What If I Still Have Willpower?

This is a controversial and often-debated question in the recovery community. The dynamics of power and willpower are an issue with many differing opinions among alcoholics and addicts. For some of us, we don’t bother with the idea of willpower at all. Because we know we don’t have any, whether it’s refusing a drink or […]

What Does ‘’Dependence on a Higher Power” Actually Look Like?

Whether we are an alcoholic or addict, both, or neither, we’ve likely had some experience with the various styles of spirituality that people engage in. Whatever we believe or practice — or don’t believe and don’t practice — we are likely aware of many of the ways that people engage with the spiritual side of […]

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 […]

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 […]

I Don’t Want to Lose Control Over My Life. How Can I Work the 12 Steps?

Most alcoholics and addicts have already lost control. That’s how we found ourselves lucky enough to be willing to work the program of recovery. People don’t often ask for help when they’ve got everything under control and things are going well. Right? But we did ask for help, and thankfully the 12-Steps were there. We […]

“Becoming a Part of” the Recovery Community

Alcoholism and addiction are a lonely disease. Almost without fail, they cause us to isolate ourselves from our loved ones and withdraw from our lives. Slowly but surely, our alcoholism and addiction become the number-one priority in our lives, forcing out everything that isn’t in direct service to our disease. This is a long, lonely […]

Picking the Tools Back Up

For those of us who suffer from alcoholism and addiction, it can seem impossible to get a handle on life. We struggle to keep it together, or follow through on our intentions. Thankfully, there is a solution. We find the rooms of recovery, and we are presented the 12-Step program. If we really want things […]

Why Doesn’t Self-Knowledge Fix My Problems?

A fair amount of self-knowledge and introspection is necessary for recovery. We must know who we are, what we value, what we want, and how we can best serve others. Self-knowledge helps us discover these things, but self-knowledge on its own won’t fix our problems — it is a piece of the puzzle. It is […]