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What is Emotional Sobriety?
When most people think about sobriety, they think about abstaining from alcohol or drugs. While this physical sobriety is essential, it’s only the beginning of true recovery. At High Watch Recovery Center, we’ve been helping individuals achieve lasting recovery since 1939, and we understand that sustainable sobriety requires something deeper: emotional sobriety. Emotional sobriety represents…
Read MoreThe Dangers of Kratom Extracts: Understanding 7-OH and Kratom Addiction
In recent years, kratom has emerged as a widely available substance marketed as a natural alternative for pain relief, energy enhancement, and even opioid withdrawal management. While kratom powder has raised concerns among health authorities, a newer and far more dangerous form has appeared on the market: highly concentrated kratom extracts, particularly those containing 7-hydroxymitragynine…
Read MoreCan You Be Addicted to Adderall?
Adderall has become one of the most widely prescribed medications in America, with millions of people using it to manage Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, what many don’t realize is that this seemingly helpful medication carries significant addiction potential. At High Watch Recovery Center, we frequently treat individuals struggling with Adderall addiction, and we…
Read MoreWhat is Holistic Addiction Treatment?
When facing substance use disorder, many people focus solely on stopping the use of drugs or alcohol. However, true recovery requires addressing the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. This comprehensive approach is known as holistic addiction treatment, and it has been at the heart of High Watch Recovery Center’s mission since our founding in 1939…
Read MoreWhat is Trauma-Informed Care in Addiction Treatment?
For many individuals struggling with substance use disorder, the roots of addiction extend far beyond the substance itself. Trauma—whether from childhood experiences, significant life events, or ongoing stressors—often plays a central role in the development and progression of addiction. At High Watch Recovery Center, we recognize this profound connection and have integrated trauma-informed care into…
Read MoreAm I a High Functioning Alcoholic? Signs, Risks & When to Get Help
If you’re questioning whether you or someone you care about might be a high functioning alcoholic, you’re not alone. This form of alcohol use disorder is more common than many realize, affecting people who appear successful on the outside while struggling with alcohol dependence behind closed doors. At High Watch Recovery Center in Kent, Connecticut,…
Read MorePHP vs Residential
Deciding which level of addiction treatment is right for you can feel overwhelming. Two of the most common options—partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and residential treatment—offer comprehensive care but differ significantly in structure, intensity, and living arrangements. Understanding the key differences between PHP vs residential treatment can help you make an informed decision that supports your…
Read MoreRecipe of the Month: Red Lentil & Sweet Potato Cakes with Sweet & Spicy Tomato Jam
Yield: One 9 inch Cheesecake INGREDIENTS For the Lentil Cakes 1/2 Cup Red Lentils 1 1/2 Cup Water 2 Sweet Potatoes Small Piece of Ginger, grated with microplane 2 Garlic Cloves, grated with microplane 1 Jalapeño 1/4 Cup Mint, chopped 2 Tsp. Chaat Masala 1 Tsp. Ground Fennel 1/2 Tsp. Garam Masala 1 Tbsp.…
Read MoreAdvocacy and High Watch Recovery: Building Bridges for Positive Change
In the realm of addiction treatment, advocacy plays a pivotal role in shaping policies that enhance access to care, support, and recovery resources. High Watch Recovery Center, renowned as the world’s first 12-step treatment center, stands at the forefront of addiction treatment. Located in Kent, Connecticut, High Watch provides comprehensive care across all levels, focusing…
Read MoreRecipe of the Month: High Watch Cheesecake
Yield: One 9 inch Cheesecake 14 Servings | 20 Minutes INGREDIENTS Graham Cracker Crumbs 1 3⁄4 Cups Sugar 3 Tbs Salt Pinch Unsalted Butter (melted) 4 Tbs (1/2 stick) DIRECTIONS for the crust 1. To make the crust: Butter a 9-inch springform pan, at least 3 inches high, and wrap the outside of the…
Read MoreDeveloping Successful Recovery Habits
“In recovery, recovering addicts do more than lose their addictions. Usually, they regain enjoyment of life… Most individuals want to be happy. Addicts learn that they may be happy – even joyful – by appreciating their lives in recovery. Instead of killing themselves with their addictive substances, they live in freedom.” ~Dr. Francis A. Martin,…
Read MoreCan Sad Music Help with Depression?
