The therapeutic process is a journey. It is a process of self-discovery. Individual and group therapy sessions help us to come to our own personal realizations. It is therapeutic, self-actualization. We participate in this process and little by little- we begin to get to know ourselves. We grow. We reveal things to ourselves as we…
I’ll have TWO! 🙂 When I saw this picture, I literally laughed out loud- hard. I so identify with this. I have spent a long time learning. I know I am a new person and I have changed my habits, thoughts, and environment. I have achieved goals and have new standards, morals and ethical values….
There haven’t been any supernatural phenomenons curing me of this sleeping monster. Jesus saved my life. Gave me life. Forgave me. Having faith in Jesus has allotted me power and strength to break free from my strongholds and keep away from substances.. to build a new life.. to find a new identity… to have a…
This week I made an intentional decision to check-out. My Discovering Beautiful posts were scheduled a week out and posted automatically. (A feature that I had never really taken advantage of until now, and I am loving it! What?! Where have I been?) Aside from a few seconds a day, I have not been online…
I am just a person in Recovery. I manage and control this monster that is now dormant; who is locked in my head. I have managed to bury it alive and suffocate it with truth, factual information, hobbies, passions, strong people, positive relationships and other things that I value. I continue to drown and suffocate…
Tonight the boys and I watched a documentary on Netflix called “Stuck”. We knew it would be sad and probably tough to sit through. The thumbnail showed pictures of tiny, adorable little humans (children) from around the globe, and the short description warned us that the movie would be about the complex dynamics of adoption and…
Our attitudes are shaped by our thoughts and feelings. Remember, we have choices. Choose to believe the crazy notion, that positive thoughts can lead to happy moods and better days. One day at a time. Motivation is what gets you started, and habits keep you going. Forming new habits take time. Keep working hard and…
Can you remember that cheesy 90’s drug prevention commercial that no one actually learned from? “This is your brain.” “This is your brain on drugs.” (*cue egg frying sounds) Imagine a heart exploding, and a voice like Dennis Haysbert’s, “This is your heart. This is your heart on God’s Grace.” That’s sort of how I feel….
Last month I was literally chased out of my grandmother’s funeral. Technically, I was ran out of a ‘celebration of life.’ I think that this could have been avoided if the genius who planned it chose a beautiful, historical location that meant something to our family, WITHOUT the open -bar that was posted up alongside…
I just read an article written by a clinical psychologist named Gerald Shulman, who has been in the addiction field, in some capacity, for over 50 years delivering and supervising treatment. Here is an excerpt from his article in Addiction Professional Magazine It’s not 1960 anymore; A more balanced model is needed to optimize recovery potential today….
The “I Choose” project, which began in February 2013, will continue through National Prevention Week 2014! This project is an easy way to make a difference, be a positive example, and inspire others. By participating in the “I Choose” Project, you can help spread the word that our choices make a big difference in our…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f3BYCiJjTE&feature=c4-overview&list=UUlfuLLa5tJPE-Vjbyp0R10w
I think that the type of feelings that I have been feeling lately could be similar to the ones that people have when they are experiencing “Empty-Nest Syndrome”. (is that a real thing–an actual syndrome? ) Hmm. I might Google that later. (Sidenote: If “selfie” has been officially added to…
Simply ‘being all there’ and taking each day- one day at a time. If you think about it, rushing doesn’t really ever produce anything of best possible quality anyway. Breathe deep, and take it all in. This is something that I have to constantly remind myself of. Whether we are tying shoes, washing dishes…
Hi my name is Tom and I am a recovering heavy alcohol abuser/possible alcoholic (I can’t say I was alcoholic or not because I never got evaluated).It all started when I got back from Afghanistan in 2007 and I felt the need to drink a lot because that is what I thought everyone did when…
“My name is Rob Kelly, I am an alcoholic and addict! Today January 10th 2014 I celebrate 2 years clean and sober, this is the longest I have been clean and sober since I was 12 years old, & I am 51.” For me the journey into darkness began after…
The stages of mourning and grief are universal and are experienced by people from all walks of life. Mourning occurs in response to an individual’s own terminal illness, the loss of a close relationship, or to the death of a valued being, human or animal. (Psychcentral.com) I used to run and hide from any…
My grandmother passed away in her sleep on January 8, 2014 – at around 3 a.m. I know you might be envisioning a sweet little old lady, with cats or a cute sweatshirt that has something embroidered on the front of it… or maybe a woman whose house smelled like freshly baked, warm cookies, or…
We all want to improve or change something in our lives and this time of year gives us a great starting point and although the large majority of people will not actually follow through on their new year’s resolutions, it is still a perfect time to take a step back to reflect on our…
Using substances may have been some of the darkest, saddest, loneliest & scariest times of my existence, but that wasn’t where I first started to lose myself. That started long before. I think pain & trauma can make for fertile ground for that to happen, especially if it is not addressed. I began hiding as…
Being newly sober  was not what I expected.  Here are some things that I personally would have wanted to know early on: 1.  You might feel like you’re physically dying. Say hello to withdrawal. On a scale of one-to-ten your severity of pain or discomfort will vary, but go in knowing that your body is…
I love everything about this.
Two whole parts, that came together as one. Many many many people have asked me why we waited to get married. Why this, why that. I wanted to be a healthy, whole person that he was taking as his wife. I wanted him to have a partner in life- and to feel like he had…
My husband has been a trooper. He picked me up so many times after I had fallen-yet again. My ‘falling’ doesn’t necessarily mean that I relapsed. I lapsed a few times, he helped pick me up (he was mad, but he picked me up) I have gone through sicknesses related to this disease, memory issues…
At this point guys- we have gone from dating, to him realizing that I had a serious problem, us having massive fights and emotionally driven issues that led to my eventual decision to try to get sober and learn about Recovery. At the point where I began going to meetings- I was figuring…
***On Celebrate Recovery meetings: So after being sober for awhile she started going to meetings every week. Every Thursday night. I felt like they weren’t going to do much for her, but I also had no issue with her going to them. I did start noticing small changes here and there. She started reading a…
***Tough times. Relationships are ideally suppose to be two whole people, coming together to be like a badass couple. I felt like I was one person, babysitting this broken person. To be honest, It was very very hard. I needed things too. I wanted love and affection. I needed attention. These are things that you…