True self-care is about much more than bubble baths and candles. Once you’re in recovery, it’s a good time to reestablish a personal hygiene routine.

If you scroll through social media, #selfcare is likely to pop up, alongside pictures of people lounging in the tub, having a mocktail, or spending time in nature. While all of these things are great for making yourself feel better, true self-care goes beyond just chasing happiness.

It’s part of the human condition to get exhausted emotionally, physically, and mentally. Whether that exhaustion comes from a high-pressured career, the logistics of navigating through a global pandemic, or managing conflicts within relationships throughout life. Why do some individuals work to the point of complete exhaustion and perhaps turn to alcohol, prescriptions, or illegal drugs as a means to cope with the weariness? Perhaps burnout does lead to substance misuse. And then there are others who may handle their feelings of burnout in more healthy ways.

Marriage can be a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but what happens when those highs and lows are chemically induced? Relationships require work and when one partner turns to substances instead of their spouse, the end result can be divorce.

Akin to the chicken and the egg dilemma, the notion that people with substance use disorder (SUD) have higher rates of divorce could be attributed to their SUD causing the divorce or it could be an effect of the divorce.

One of the often-overlooked effects of addiction is deficiencies of key vitamins and nutrients. Here’s how to start rebuilding your health.

Eating well can help your body repair the damage done by drug or alcohol abuse. 

Drug or alcohol use takes a massive toll on your body.

Purpose provides direction and meaning. And for human beings, this can mean the difference between a healthy quality of life versus one that isn’t healthy. And the emotions that may arise from the latter may bring some individuals to the point of wanting to numb those feelings with the use of  drugs or alcohol. And if it gets to the point of uncontrollable misuse of either or both, help may be required.