THE START The very start of recovery is Socialization at 12 step meetings. The first part of that is finding a HOME group. In effect finding a section of people that will accept you, warts and all. That is they shake your hand and introduce themselves, I hated that part when they asked if I […]
Lead by an experienced Addictions Counsellor, the groups include such discussion topics as: Understanding Relapse (how it happens and how to avoid it) Personality of an Addicted (tolerance, anxiety, grandiosity) Relapse Warning Signs (attitude & behavior changes, H.A.L.T.) Setting Goals for Relapse Prevention The sessions are held every Thursday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in our […]
I personally hate dealing with conflict! It makes me feel extremely uncomfortable and like my skin is crawling. I would rather just ignore it or change everything. I had a very bad outlook on life and thought that people were generally useless stupid and selfish creatures who only cared for themselves. Although I am not […]
Commitments, who needs them? Well as it turns out, to have a successful life everyone does. In my life before recovery I had no problem making commitments to other people and following through with them. I needed people to like me and feel like I was useful and I could only do that through the […]
Every once in a while, I forget to be grateful for what I have gained this past year in recovery and the people who have given me continued support. I admit it is still easy for me to focus on the negative instead of the positive. One day this past week, I sat down and […]
In the workplace, everyone has responsibilities, big or small, in their particular positions. But over time, some of us can easily create a type of “ownership” of our jobs. As a result, we don’t want others to know how to do our job – we may give them some information, but never all. This possessiveness […]
Coming into recovery gives all of us a chance to turn our lives around. It certainly did for me. For a long time, alcohol was the only thing that made me happy or gave me any sense of comfort. Of course, it was only a temporary, fleeting happiness. Once I got sober, I had to […]
It is very easy for those of us in recovery to forget where we came from – we can sometimes have a very short memory. We suddenly forget how we started our lives in recovery – and those people who helped us along the way. Some of us can even let our ego make us […]
Thinking back, I realize how easy it was to be on what we in recovery call “the pink cloud”. This had something of a positive affect – it drove my excitement and confidence in returning to a sober life. I also knew that the enthusiasm I had could be a double-edged sword, because it could […]
My journey in recovery began a year ago. The feelings I had then were ones of despair and depression. Thankfully, I became convinced that returning to treatment was the only answer. During this first year, I have had a healthy fear of relapse coupled with a very strong desire to maintain my sobriety. I have […]