Just a thought today. It is so easy to let ourselves lose sight of what is most important to us. On any given day we have our moments where we just feel defeated. I know that I do. I have to stop and breathe deep. I try to refocus myself and my thoughts…
Category: Addiction
Living Free.
Freedom for me, came when I came to believe that a power greater than myself, could restore my life and sanity. That power that has shown me to be much greater than myself, is Jesus. Because of this relationship that I have: My mind is not as gullible. Yes I am sober and the fog…
The Legacy We Leave.
I am not really sure that any blog post of mine would ever express the impact that this one woman has had on so many people; well, not in a way that would even begin to do her justice or accurately illustrate the depth or influence that her work and life has had. Today is…
12 Ways to Help Kill Your Addicted Loved One AND Lose Your Sanity
1. Every time you talk to them, be sure to remind them of how they are wasting their life away by making stupid & idiotic decisions that make no logical sense. Remind them that if they were not stupid, they would be able to see that. 2. Be sure to base how much they love…
10 Tips: For Friends & Family of Someone Struggling with an Addiction
These are just things that would have helped me when I was struggling.Here are 10 randomly concocted tips that I have come up with: 1. Express empathy for them, directly to them. 2. Avoid arguments with them whether they are sober or not. (this creates a high-emotion situation and doesn’t do anything besides creating an urgency to use…
Peace.
The heart will always look to rejoice in something beyond itself, so rather than trying to squash desire, we should instead look to satisfy it- in God. Andrew Wilson, Joy This is so true. I sought tirelessly for a long time. I couldn’t seem to find anything to make me feel content. Sobriety was my…
Hey Encourager’s!
While there may be human paperwork filer’s out there, there are also so many accepting, loving and kind people out there too. (I have a feeling there are more than we know, but they, for some unfortunate reason, aren’t as vocal.) However, the numbers are growing- there are people who are just as fed up…
Be Nice.
I don’t know how many times a day I read Christian bashing & blanket statement posts about religion. There are also a few tv shows that seem to be dedicated to perpetuating the stigma associated with mental illness, and everyone already knows there is an overall consensus on what a ‘drug addict’ is and what…
National Prescription Drug Take-back day
*National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday–April 26* “The public has embraced the opportunity these Take-Back Day events provide to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs.” —>Last October Americans turned in 324 tons (over 647,000 pounds) of prescription drugs! –> Since DEA’s first…
My thoughts today.
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…
A Pill To Cure Addiction?
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….
Why Do Some People Become Addicted and Others Don’t?
Deep Thoughts.
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…
Our Thoughts
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…
Sobriety: One Size Fits Most?
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….
Our True Selves.
Good Grief.
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…
Happy New Year! 2014
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…
Unexpected Gifts of Living in Recovery.
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…
8 Things I Wasn’t Expecting In Early Recovery
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…
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…
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…
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…