s) will be heard. With this simple change in how you communicate with your loved one, you are more likely to actually accomplish your communication goal.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Don't Let Myths Keep You From Getting Sober

I keep hearing the same old myths over and over again. And I can't help but think that others hearing these myths either believe them and give up or use them for excuses to avoid taking action on getting clean and sober. One of the myths that I hear daily is that you can't get sober for someone else, that you have to want it for yourself, or your recovery efforts won't work. This statement is both true and false. The idea that you can't get sober for someone else is completely wrong. People do it every day.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

First Sober Fourth of July: Surviving the Holiday Without Addiction Relapse

The fourth of July is significant for alcoholics and addicts in several ways. The Declaration of Independence was a statement of separation from a tyrannical ruler. With separating from the past they embarked on a new way of life. Many people come into treatment just after the Fourth of July, after having had a "close call", a DUI, a wife who left, or after totally embarrassing or humiliating themselves in drunken or drugged stupor.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Addiction and Recovery - What is Detox?

"Detox" is the beginning of the process of recovery. Most people need some kind of help getting through detox. Some people need medical help or additional structure and support. The kinds of difficulties that an alcoholic or addict will have with detox depend on a number of variables, including, personal characteristics, the specific types of drug(s), combination of drugs, length of use, amount of use, and last use. Detox is the process where your body rids itself of the mood altering chemicals that you have been ingesting. When you use drugs over time, they build up in your system.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Falling Out of Love - Should We Pack It In?

Often when a couple comes in for couple’s counseling, one of the partners is stating that s/he has fallen out of love with the other partner. Sometimes they both feel that way, but usually it is just one spouse verbalizing this. When you are feeling this way, it is common to question whether you ever “really” loved your spouse in the first place. Usually when couples present for counseling with one wanting out of the relationship, there other marital issues that are creating problems in the marriage, that the couple may not be talking about or acknowledging.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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By Peggy FergusonRecently published1 topic

Addiction and Recovery: The Emotional Highs and Lows of Early Recovery

When someone makes a decision to get the help that they need to quit drinking and using other drugs, everything begins to change. As an addict’s body begins to detox and as she is consciously trying to interrupt the momentum of addicted use of a chemical (including alcohol), she goes through all kinds of changes. Physical detox can involve a wide range of possible symptoms, including physical, psychological, and emotional. The addict who is involved in trying to separate herself from the chemical often experiences an emotional rollercoaster. Depression is common.

Primary topic: Drug and Substance Abuse
Drug and Substance Abuse
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