Coping With Chaos

Whether you are an alcoholic, addict, or neither, turbulent times are inevitable in our lives. This is not something we should live in fear of. Still, it is an eventuality that we can prepare for — particularly those of us who are in recovery and may also have mental and emotional health issues to consider. […]

Why Do I Keep Slipping?

For many alcoholics and addicts, finding recovery is a desperately needed relief. Yet even for those of us who are desperate, sticking with recovery isn’t always a linear journey. Like everything in life, there will be ups and downs, good times, and rough times. Some days will be easier than others. These are the natural […]

Maintaining Friendships in Recovery

Entering recovery can be an exciting time, as we finally find help for our deadly disease and begin to feel hope again. It can also be a time of overwhelming change. So much of our previous lives that were lived in the disease will begin to fall away, and we will likely want to distance […]

What Is the Most Important Part of My Recovery?

For alcoholics and addicts in recovery, whether they are brand new or already familiar with the 12-Step program and lifestyle, this is a fairly common question. After all, recovery is a new way of life and considerable experience. There are many facets and moving parts, and each one holds much to teach us. The longer […]

Scheduling Recovery

It doesn’t take much for life to get busy, even for those of us who are new in recovery. It can happen so quickly that we forget the fear and terror of our previous lives in alcoholism and addiction. Initially, we were so relieved and so grateful for sobriety and recovery. Being returned to life […]

Can the 12-Steps Help with Other Addictions?

Alcoholism and addiction are often misunderstood terms. There is a difference between a hard drinker and an alcoholic, although it is a subtle difference. To understand it, most people would have to be intimately familiar with what makes one an alcoholic. Addiction is another term that gets misused too often.  Alcoholism and addiction are manifestations […]

Outside Issues: Emotional Health

For those of us who are alcoholics or addicts, there is nothing about us or our lives that is not touched by our disease. The ways that we seek recovery and healing touch every part of us and our lives as well. So there really is no such thing as an “outside issue,” although that […]

Learning Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Alcoholism and addiction are more than unhealthy coping mechanisms. They are a disease — one that thankfully has a solution. But living a life in active alcoholism and addiction can leave us with a host of unhealthy coping mechanisms, habits, and behaviors. The 12-Step solution goes a long way to help us reshape our behaviors, […]

How Can I Possibly Have Hope for the Future?

Alcoholism and addiction are devastating diseases. They can wreck entire lives, including those around the sufferer. They can also cause major issues physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. If we are lucky, these issues won’t be permanent. But even if some are, there is help available that can improve our lives and stop the wreckage from […]

The Power of Choice in Recovery

Nobody likes to feel powerless. It goes against our nature to readily admit that we have no control. So many of our mental and emotional processes are meant to give us a sense of power and control. These inner workings are quite problematic for many, often leading to stress, pain, and struggle. Therefore, it is […]