iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

An important question when getting #sober. Once you understand this, you can work on better solutions. #recoveryposse #sobriety

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

If you want to build a personal recovery plan but don't know where to start, LifeRing #Secular Recovery's workbook is a great tool used by many, even non-members. It's an analytical tool to help you do so. #recoverposse #atheist www.amazon.com/Recovery-Cho...

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

My risk assessment skills were weak in early #trauma recovery. My fears were disproportionate to the actual likelihood of that thing happening. And I wasn't factoring in my ability to handle life's challenges. #recoveryposse #wedorecover

Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

People do not repeatedly engage in behaviors they hate because they are irrational. They do it because those behaviors became part of their survival system. Part of how they learned to cope. Part of how they learned to endure pain. @andrewtatarsky.bsky.social www.vitalvoyageblog.com/post/why-peo...

vitalvoyageblog.com

Self-Defeating Behavior: Why We Repeat What We Want to Stop

Why do people return to behaviors they genuinely hate? Andrew Tatarsky explains that harmful patterns often began as coping strategies that offered relief, protection, connection, or escape. Through I...

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Society focuses so much on abuse risks from strangers, when the bigger risk is the people you live with. The unfortunate truth is that parents and romantic partners usually are the abusers. #trauma #kids #women

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

One of the original reviews for my #memoir, From Junkie to Judge: One Woman's Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction. #addiction #recoveryposse

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

When I got #sober, my #PTSD and severe #symptoms became more visible. That work was harder than my addiction recovery and took longer. It also was necessary and valuable, for me to find my way to a happy and productive life.

Faisal Khan: Definitely Worth It

ALT: Faisal Khan: Definitely Worth It

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"Medications associated with dependence [] provide substantial therapeutic benefit across a range of clinical conditions [and a] clear understanding of the distinction between physical dependence and addiction is fundamental . . ." #harmreduction pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/ld/b...

pharmaceutical-journal.com

Best practice for prescribing drugs with dependence potential

Introduction Medications associated with physical dependence and withdrawal — including opioids, benzodiazepines, Z-drugs, gabapentinoids, antidepressants and psychomotor stimulants — are widely presc...

Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

So often people don't get an individualized assessment, when they return to rehab after one or more failed sobriety efforts. To me, part of the analysis needs to be "what was tried before" and "what can we add now that might increase success odds."

Hailee Steinfeld Says 'Hold On I Gotta Rethink This'

ALT: Hailee Steinfeld Says 'Hold On I Gotta Rethink This'

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

When I share information about the risks of specific drugs, such as cannabis or alcohol, it's with the goal of helping people make informed choices about what to consume and how much to consume. Not to suggest that these drugs should be illegal or unavailable to adults.

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

It is very common, to have untreated mental health disorders underneath our (mental health disorder of) #addiction. Which is why an assessment as to such conditions, at the beginning, is important. So treatment includes addressing root causes, to increase the odds of success. #recoveryposse

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

In recovery, my life got a lot easier over time. Not challenge-free, but much easier. I resolved most of the problems with which I walked into recovery. I made better decisions, set goals and reached them, didn't create chaos any more, and built the life I wanted. #recoveryposse

Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Much Easier Adam

ALT: Much Easier Adam

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This isn't a randomized study but includes some interesting findings about what the respondents found most useful in their recovery. The clear winner was community and connection. recovery.com/resources/ad...

recovery.com

Addiction Recovery Statistics: What Helps People Most

Recovery.com surveyed 500+ people in recovery to learn what helps most. See what our 2026 community survey revealed about connection and growth.

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Up to two-thirds were interested in cutting back or quitting drugs. Many reported interest in medications for opioid use disorder and they wanted to start them in the hospital but pathways to ongoing care after discharge in the community were missing." www.fiercehealthcare.com/hospitals/ho...

fiercehealthcare.com

Hospitals need better SUD care. Team-based approaches are bringing results

In the early 2010s, as a hospitalist at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Honora Englander, M.D., was noticing more hospitalizations related to substance use disorder (SUD) c | Amid new imple...

Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

My concern about messages downplaying willpower is this can suggest that strengthening that skill isn't part of successful #addiction recovery. When learning to value long-term goals over short-term relief can be key. Even if this isn't sufficient on its own for many. #recoveryposse

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Self-empowered recovery doesn't mean you have to create a plan in isolation from those who have succeeded. I always viewed it as part of my job to read, to listen, to consider suggestions, and to evaluate if I should incorporate any of these ideas into my recovery plan.

Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose: Do Tell

ALT: Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose: Do Tell

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

For me, until I did my #trauma work, I was in a near constant state of alarm. I saw threats everywhere and believed all of them were capable of completely destroying my life. #ptsd #anxiety

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

My therapist once told me that it takes less sexual abuse in childhood to create lasting damage than verbal or physical abuse. Although often all 3 go together, particularly in the most common scenario of sexual abuse happening in the home.

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Another report finding that involuntary #addiction treatment often diverts money from underfunded and under-available voluntary treatment, doesn't have better results, and causes notable harm. #policy #mentalhealth www.politico.com/news/2026/08...

politico.com

New study flags concerns with mental health treatment mandate

The first-of-its-kind evaluation of Kendra’s Law was commissioned at the direction of the state Legislature.

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Yet another study showing that access to Supervised Consumption Services reduces the rate of people injecting drugs in public spaces. #harmreduction #opioids #addiction www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

One of my accomplishments in #addiction #recovery was continuing to take on new challenges, despite my severe #anxiety. And, at the same time, working to resolve that anxiety.

Alright, What's Our Next Move? (Nobodies)

ALT: Alright, What's Our Next Move? (Nobodies)

Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

In this interview we cover a lot of #addiction recovery strategies, particular issues facing #women, and have a robust discussion on related policies. And this is my interview, despite the wrong picture popping up! 😊 www.advocacyincubator.org/program-area...

advocacyincubator.org

Episode 6: “Recovery Has More Than One Path” Featuring Mary Beth…

What one woman's recovery teaches us about choice, trauma and healing.

Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

"[T]hose who used weed in many different forms were 2.7 times more likely to use it daily and 2.8 times as likely to have been diagnosed with cannabis use disorder." www.healthday.com/health-news/...

healthday.com

The Way You Use Weed Could Be A Red Flag For Addiction, Study Finds

MONDAY, Aug. 24 2026 (HealthDay News) — The way you use weed might be a red flag for heavy use or addiction, a new study says.People who use weed in nearly ever

Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I was terrified on the drive to rehab. I told my husband, "I don't remember deciding this!" And he gave me a look that said, "You're going." And I did. #recoveryposse #addiction #sobriety

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#Addiction recovery mantras mostly oversimplify and sometimes are, to me, dead wrong. I find HALT (hungry, angry, lonely, tired) to be odd, for example. Why "hungry" rather than "in pain," when the latter is much more likely to interfere with sobriety and recovery? #recoveryposse

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

In early recovery, and in life generally, it is useful to evaluate who you want to be. What type of person. And then do the work to become her. #healing #recoveryposse #soberlife

Only I Can Change My Own Life Quote

ALT: Only I Can Change My Own Life Quote

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

This reminds me of how, in early recovery, I'd sometimes get frustrated when people would react negatively to my behavior. I'd want to say, "But I've improved so much!" Which was true and I deserved to be proud of that achievement. But I wasn't done with the work yet.

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Interesting response to the New York Times repeated stories about the perils of high potency #cannabis. www.cultivated.news/p/calling-ou...

cultivated.news

Calling out the NYT’s biased cannabis coverage

NORML deputy director Paul Armentano on what the NYT gets wrong.

Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I lost my husband in March and the #grief is awful. And I know it's going to be awful for a long time. And always will be in me to some degree. Picking up, though, isn't going to bring him back. And will prevent me from honoring him and processing the loss. #recoveryposse

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Whether it's recovery from #trauma or #addiction, I think most of us wish we'd started sooner. And there are losses to be faced. But starting today always is better than starting tomorrow.

Stabilo: START now! Handlettering Motivation

ALT: Stabilo: START now! Handlettering Motivation

Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I consider myself 95% recovered from my wide and deep #trauma history. After a lot of work and many years living a better life. I don't think 100% is realistic. And I don't need it to have a happy and productive life. #recoverposse #soberlife

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

There is a correlation between childhood sexual abuse and higher sex partner numbers. Part of that dynamic can come from not knowing how to say "no" or fearing what will happen if you do. In other words, don't judge promiscuity b/c it's often a red flag. #women #rape #sex

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Mary Beth O'Connor @marybethoconnor.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

To me, using the word "miracle" to describe #sobriety success is misleading. It suggests this is a rare occurrence when it's actually the norm. Most people do recover. #addiction #wedorecover