You might be asking, why would someone who is struggling with depression want to listen to sad music? Most of us would suggest listening to something upbeat and cheerful! It’s not exactly the first thing we recommend when our friends are feeling down. But there’s actually some science behind this suggestion. And it’s related to…
Read MoreKeeping It Green On St. Patty’s Day
In AA we hear the phrase “keep it green” quite often. It is an important concept to maintain a beginners mind and remember where we came from no matter how long we’ve been sober for. The great thing is there are a lot of ways that you can keep it green on a daily basis…
Read MoreContinuing Care for Mental Health in Sobriety
Sobriety is an amazing journey, but the journey does not end when you put down the substance. One of the very first things I learned during my time at High Watch was during a Living Sober group. The group leader exclaimed “life is not all cupcakes and rainbows just because I got sober.” It wasn’t…
Read MoreHow Creativity Can Help With Recovery
People often labor under the delusion that using or abusing substances like drugs or alcohol help them “open their mind” or help them be “more creative”. Unfortunately, this is not true. For instance, the quote “write drunk, edit sober”, erroneously attributed to Ernest Hemingway, is not actually at all what the famous writer even said.…
Read MoreBeing a New Mom in Recovery
While 2020 was a difficult year for almost all of us, it was also the year I received the greatest gift of my sobriety, my son Aidan. I had always wanted to start a family but had given up hope of ever doing so while I was in active addiction. Aidan truly is the light…
Read MoreHearst Connecticut Media Group Names High Watch Recovery a Winner of the Hearst Connecticut Top Workplaces 2020 Award
(Kent, CT) – High Watch Recovery Center has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2020 honor by Hearst Connecticut Media Group. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by research partner Energage, LLC, a leading provider of technology-based employee engagement tools. The anonymous survey measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment,…
Read MoreiCAAD Online 2020 and its Significance Amid COVID-19
RehabPath was one of the sponsors and exhibitors for this year’s iCAAD Online 2020, the world’s biggest conference on mental health and addiction. They wrote up a great article on the event, the exhibits, and some of the things that set this event apart from any other like this before. iCAAD is a platform “dedicated…
Read MoreHow to Avoid Feeling Isolated in Recovery
These are difficult times for all of us, and in recovery it can seem like things are spiraling backwards. Addiction is a disease of isolation, and being forced to physically isolate can have us stuck in our own heads again which can be dangerous. There are, however, certain steps we can take to prevent ourselves…
Read MoreMaintaining Your Sobriety During Stressful Situations – Like the Coronavirus Outbreak
Stress is ranked by most studies as among the most frequent causes of relapse. Many people in recovery turn back to their substance of choice when they are feeling overwhelmed with sudden, stressful events. Today’s outbreak of COVID-19 is similar to the days and weeks following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and we have much to…
Read MoreRecent Study finds AA Might Be the Most Effective Way to Abstinence
CNN published an article on March 11 about a recent study concluding that those who go through Alcoholics Anonymous may have the best chance at abstaining from alcohol after completion of the program. Over 10,000 participants were evaluated and 145 scientists conducted research in 35 studies to find out how effective AA was on alcohol…
Read MoreBattling the Winter Blues: Recovery During the Winter Months
The winter months are hard. The weather can be unbearable and there are minimal hours of daylight. Really, who wants to leave the house when it’s 10 degrees and your house is warm and cozy? All in all, it’s really no surprise that a seasonal funk can set in. But we can’t let the season…
Read MoreChristmas
The holiday season is a wonderful time of year, but it can also be incredibly stressful, especially for those of us in early recovery. Holidays are filled with family, parties, and shopping centers that are all but serene. These are a few of the suggestions that I picked up along the way that have helped…
Read MoreGiving Thanks
The dictionary defines gratitude as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness”, and this is definitely the season to practice gratitude in our daily lives. There is no argument that gratitude is an integral part of every recovery program. While it may not be written into AA’s twelve…
Read MoreWhat To Do When Your Friends Still Drink
It’s no secret that most alcoholics and addicts burn a lot of bridges in their journey towards their bottom. Believe it or not, a lot of us do emerge from the wreckage with a few friends and family members still by our side. The question then becomes, what do you do when those friends ask…
Read MoreOutreach
When you come to High Watch, you become an immediate part of our family. When you leave, that doesn’t end and we want to be with our alumni offering support throughout their entire lives. Just over a year ago, we developed a system to do just that by following up with alumni after they leave…
