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…
DetailsWhen 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.…
DetailsOccasionally, 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…
DetailsThe 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…
DetailsOnline 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.…
DetailsAs 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…
DetailsIf 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…
DetailsJuggling family and work is a huge challenge, especially in recovery. The best thing you can do for yourself is to learn how to balance everything and take it in stride. There is no way to achieve perfect balance as life ebbs and flows. The concept of recovery focuses on teaching you tools to help…
DetailsTreatment 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…
DetailsHuman beings love to communicate: specifically, they love to talk. One of the biggest mistakes we can make as human beings is to spend a lot of time in conversation that is self-involved without really listening. You may nod your head but really you are just listening to that voice inside your head rather than…
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