A lot of people, in an out of recovery, don’t deal well with change. I know I’m certainly one of them. I knew that coming back into recovery meant making a lot of changes in my life. I had to adapt to a simpler lifestyle that is focused on my recovery. Many of us struggle […]
I have come to realize lately that a phrase we hear a lot in recovery, “keep it simple” is not as easy as it sounds. Life in or out of recovery can easily get complicated and its up to me to simplify things as much as I can. No one ever promised me that life […]
One of the biggest challenges I’ve had since coming back into recovery is finding ways to deal with disagreements or conflicts with others without getting angry or resentful. In some cases I have been able to avoid what could have become a conflict altogether, but I know that this solution is not always going to […]
I wanted to share a bit about gratitude because it has been on my mind today. This past weekend, as I went for my usual morning walk, I saw many people who are much less fortunate than I am. Homeless people coming out from wherever they had been to try and keep warm during the […]
Everybody needs some self-discipline (whether or not they are in recovery) to succeed in life. Things that come too easily to us are not as satisfying as those we have to work hard for – that’s human nature. For me, finding the self-discipline I needed in recovery hasn’t always come easily. When I was drinking, […]
People pleasing can be a common defect for alcoholics. Oftentimes I feel the need to please others in fear of losing the relationship if I don’t. I will people please to the point of building resentments within myself because I really want to say no instead of yes. I’ve come to a point in my […]
When we come into recovery, we can have a lot of expectations from recovery itself, our own motivations and ability to stay clean and sober, and from the other people in our lives. Unfortunately, we can set these expectations too high and when they are not fulfilled, we can easily feel sorry for ourselves and […]
A few years ago, I had no choice but to deal with my issues with alcohol. My family were ready to throw me out so I went to a treatment centre and I managed to stop. I was lucky. The treatment centre was based on the 12-step philosophy. I say I was lucky because the […]
When I was in treatment last year, the counselors strongly advised that we continue having a structured routine, much like we had in rehab. I have found that having a routine that is focused on doing positive things has become a valuable asset in my recovery. My routine gives me a healthy structure for each […]
Many of us experience one or more of these symptoms – hungry, angry, lonely, tired. They can easily contribute to us feeling low or stressed out. Everyone, including non-addicts, need to be very conscious of the phenomenon of HALT. For me, being aware of them is part of my recovery. To stay clean and sober, […]