Alcoholics Anonymous, the first 12 Step recovery fellowship, began after a meeting between Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in 1935. The basic text of Alcoholics Anonymous, known as the Big Book was first published in 1939 and explains the process of the 12 Steps. Since then, many other recovery fellowships have developed using Alcoholics…
There are many different opinions in the recovery community regarding prescription medication. Each person’s medical needs are different, and coming to the decision of whether or not to take prescribed medications depends on a variety of factors—namely, the specific medication, our need for it, and an honest evaluation of how strong we are in our…
The first step toward recovering from addictions is admitting that there is a problem. For many of us, it took a long time to come to the conclusion that we were, in fact, suffering from a disease out of our control. We had lost the power of choice, and willpower was not sufficient in stopping…
Grounding can be an effective way to reduce stress and anxiety in early recovery. Grounding is a coping strategy that allows us to bring ourselves back into the present moment and pull ourselves out of the spiral of anxiety. When we begin to feel overwhelmed by stress or nearing panic, we can utilize a variety…
Injecting drugs directly in the vein, or “shooting up,” is one of the most dangerous routes of administration. Many users prefer injection for the rapid onset of drug effects, however there is a strong chance of developing dangerous, sometimes lethal, infections from syringes or from contaminants in the drugs themselves. Infections are extremely dangerous and…
Steroids are unfortunately prevalent in the recovery community. Many people do not consider steroid use to be a relapse. However, steroid use goes against the principles that we have made the decision to live by in sobriety. They can also easily lead to addiction and severe health consequences. In recovery, it is easy for one…
MDMA, known as Molly or Ecstasy, is a stimulant and hallucinogenic drug that causes feelings of euphoria, pleasure, increased energy, and increased sensory perception. Due to the effects of MDMA, it is often taken as party drug and it popular at concerts and raves. Many users, however, are unaware of the dangers of MDMA, as…
Ramana Maharshi, Hindu sage and jivanmukta, once said, “There is nothing wrong with seeking happiness. It is our birthright. The problem is where we look for it: outside of us instead of inside.” Many of us wasted a lot of time and energy seeking happiness and validation externally, but never considered that the true potential…
When we first realized that our drinking has gotten out of control, many of us searched for excuses rather than admit that we were suffering from alcoholism. We felt as though our loss of control was theresult of a momentary lapse in judgement, or a reaction to external stressors, rather than symptomatic of a progressive…
One of the greatest fears for anyone in recovery is that of judgement. Many of us spent a long time wearing masks or cultivating a persona to keep others from judging us. It can be hard to shake this fear, even in sobriety. We need to fearlessly examine ourselves and allow ourselves to get vulnerable…