Pete Doherty, singer of The Libertines and Babyshambles, reflected on the beginnings of his heroin addiction in a 2014 Independent article. “To me,” he said, “it wasn’t a dirty street drug, it was this magic potion I read about. It was Kubla Khan, Thomas DeQuincy, Oscar Wilde: it was an aspect of their world that…
Detoxifying the body of drugs and alcohol is the first major step a person can take toward recovery. The process is often painful, frightening, and overwhelming. Many men and women struggling with addiction choose to enter treatment facilities that provide assistance during this period. Some, on the other hand, attempt to detox at home without…
The first step on the path toward sobriety is detoxifying the body of drugs and alcohol. Healing can only begin once our system has been purged of any remnants of substances. The process can be overwhelming and painful. Without proper medical assistance through detoxification, it can cause an array of health risks or even death.…
Recovery is about the mind and body-eating healthy foods to replenish the physical body but help the brain feel restored. Addiction strips nutrients from the body which makes proper nutrition all the more important. A healthy diet, however, may not be on your radar when you have so many other things on your mind. It…
One of our greatest fears in sobriety is going back to the chaos and pain of life in active addiction. We may be aware of the potential to achieve a happy, joyous, and free life in sobriety, but there are moments when we want the temporary relief provided by drugs and alcohol. There is no…
The relationship between sponsor and sponsee if one of immense trust. We take into account a variety of factors before choosing someone with whom we will develop this relationship. However, there may come a time on our journey when we feel that we are no longer growing in our sober lives, or we may meet…
One of the core components of 12-Step recovery is the idea that we must work with another addict or alcoholic to maintain sobriety. Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, realized early in his sobriety that his cravings for alcohol seemed to dissipate when he turned his attention to helping another person suffering from alcoholism. Alcoholics…
There is a common stereotype of creative individuals as dark and brooding, hunched over a desk or canvas. The reality, however, is that creative expression actually makes us happier. The act of expressing that which we cannot articulate opens us up to a new method of communication, allowing us to show our inner thoughts and…
Many men and women enter into recovery programs with the belief that, if they can break their addiction to their specific drug of choice, they will still be able to drink or even use other drugs that they felt they didn’t have a problem with. The disease of addiction, however, is not dependent on our…
The 12th step of Alcoholics Anonymous states: “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs”. As men and women who have experiences the joys of sobriety, we choose to share our experience, strength, and hope with…