***On hitting his own breaking point: After the time that you took too many pills on a random weekday afternoon, you collapsed in the post office. I got a call and came up to the hospital. This was about the time that we had a big blowout fight and I asked you to leave. This…
Author: Brittany
Husband thoughts part 1- The Realization
My husband’s journey through my addiction and recovery. It breaks my heart to go back and think about all that I put him through, but living this life in the now, we can both see just how much this experience bonded us and our hearts together in such a spectacular way, that if we can…
Husband Q & A
Relationships. Let’s say you are a couple. You love each other and value one another. One of you ends up with an addiction and becomes dependent on a substance. It tears them apart and dismantles who they once were. That person that you fell in love with is gone. All you are left with is…
Some Fun News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9i43s2CA00
Healing Our Voids.
C.S Lewis describes lust, as he does every other topic: His description is not only beautiful- it is complete, intricate, complex and yet somehow he makes it simple. I have no idea how his heart and mind were so able to mesh concepts in such a way – but he was so gifted and insightful….
Staying Sober Over the Holidays.
I know that this time of year is so difficult for a lot of people who are living sober lives. This is a time where emotions are running high and if you are from a dysfunctional or unhealthy family, it can really be a stress filled time. Family gatherings aren’t technically social events, but they are…
Embracing You.
As I grow as a woman I have learned why it is important to maintain a balance between who I am, who I am not, and what my personal goals are. I try to just embrace who I am right now and she is pretty okay. Life for me has become more about why…
So THIS is Love.
When I began to believe that God did exist and I actually began to feel and see the evidence of Him in my life, the way that I experienced love immediately changed. Unlike most other aspects of change in recovery from addiction (and underlying issues) this change was almost instant and didn’t require work. No…
Bending The Boundaries
Ya’ll this week has been a little bit tough. I think that when someone who you love struggles with addiction, chances are you struggle with codependency issues. This has been the kind of week that I really have to be on point. I know a lot of facts and formal knowledge about addiction, codependency,…
History of Addiction
I watched this series of videos and I was entertained. I know not everyone will appreciate or enjoy listening to long stretches of the historical aspect of addiction and recovery but I know a lot of you will be just as intrigued as I was watching this series! Here is the link to the first…
Each Day Is New.
For years I started each day with overwhelming sense of disappointment that I woke up…again. I never looked forward to the chase, but I’m not sure that anyone really does. My overall attitude had developed into knowing that today would be just like yesterday: ‘Same shit, different day’ and it was just the way I…
Fall 17 times, Stand up 18.
One of the first books of the Bible that I ever read (or understood) was in the book of Romans. Romans 7:18 was the first thing that I memorized. (Naturally, I had to get it tattooed on my body.) Verse 18 goes like this: I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my…
The Smaller Reminders.
Looking back, early recovery was basically a big block time filled with excruciating discomfort. Of course any life change is uncomfortable and so is coming off of drugs, but what had really terrified me was coming to the realization that I never really did know who I was. I hadn’t ever found myself. It was…
Benefits of Groups
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzM_xP3oDMk
Carrying Your Message.
The step 12 that I am familiar with reads like this: Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others and practice these principles in all our affairs. I am sure the one you have memorized is similar, give or take a few words or phrases. Maybe…
Guts.
Justice means much more than the sort of thing that goes on in the court of law. It is the old name for everything that we now call fairness; it includes honesty, give and take, truthfulness, keeping promises and all that side of life. and Fortitude includes both kinds of courage- the kind that faces…
Coming Out of Hiding.
Hidden secrets will destroy you from the inside out. Hiding behind substances will only deepen the roots of pain and the original problems. Hiding from God- is unrealistic. Hiding from reality is really exhausting. The whole time that I was hiding, I really thought that I was protecting myself or blending in. Maybe that was…
About Me.
Most personal blogs, specifically Recovery blogs, have a detailed ‘my story’ or ‘about me’ section. Often, they choose to start from birth, work their way up to their addiction forming, proceed to telling the story about how rock bottom felt, and work their way to the present. I really don’t see any problems with it and…
Recovery Is Real.
HOPE: 1 of 10 guiding principals of in SAMHSA’s working definition of Recovery: “The belief that #Recovery is real provides the essential and motivating message of a better future. People CAN and DO overcome the internal and external challenges, barriers and obstacles that confront them. #HOPE is the catalyst of the #Recovery process.” #SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental…
No More Shame.
The “No More Shame” Campaign is designed to empower Recovery. (learn more here: http://www.pinterest.com/treatmentcenter/nomoreshame/) *People who have struggled with addiction and are now in Recovery are publicly proclaiming that they are not going to hide anymore.We are not ashamed of our past. *Families are saying that they are done hiding. They are going to speak out….
You Won’t Please Everyone.
My blog is public for a reason. I try my best to use my experiences to help other people in recovery. I make my ‘work’ email available to anyone who might need it. People contact me if they are interested in writing a guest piece for Discovering Beautiful. Many people send me emails with networking…
Triggers.
-As the saying goes: ‘you get out what you put in.’ *We walk through a painful past so that we can focus on our present. *By taking risks & forgiving people we shed the weight of some of the heavy baggage that we have been carrying. *We hold ourselves accountable to gain a sense of personal responsibility…
Change Takes Time.
Listened to another story of another hurting family last night. They are all playing the game. They are hurting, waiting, helping, hoping, and crashing with disappointment. This is the cycle that our we go through when we love someone who is struggling with addiction. It is the most brutal waiting game you will ever experience. As…
Why Did You Change?
For family members or friends of people who are addicted, we often wonder if they will ever change. We worry. We lose sleep. We wish we had answers or effective words or more powerful love. What it will take for them to finally be ready? How much more will they have to lose? How many…
Early Recovery Truths.
Early recovery is hard for so many reasons. I think we all have unique experiences, but a lot of the hurdles early on are very similar. One of the biggest problems many of us face is the fear of confronting our past. For me, facing the truth was important to my sobriety. It was really one of the first steps that I…
No More Shame.
How do we break stigma associated with drug addiction? Well, we get sober and act silly in front our webcam’s while we drink coffee. We LIVE. 🙂 We get healthy. In yo’ face stigma. 2006-2013 #NoMoreShame #Recovery
Your Recovery, and Mine.
I do my best to support all types of people. I interact with people all of the time from all different religions, who have various beliefs, opposing view- points and people with morals that don’t align with mine, and people who I sometimes struggle to identify with. I have talked with people who struggle with process addiction,…
What are you doing tonight?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aMXKE-dWA4
Bravely Amateur.
consequences unable to teach Sobriety out of reach hands reaching for help,soul screaming for rest shunned,pushed away, not good enough at best angry, empty exhaustion setting in help me, I’m slipping, no ones watching, dying from my sin one kind hand, one open heart, the right time, the right place, a fresh new start recovery,…
Dear 20 -Year- Old Self:
To commemorate my 30th birthday, I jotted down 30 things I would have liked to have known when I was 20 Girl, you are not fat. People won’t change by force- only with true desire to change Don’t take a job that will rob you of your dignity –no matter how broke you are God hears…