Mindfulness means being aware—aware of your body, surroundings, experiences. It’s tough with daily distractions, but you can start small. For example, while walking the dog: notice the color of the sky, the feel of the leash, the sound of your dog’s paw-steps. Tune into your senses and allow yourself to fully exist in every moment

So often we look for specific green lights or red lights to help us with decision making. The time is always right to consider a life of recovery! Recovery is a regaining of control of something that you may feel is controlling you.

RECOVERY IS A JOURNEY and for some, sobriety is the destination. Recovery is defined by the individual struggling, whereas sobriety is the absences of substances. Recovery often looks like a decrease in substances, an increase in community supports, or even a change in the style of substances being used.

Relapse triggers are events, situations, or emotions that can lead to a strong desire to use drugs or alcohol again. Triggers differ from person to person—it's important to know what our triggers are so we can develop a plan to avoid or cope with them.

Common triggers include increased stress, unwanted or unpleasant feelings, or physical pain. Our social connections (being around people we have used drugs or alcohol with in the past) or lack of social support (loneliness and isolation) can also trigger relapse.

The best way to manage triggers is to proactively develop a relapse prevention plan that outlines our recovery goals, triggers, coping skills, supportive people and places, etc., and to share this plan with those who support us in our recovery.

Exercise has been shown to improve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, and it also can improve our quality of sleep, short-term memory, and attention span. As we engage in physical activity, we can feel less stressed as our brain releases more endorphins and serotonin (which make us feel happier and improve our overall well-being.) Formal exercise programs may also lead to more interpersonal connections, a sense of purpose and achievement, and improved self-esteem. It's helpful to start small! Begin with a short walk outside with a friend or try a beginner's yoga class!

Self-care is any activity that meets your needs and promotes overall wellness. Self-care can look different for everyone, and each person should identify what that looks like for them. This practice should meet your needs and promote overall wellness physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. One easy way to incorporate this into your daily routine is to make sure that you have some component of movement, mindfulness, creativity, and service to others sprinkled into your day! For example, you could go for a nature walk, try an adult coloring book, cook a nutritious meal, or spend time with friends.

It's impossible to definitively state one substance is safer than another, as both cannabis use and alcohol consumption have inherent risks for individuals across the lifespan and especially for teenagers.

The use of alcohol and cannabis both impact brain development, which means our ability to make healthy decisions, to drive a car, and to regulate our thoughts and emotions. Further, cannabis is not federally regulated, and research shows that the potency of THC in cannabis today is three times more concentrated than it was decades ago (whether it is being smoked, vaporized, or consumed as an edible.)

Both substances can lead to unintentional consequences when used in large quantities (think blackouts from drinking alcohol excessively, violent or illegal behaviors, or hallucinations from excessive cannabis use.) These effects can be extremely dangerous, scary, and lead to long-term impacts on our brains, our bodies, and our overall futures.

Being a supportive friend to someone in recovery might look different depending on that person's wants, needs, and preferences. You can start by communicating how proud or happy you are for them to be taking steps to improve their well-being. You can also ask them directly how you can be helpful.

This might sound like "I know you are early in your recovery journey, and I'm so proud of you for seeking treatment. I want to be supportive. Is there anything specific that I can be helpful with?" You can offer to join them at a meeting or drive them to an appointment with their providers. It will also likely be helpful for you to maintain an environment that is conducive to their sobriety or recovery, for example, by refraining from your own substance use while with them, avoiding people or places that might encourage their misuse, and using language that communicates your encouragement and support. See this article for guidance on language to use: https://tinyurl.com/SUDterms

Harm reduction refers to strategies that aim to reduce the negative consequences of drug use. The concept of harm reduction is based on the principle that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and that recovery from drug use is most successful when we meet people where they are at. Harm reduction approaches work to address the broader health and social issues of a community through improved policies, programs, and practices by providing people with resources to support their physical, emotional and social well-being.              

Some examples of harm reduction strategies and techniques include:
• Preventing overdose deaths by distributing Narcan
• Providing access to clean needles and syringes
• Distributing substance test kits, including fentanyl test strips and xylazine test strips
• Offering access to nicotine cessation therapies
• Delivering psychoeducation about substance use as well as referrals to appropriate resources in the community

Quality sleep is so important to our overall health and wellness—it impacts our energy, mood, physical health, among other areas of our life. But using smoking to help sleep can end up being more detrimental than helpful. It's important that we learn how to fall asleep (and stay asleep) without the use of substances. If we become dependent on smoking to fall asleep, it can become really hard to fall asleep on our own, which can lead to addiction.

It can take several weeks to develop a healthy sleep hygiene routine, but with time, it can improve our quality and quantity of sleep and also increase our confidence in our ability to develop healthy habits. For optimal sleep, we want to create a cool, dark sleeping environment. Avoid watching TV, playing video games, spending time on our cell phones or other devices for 30–45 minutes before bedtime. Instead try doing some deep breathing, listening to calming music, or reading a book. It's also important to exercise and get outside during daytime hours and be mindful of our caffeine intake.

Sometimes we can have negative or unhelpful thoughts that lead to more negative and unhelpful thoughts and feelings. We call this spiraling, and it can be challenging to catch ourselves. Try asking yourself: Would I say this to my best friend? If not, we shouldn't say it to ourselves.

Yes! The benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to carrying Narcan. Narcan is a nasal spray used to revive someone during an overdose from opioid pain medications like oxycodone and Fentanyl, and street drugs like heroin. Taking a high dose or combining opioids with other substances can lead to overdose. Many substances (such as cannabis, cocaine, etc.) may be unintentionally or unknowingly laced or mixed with other drugs, such as opiates. Even very small amounts of opiates can be extremely dangerous and life-threatening.

Narcan is small and easy to carry, and it can be given safely to people of all ages, from infants to adolescents and adults. Not only is Narcan non-addictive, it will not harm someone if given while they are not overdosing.

SAFE offers free Narcan training to individuals and groups. Book your training here: https://www.safecoalitionma.org/narcan-training

Most of the research indicates that combining SSRIs (the most commonly prescribed anti-depressants such as Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa) with cannabis can increase the risk and intensity of side effects (drowsiness, dry-mouth, weight gain, lightheadedness) Cannabis can also impact how medication is metabolized in the body, which can make depressive symptoms worse, especially when used in high doses. Some research also shows an increased risk of depression and suicidal thoughts in people who use cannabis during adolescence. In short: we don't have a ton of research that indicates cannabis use while taking an SSRI is inherently risky in itself; however, given the symptoms of depression (sadness, hopelessness, low energy & motivation, etc.), and the possible impacts of cannabis use on the brain and mood (difficulty focusing, poor memory, decreased processing speed), combining the two is unlikely to improve the symptoms of depression.

Ask yourself: How do you feel after "doom scrolling"? Most of us feel worse, not better, after spending time scrolling on our devices. Try healthy activities like these instead: work on a jigsaw puzzle, listen to a podcast, organize your junk drawer, read a chapter in a book, take your dog for a walk.

Some ways to manage nerves are to use positive self-talk, look at the “big picture,” and visualize yourself succeeding. Instead of worrying, thoughts like: “I am prepared and will do the best I can” and imaging how you will feel afterwards can increase confidence and lessen anxiety. You can also put the event into perspective, for example: “This is just one test for this class; it does not define who I am or what I am capable of.”

Yes. The human brain is still developing until about age 25, especially the parts of the brain that impact our decision-making, planning, judgment, and personality. Cannabis effects may look like: difficulty focusing and staying organized (executive functioning), being more impulsive, experiencing higher anxiety or paranoia, & being more emotionally reactive.