If someone told you there would be joy in recovery, you might have given them a second hard look to see if they were serious. In fact, joy is serious business in recovery. It takes commitment to break free from addiction. Recovery is a time to celebrate living a happier life. Take these tips with…
It is common knowledge within 12 Step groups that newcomers will be advised to avoid making any major life changes in their first year of recovery. Why is this good advice? The fact is that the person in recovery will already have a lot going on, without have to deal with the stress of additional…
Holidays are here and everyone is happy. Except maybe you are struggling with this ‘joyful’ time of year. Depression is a very real thing that hits people this time of year. When you suffer from depression, it can be hard to find your way back out. Happy holidays can feel like a farce when you…
Many men and women recovering from addiction to drugs and alcohol choose to engage in 12-Step recovery groups. These groups provide a pathway to sobriety as well as a sense of community. We are encouraged to develop relationships within the fellowship of our choosing so we have a network of people to rely on in…
There are many mind-altering chemicals that provide seemingly similar effects as narcotics, but are often just as, if not more, dangerous than illegal drugs. Often, these drugs exist in a grey area of legality and are readily available at gas station and convenience stores. Although many have not been researched to the extent necessary for…
12-Step fellowships discuss, at length, the importance of having a “spiritual awakening” as a result of working their recovery program. This term, at a surface level, seems to imply a bright-light “Hallelujah” moment at some point in working the steps. For the vast majority of men and women in the fellowship, this is not their…
It’s easy to get overwhelmed in early sobriety. We’ve entered into a new way of life and turned our backs on using drugs and alcohol as tools to cope with the stressors or daily life. Stress may have greater effects on our health than previously known, and in early recovery, when we are in a…
In the program of recovery from drugs and alcohol, we may find ourselves engaging in addictive behaviors unrelated to substance abuse. These behaviors are capable of maintaining the disease of addiction by replacing substances with any number of activities that also affect the reward system of our brain. Process addictions can include gambling, eating, shopping,…
Negative feedback can feel like a punch to the gut. Everyone experiences receiving feedback at some point that is less than positive and sometimes not even constructive. Here are five ways to receive negative feedback in a way that will help you recover more quickly and efficiently without letting it hang over your head. 5…
In our journey toward sobriety, we may find ourselves at a point where we feel as though we are just “going through the motions” of our program. We find ourselves losing the feeling of excitement we had when we first entered into our recovery program. Boredom was often a reason for our past use, and…