“Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.” – Will Rogers When we’ve “finally had enough” and come into recovery—via an addiction treatment center, an impaired professionals program or a 12 Steps fellowship—most of us are told that abstinence from drinking or using drugs is an essential beginning—”we don’t drink or use, no matter…
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…
“Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the most important gift I’ve been given.” – Parker Palmer Being in recovery—whether early on (e.g., in treatment for alcohol or drug abuse) or with many years “clean and sober”—we’re often reminded of the importance of regularly practicing self-care (i.e., daily self-care).…
“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…
“In your mind, you can be okay, you can just do one. But like they say, ‘One is too many and a thousand’s never enough.’*” – Bruce Cherry, Pennsylvania[1] (*: quote from Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text) Regardless of how long a person has been in recovery—one day or a few decades—I have a high regard…
“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,…
“For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all.” – Bill Wilson, 12 Steps & 12 Traditions Last night, I participated in a Zoom “remote” 12 Steps meeting of people in recovery and the discussion topic was ‘humility.’ Toward the end, a fellow with over 30 years of sobriety—a doctor on…