Read MoreDealing With a Loved One in Addiction
It’s Saturday evening and I’m on the couch with the dog watching something insignificant on TV when the phone rings. A few minutes later I hear “She’s been drinking again and is on her way over.” So, I get up and go to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. Maybe this time…
Read MoreMeeting Disenchantment
Leaving treatment and entering the real world is a big transition and it is very important to have support through this process. But what happens when you’ve been out on your own or living in a sober house for a while, and going to a meeting every day starts to become tedious and repetitive? Meeting…
Read MoreNew Podcast: Interview with Lori W. on Recovery, Life and Work
High Watch’s very first podcast is here!! Listen as Alumni Relations Coordinator, Jenn Worthington interviews Lori W about recovery, life and what it is like to work at High Watch! Meet the Author: Jenn Worthington, Alumni Relations Coordinator
Read MorePTSD and Addiction Recovery: A Process of Healing
“Every day I wake up to a different version of me. Will I be happy or sad, will I feel safe or scared? The things I feel because of my post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) aren’t invisible to others. I like to think of myself as a warrior in my own right, because I face invisible…
Read MoreYour Guide to Going on Summer Vacation in Recovery
Summer vacations – they used to mean airport drinking, tropical getaways and sipping cocktails on the beach or by the pool. Nowadays, they can be anxiety ridden affairs that are full of opportunities to relapse. Going on your first vacation in recovery is a big milestone and a treat you definitely deserve but it is…
Read MoreHow Creativity Helps Recovery
A common misconception amongst many creative addicts is the idea that substances such as alcohol or heroin can stimulate creativity. They cite that many creative geniuses have also been alcoholics or addicts. However in a recent study, Roger Beaty, a Postdoctoral Fellow in Cognitive Neuroscience at Harvard University, found that creativity comes from using different…
Read MoreGuide to Life After Rehab
Leaving treatment can be a scary prospect for many recovering addicts. Addiction is a life-long disease that you need to work on continuously, even when you leave your treatment center. In fact, in some ways – you have to work at it harder when you are back in the “real world”. At High Watch, we…
Read MoreRelapse Prevention & The 12 Steps: What You Need to Know
Relapse prevention is a crucial part of addiction recovery, but it happens gradually. Those in recovery learn of the strategies, coping mechanisms and resources needed to work through troubling emotions such as with anger, guilt, sadness and more. It takes time to learn more about our cravings and triggers, as it’s something that we can’t…
Read MoreNavigating Summer Parties and Picnics in Recovery from Substance Abuse
As summer arrives, so do the invitations to parties, BBQ’s, after-work drinks outside and picnics on the beach or in the park. It is not unusual to associate these events with drinking and using. Navigating the challenges summer brings to us in early recovery can be a difficult and sometimes it’s best to avoid these…
Read MoreHow to Avoid 5 of the Most Common Relapse Triggers
1: Stress Stress may be the number one cause of relapse. Many people in recovery turn back to their substance of choice when they are feeling overwhelmed with life issues. For many addicts, drinking and drugging was a maladaptive way of coping with various stressful experiences. Being Hungry, Angry, Tired or Lonely (HALT) can exacerbate…
Read MoreFinal Exams in Recovery
Exam season is fast approaching. Exams at any time in someone’s life can raise stress and anxiety levels. For people in recovery, stress and anxiety are often triggers for using and drinking. We want to help you navigate the difficulties of a stressful exam period and provide tools to stop you reaching for a substance…
Read MoreHow to Achieve an “Attitude of Gratitude” in Recovery
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” These wise words were from John F Kennedy and got us thinking about how to actually live in continued expressed gratitude. We therefore devised a little guide to help us all live…
Read MoreMoving Past Shame in Addiction Recovery: Choosing to Move Forward
Shame is defined as, “a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.” Shame is a powerful emotion that can cause people to feel worthless, defective, and damaged beyond repair – and for those in addiction recovery, shame can be quite a common feeling. One fundamental area of…
Read MoreAn Attitude of Gratitude in Recovery
Practicing daily gratitude has benefits that can help you maintain your recovery. It helps to reduce stress and illness and improves sleep and social connection. When you are focused on what you are grateful for you start to appreciate what is good about your life, instead of what is bad. By being grateful, you can…
Read MoreEmpathy in Recovery
According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, Empathy is “the ability to share someone else’s feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person’s situation”. This means you are able to identify and understand another individual’s feelings and motives without having to actually share their experience. An empathetic person is…
Read MoreHow Can You Get An Addict Into Rehab?
