“Nothing truly valuable can be achieved except by the unselfish cooperation of many individuals.” – Albert Einstein While talking with a friend in recovery yesterday, he mentioned how important it was to him early on—when he first got into treatment for substance abuse—to let go of his intense grip on “self-sufficiency,” a character trait upon…
“If we have trouble seeing the miracle of recovery, we’d better look again.” – Just For Today[1] I recall vividly how quietly scared I was when I first came into recovery. One of my foremost fears was simply that I was never going to get free from the grip addiction had on me – it…
I once told someone in my addiction recovery network about a guy who would brag about the length of his clean time, but always seemed angry. My friend’s reply was, “I actually know who you’re talking about. He may be abstinent, but that’s not the same as recovery.” I’ve seen over the years just how…
“Change is never painful. Only the resistance to change is painful.” – Buddha So often in early addiction recovery (or later for that matter, after months and years of being sober/clean), we find ourselves facing either relationship issues, work-related matters or other “life situations” that require us to change how we’ve approached them in the…
Whether you’ve just recently walked through the doors of a drug and alcohol treatment program or have been in a doctors or professionals recovery program for months or years (or you’re anywhere in between), it’s very likely you’ll hear or have already heard someone say, “More will be revealed.” Some common first responses to hearing…
“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo Around the world, in both addiction treatment centers and 12 Steps programs for substance abuse, there is a widely held understanding that one of the core “character defects” or shortcomings prevalent in those afflicted by alcoholism or addiction is…
“It is not failure, but complacency… aiming too low, that is life’s greatest tragedy.” – Benjamin E. Mays Most people I know in recovery are aware of how important it is to be vigilant about “practicing these principles in all our affairs.” For the sake of this blog-post, this means that, as far as our…
“Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson The following brief anecdote illustrates one of the first “lessons” I learned in early recovery—the principle of practicing patience in my life. One evening after a recovery group meeting, a tall, thin woman—someone I respected and who I knew had decades of…
Whether you’ve just arrived at a treatment center for alcohol or drug issues, have been “working a program” of recovery for decades, or you’re somewhere in between, it’s probably clear to you that learning and adopting new ways of thinking and acting isn’t always easy. But in recovery, we’re quickly told by both addiction professionals…
“Be as committed to your recovery as you were to your drinking or using.” – Anonymous I clearly remember feeling overwhelmed early on in recovery, given the number of suggestions I was getting to assist me with healing my body, mind and spirit from the ravages of substance abuse and turning my life around. Indeed,…