About how addiction affect relationships
Sobriety changes much more than whether a person uses alcohol or drugs. Recovery often means learning how to experience difficult emotions without escaping, numbing, or reacting impulsively. One emotion that can become surprisingly intense during recovery is jealousy. Jealousy may arise in romantic relationships, friendships, families, workplaces, or even within the recovery community. Someone may … Read more
Recovery from alcohol addiction can feel overwhelming, especially during the early stages of sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) provides a peer-based recovery community built around shared experience and the Twelve Steps. Within this fellowship, one relationship can become particularly important: the relationship between a sponsor and a person seeking recovery. An AA sponsor is not a … Read more
The foods we enjoyed as children often become connected to memories, emotions, and comfort. An after-school cookie, candy for good behavior, chips during television time, or ice cream after a difficult day may seem like simple childhood experiences. Yet repeated patterns can teach the developing brain to associate certain foods with pleasure, reward, comfort, and … Read more
Laverne Cox is an Emmy-nominated actress, producer, author, and advocate best known for her groundbreaking role as Sophia Burset on Orange Is the New Black. Behind her professional achievements is a deeply personal mental-health journey involving childhood bullying, shame, trauma, suicidal thoughts, and the difficult process of learning self-acceptance. Cox has spoken publicly about these … Read more
Rosie O’Donnell is a comedian, actress, television personality, and mother who has spoken unusually openly about her mental health. Unlike many celebrity stories that rely on speculation, O’Donnell has publicly identified her struggles with major depressive disorder, PTSD, anxiety, childhood trauma, and seasonal depression. In a 2026 interview, she again described herself as having major … Read more
Aaron Carter was a talented singer and entertainer who rose to fame as a child star in the late 1990s. Known for popular songs such as I Want Candy and Aaron’s Party (Come Get It), he captured the attention of millions of young fans worldwide. However, behind his early success, Carter experienced significant personal challenges … Read more
Tiger Woods is one of the world’s most recognizable athletes, celebrated for his extraordinary achievements in professional golf. Behind his success, however, he has experienced serious injuries, chronic pain, prescription medication-related difficulties, and personal challenges that have affected his career and family life. Woods’ experiences illustrate the complicated relationship between chronic pain, medication safety, emotional … Read more
Farrah Fawcett became a Hollywood icon through her role in Charlie’s Angels, her memorable smile, and her successful acting career. Behind her public image, however, she experienced significant personal challenges, including complicated family relationships, her son’s substance use disorder, and her own battle with cancer. Although Fawcett was surrounded by addiction-related challenges within her family, … Read more
Relationships rarely stay exactly as they were at the beginning. Excitement may eventually give way to familiarity, differences become more noticeable, conflicts emerge, and couples must decide how they will grow together. Although there is no scientifically established rule that every relationship passes through exactly five stages, a five-stage framework can be a helpful way … Read more
Nightmares can feel unusually vivid during active addiction and recovery. A person may dream about drinking or using drugs, being unable to find a substance, returning to an old environment, overdosing, being chased, losing control, or relapsing after months or years of recovery. These dreams can be frightening, but they do not automatically reveal a … Read more