Author: Rachel Schromen

Substance Use Disorder and Trauma

As a woman in long-term recovery and a regular contributor to The Phoenix Spirit, I have written about my experience finding sobriety, struggling with and addressing cross-addiction, and being a part of a 12-step program. What I have not yet shared is that I am a trauma survivor, and how addressing my trauma has been …

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What 2020 Taught Me: Acceptance

Every New Year, I take some time to reflect on the past year – looking at the challenges I have surmounted, the opportunities for growth that I navigated, and the areas in which I hope to continue growing and learning into the New Year. I will join the chorus of people singing the same sentiment: …

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Managing Cross Addiction

cross addiction

One of my favorite analogies that I have heard while in recovery is that working through a recovery program is like playing a game of whack-a-mole – the minute one addictive behavior is pushed down (or quelled for the time being), another one pops up to be dealt with. I heard this analogy while sitting …

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What Are Addiction Trusts?

My path in recovery began when I was starting my third year in law school. As luck (and my higher power) would have it, I was at William Mitchell College of Law, which sits in the center of a thriving recovery community in St. Paul. I was fortunate to find myself in a setting and …

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