Check in with yourself using the Life Wheel: a simple, powerful tool for addicts in recovery and the loved ones healing alongside them.

When I first got clean, I thought not using was all there was to it. Mission accomplished. Maybe I’d get a gold star or something. Mental health and emotional regulation weren’t even on my radar. That came later. Much later. Like over a decade later after things in my life were much messier.

Turns out, quitting cocaine was only the beginning. What I needed after that, what a lot of us need, is emotional sobriety. The cool thing is, emotional sobriety and mental health aren’t just related, they’re like siblings who split the rent on your sanity.

 Emotions are like layers of an onion. Some are simple and raw, while others are complex, nuanced, and shaped by life experience. Understanding these levels can help us identify what we’re feeling and why, which is especially useful in recovery, healing, relationships, and personal growth.

Although my dad was great at talking with me, there were a lot of things that just weren’t discussed. I was never taught how to process my emotions properly, let alone name them. If that resonates with you, you’re not alone. Here’s a quick overview of emotions that can help you on your journey to recovery and healing.

This bonus workbook complements Tuesday’s post on how to manage triggers when you’re feeling angry. It has easy-to-use exercise and optional deeper dive exercises for those that want to take a look at self-doubt and obstacles.

Anger is one of those emotions that can hit like a freight train. It can barrel towards you fast and overwhelmingly. For those in addiction recovery—and for the people who love them—anger can be more than just a bad mood. It can be a trigger, a dangerous pull toward old coping mechanisms that promise relief but come with a cost.

What do you do when anger flares up? How do you keep it from dragging you down a path you’ve worked so hard to leave behind? That’s what we’re talking about today: real, practical ways to manage anger and its triggers, whether you're in recovery or supporting someone who is.

This may be a hard pill to swallow…no one can make us feel anything.

Ever had someone ignore your kindness when you held the door open for them, and suddenly, your blood pressure is through the roof? Or maybe your boss gave you that “Are you serious?” look during a meeting, and you spent the rest of the day convinced you’re one typo away from unemployment.

We’ve all been there, convinced that other people’s actions made us mad, sad, or just plain bananas. But, and This may be a hard pill to swallow…no one can make us feel anything. Not even that jerk who didn’t say, “Thank you.” (Yeah, I know. I don’t like it either.)