Category: Addiction
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When Family Loyalty Requires You to Abandon Yourself
This post discusses family dysfunction, addiction, abuse, estrangement, grief, and boundaries. Please read with care. 💚💜 “Blood doesn’t make you family. Loyalty does.” — Eric Thomas When Loyalty Becomes Self-Abandonment Family loyalty is a beautiful thing.And it should be. At its healthiest, loyalty means loving people through difficult times, supporting one another, telling the truth,…
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Gaslighting, Manipulation, and Emotional Abuse
Gaslighting and manipulation do not always look obvious. Sometimes they happen so gradually that you begin questioning your own memories, reactions, and understanding of what happened. This article explores how emotional abuse distorts reality—and how to begin trusting yourself again.
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Yes, I Am A Different Person
Meet Ashley 5.0 People sometimes say certain things as though they are insults. “You’ve changed.”“You are not the same person you used to be.”“I don’t even recognize you anymore.” I do not really take being told I have changed as an insult. Of course I have changed. I am not intoxicated all the time anymore.…
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Happy Chemical Series Part 7 (final): The Brain Behind This Hot Mess
A Summary of the Happy Chemicals and How They Have Shaped My Life Content warning: This article discusses addiction, trauma, domestic violence, grief, death, anxiety, depression, and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Please take care of yourself while reading. 💜 Over the past several weeks, I have written about the chemicals and systems that influence motivation, mood,…
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Happy Chemical Series: Part 6
Cortisol: The Survival Chemical We Mistake for the Enemy For the last several weeks, we have talked about the chemicals connected to motivation, pleasure, confidence, connection, and pain relief. Part 1: went over the Happy Chemicals in general: Part 2: Dopamine helps push us toward rewards. Part 3: Serotonin plays a role in mood, confidence,…
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