In sobriety, we are tasked with confronting ourselves at the deepest level of our being. We look back on the past harms we have caused others, and often begin looking forward at all the things we are finally able to do in our newfound freedom from addiction and alcoholism. However, our thoughts about the past…
Many of us have been through tremendous amounts of pain and suffering during our time in active addiction or alcoholism. We came to a point when we realized that we were unable to gain control over our drug or alcohol use. This point in our lives, when we were finally ready to surrender, is often…
When we look for friendships, there is an undeniable desire to search for like-minded people. In early recovery, however, we must be aware that we are in the process of self-development and change, and may have a tendency to seek out people who fit in with our old self rather than our new, sober self.…
Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-Step fellowships suggest making amends to people whom we have harmed in the past. This is the 9th Step, which states: “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” Many people are filled with anxiety at the prospect of facing those…
Occasionally, people in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous will say that they work a selfish program or that A.A. itself is a selfish program. They may be seeing that A.A. has a focus on self-development and creating a personal relationship with one’s higher power, and from that alone, make the assumption that selfishness is part…
The first thing you might want to do after treatment is to grab some fresh air and start thinking about how you’re going to get up and moving with this new life. The pesky emotions you feel may nip at the edges of your consciousness but recovery is a process. Rules and emotions are part…
Online businesses always seem to know what people want and how to push everyone towards that “one thing” they “need to have right now.” The shopping mousetrap is creating a new age of online shopping addiction. Learn some of the signs you may be influenced to shop too much online and how to seek help.…
As someone who wrestles with addiction, you likely lied and told stories about your addiction. Maybe you lied about where you went and who you spent all that time with, where the money went, and what you had to do to get it back. Not communicating or outright lying is typical in families with substance…
If you have chosen to seek help for addiction, that was a conscious decision that will benefit you the rest of your life, including family and loved ones. When you put the work in, you will discover how much better life can be. It has likely been a struggle for quite some time to get…
Treatment is a great place for many people to experience recovery for the first time. Feelings of anxiousness and fear are common and may take the form of dread at what lies ahead as you think about what is coming down the road. Trying to find the silver lining it in all can be daunting…