Author: Lorri Strickland
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We’re Drinking the ‘Radithor’ Again: The Era of Enriched Botanicals and the Illusion of Safety
How does Uranium and modern extracts compare? There’s no way there can be any correlation, right? WRONG! Let’s unpack this together, shall we? In 1930, they drank Radium for ‘vitality.’ Today, we swallow enriched botanicals for ‘wellness.’ We would like to explore the chilling parallels between the Uranium Craze and modern isolates like 7-OH and THC-P. Novel psychoactives that are currently being… Read more
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Sleep and Recovery: Why Rest Is One of the Most Overlooked Tools for Stability
When people think about recovery, they often focus on avoiding substances, attending counseling, and building healthier routines. While these are all essential, one critical factor is often overlooked: sleep. Sleep plays a foundational role in emotional regulation, decision-making, and overall mental health. Without consistent, quality rest, even the strongest recovery plan can become difficult to… Read more
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Rebuilding Self-Trust After Addiction
One of the most difficult parts of recovery is not simply stopping substance use—it is learning to trust yourself again. Substance use can damage confidence, decision-making, and personal relationships. Many individuals in recovery carry feelings of guilt, doubt, or uncertainty about their ability to make healthy choices moving forward. Rebuilding self-trust is a gradual process,… Read more
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Why Stress Is One of the Most Common Relapse Triggers
Recovery is often associated with avoiding substances, rebuilding relationships, and creating healthier routines. While these changes are essential, one factor quietly influences nearly every stage of recovery: stress. Stress is a normal part of life. However, for individuals in recovery from substance use, unmanaged stress can become one of the most significant relapse risks. Understanding… Read more
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When Your Mind Won’t Let Go: Rumination and Recovery
Recovery from substance use often focuses on behaviors—avoiding triggers, building routines, and strengthening support systems. While these strategies are essential, another challenge often appears quietly during recovery: repetitive negative thinking. This pattern is known as rumination, and it can have a powerful influence on emotional well-being and relapse risk. At Creative Counseling Solutions, we often help… Read more
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The Quiet Build-Up: Early Warning Signs before Relapse
When people think about relapse, they often imagine a sudden decision to return to substance use. In reality, relapse is rarely sudden. More often, it develops gradually through small emotional and behavioral shifts that occur long before substance use happens. Learning to recognize these early warning signs is one of the most effective ways to… Read more
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Skunks in Savannah? No Way!
That “Skunky” Morning Commute: The Hidden Crisis on Our Highways There’s nothing quite like cruising down a busy interstate before sunrise, coffee in hand, mentally preparing for the day ahead—when suddenly that unmistakable skunky smell hits. And no, it’s not wildlife. We don’t have skunks where I live. We all know exactly what it is.… Read more
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Understanding Suboxone: A Tool, Not a Cure for Addiction
Too many opiate addicts and helping professionals rely too much on Suboxone and not enough on addiction treatment. To be clear, Suboxone is not a cure for opiate addiction, it’s merely an aid to recovery. Suboxone will ease withdrawals from opiates, but it doesn’t address the other powerful component of addiction — the mental obsession.… Read more
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Trauma Bonded?
Stop Confusing “Shared Trauma” with “Trauma Bonding” The term “trauma bonding” is widely misunderstood. Many people use it to describe two people connecting because they’ve both experienced hardship—but that is not the clinical definition. The True Definition of Trauma Bonding · Trauma bonding is a strong, unhealthy emotional attachment that forms between an abuser and… Read more