Author: Phillip

Easy Does It

What exactly does this slogan mean?  However, we could better start our discussion with what it doesn’t mean.  It could be a paraphrase of “do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” Addicts are known for procrastination when it comes to performing common tasks or carrying out responsibilities.  It has been said

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Gratitude

If there is a silver lining to be found in addiction recovery it is surely gratitude.  We are often directed to make written gratitude lists by our sponsors.  By looking at what we are grateful for on paper helps to change our mindset about what is going on in our lives.  We can be grateful

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Coping Skills

Most addicts come into treatment with little or no coping skills. They are unable to manage their emotions and often end up with excessive anxiety and fear.  Coping skills can help the addict learn to deal with their negative emotions as they crop up.  This helps to alleviate the anxiety which could lead to a

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Waiting For the Other Shoe to Drop

I have something to tell you.  SHHHHH! The other shoe has already dropped!  It dropped when you reached the bottom in your disease.  The minute you reached out for help is when your upward recovery journey began.  Addicts are prone to feel as if they are waiting for some calamity to fall them.  This in

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Step 3

The realization that our thoughts and actions have become insane leads us to Step 3.  At first this step looks like a daunting task.  A closer look brings us to the realization that it is simply a decision.  A very large and critical step to working the program.  The belief that there is a Higher

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Fear

The Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book characterizes fears as an “evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence was shot through with it (pg. 67).”  It also states that fear is so troublesome that “it ought to be classed as stealing.  It seems to cause more trouble (pg. 68).”  If we look at it objectively,

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Another Promise

“We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace” (Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, pages 83-84).  Serenity is defined as being in a state of calm, peacefulness and untroubled.  Peace can be defined as absence of conflict and freedom from disturbance.  Sounds too good to be true?  We think not.  After coming into

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Trust

In the end of my drinking and using career the only thing I trusted was the bottle and the drugs.  Then to my dismay they stopped working for me.  I could not get the desired reaction I wanted anymore, even with almost lethal doses of the drugs.  I tried different combinations of Seconal, Percocet, Ativan.

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Insanity

Our working definition of insanity will be that of Alcoholics Anonymous which is “doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.”  Surely most alcoholics will identify with this definition.  In Step two we find the admission that our past actions and thoughts were somewhat insane is necessary. Our downward spiral into alcoholism could

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Do the Footwork and Stay Out of the Results

This is a saying that one hears quite often in 12 Step meetings.  Addicts are quite results oriented people and like to control the outcome of any given situation.  That is, they want to know how a given situation is going to turn out before it even occurs!  Well, this is impossible in most situations. 

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