Have you ever seen a wounded wild animal? Perhaps you’ve seen something caught in a trap or in a fence, thrashing wildly to get free, but lashing out at anyone who comes near to try and help it? This analogy is easily relatable to the stories of many whose loved one is trapped in the…
Read MoreGifts to Give Someone with Anxiety
If you do not have anxiety, it may be hard to understand what your loved one is going through. Whether it is your loved one’s birthday, a special occasion, Christmas, Chanukah, anniversary, or any other holiday, this present you give them will show them how much you care about their struggles with anxiety and that…
Read MoreLearning From Amanda Bynes’s Struggles with Addiction and Mental Illness
Amanda Bynes had a promising career as a child star with a lot of promise. What looked like bizarre behavior on Twitter and her series of arrests were just a cry for help for her mental health disorder. Bynes showed the world how with the use of the internet, we can see how mental illness…
Read MoreHow to Help Your Depressed Child
Childhood depression can often be mistaken as just child-like hormones as a part of growing up. According to the Child Mind Institute Children’s Mental Health Report, 60% of children with diagnosable depression are not in treatment. It is important not to ignore the signs of childhood depression and to create a safety plan to ensure…
Read MoreThe Addictive Qualities of Fortnite
Fortnite is one of the most popular video games in the world with over 125 million members playing. There have been reports of parents sending children to rehab as a result of their non-stop playing. In order to better understand what makes Fortnite so addicting, you should know the qualities that are in a video…
Read MoreJournaling Methods to Help with Anxiety
Anxiety means having a lot of troubling, worrisome thoughts racing in your head. If you do not find a healthy outlet for those thoughts, you might feel like you are going to explode one day. By using different journaling methods to clear your mind, you will feel like a huge weight has been lifted off…
Read MoreWhat Should Not Be Ignored When You Are Depressed
Depression can make you feel so sad that you feel no urge to want to get out of bed when you wake up. By doing nothing about your depression, you are only making it persist or get worsen. According to The Power of Positivity, there are certain elements that may seem minor in treating but…
Read MoreCouples Rehab- Healing Together
It has been known to happen where couples are both suffering with addiction and can cause serious problems in their home in regards to their children, health, and finances. If one person in the relationship goes to rehab, there is a big chance of relapsing if your partner refuses to quit. If both people in…
Read MoreWhat Are The Little Things That Can Help Someone with Depression?
While helping someone with depression can mean learning more about depression itself, it’s also the little things you do that can have a great impact in their overall well-being. According to Huffington Post, the smallest but most important things you can do for someone with depression can be offering gifts of kindness or looking for…
Read MoreStaying Motivated in Long-Term Sobriety
As human beings, we’re naturally going to “fall off the bandwagon” every now and then. We’re going to make mistakes, get lost, take a few steps back and find our way again – and it’s all part of the journey. Even those who have experienced 10 excellent, sober years may find their recovery motivation start…
Read MoreWhat Can Make Your Depression Worse
Having depression is when your sadness interferes with your everyday activities. Even if you are in treatment for your depression such as going to therapy and taking medication, it can still mean that you are repeating habits that can make your depression worse. It is important to make a change in your routine to ensure…
Read MoreWhat are the Dangers of Complacency?
Complacency is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as, “a feeling of calm satisfaction with your own abilities or situation that prevents you from trying harder.” We all become complacent from time to time; we stop pushing ourselves to achieve new goals at work, we become a bit too comfortable in our relationship, and we nonetheless…
Read MoreRecovery Life: The Importance of Establishing Structure in Your Daily Routine
When we’re actively involved in addiction, our daily schedule involves the intense desire to abuse substances. As Harvard Health indicates, craving, loss of control, and continued involvement in substances – despite their consequences – essentially hardwires our brain to want nothing else. In 2017, CNBC covered a study that surveyed 1,057 individuals who identified as…
Read More5 Ways to Exercise When You Aren’t “In The Mood”
Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself in recovery. Numerous studies have supported the many benefits of exercise. It has been shown to increase activity in your prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for executive functions like planning, self-control, emotional regulation, concentration, and working memory. It has…
Read MoreUnusual Ways to Improve Your Mood
Whether you’ve struggled with addiction, depression, or anxiety, you are likely to have days, or even weeks, when you can’t seem to get out of a funk. If you’ve struggled with depression, you might fear the onset of another episode. If you have recently started addiction recovery, you may be suffering from post-acute-withdrawal syndrome, or…
Read MoreReasons to Stop Drinking Today
For some people, the reasons to stop drinking are obvious. They may have a health problem such as liver disease or heart disease and their doctor has advised quitting. They may have had a brush with the law, such as a fight or DUI. It may be obvious that drinking is hurting them in other…
Read More6 Ways to Make Relaxation Part of Your Addiction Recovery
Relaxation is an essential recovery skill for several reasons. First, and most importantly, stress is a major relapse trigger. When you feel stressed and overwhelmed, you become negative and feel like recovery is pointless. Often times, you have used drugs and alcohol for years as a way to cope with stress. Due to the way…
Read MoreBenefits of Pets During Addiction Recovery
Loneliness is one major challenge people often face early in recovery. It’s usually a good idea to distance yourself from old friends who drink or use drugs since they can be a major trigger of cravings. However, you may not yet have any friends to replace them. People typically find loneliness stressful and depressing. Chronic…
Read More8 Tips for Living with Someone in Addiction Recovery
Finishing inpatient treatment for addiction is a great beginning to recovery. It creates a solid foundation to build on. If you have a loved one who struggles with addiction, you will play a role in building on that foundation if you want your loved one to succeed. Recovery is challenging for both the person in…
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