Blog

All Blog Posts

Employers

Some of us may still have a job when we become sober. Others may not have worked in a long time. Employers can be longsuffering with us or terminate us at the first sign of trouble. Either way we give them a hard time. We were hired to do a job and that is what

Read More

There Is a Solution

After we have admitted our powerlessness over drugs and alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable, and saw how we needed to believe in a Higher Power who could alleviate the insanity we suffered, we came to page 25 in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. The first full paragraph starts out in italics.

Read More

Reason

The reason I decided to pursue a career in mental health, substance use and recovery is based upon personal experience. I personally underwent treatment for substance use and mental health issues. My sobriety date is April 3, 1985. I have remained sober continuously since that day. I know how far down the scale my life

Read More

Is or Isn’t

Throughout the text of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous we find the words “must” and “suggest” used quite a bit. For our purposes here we will define must as something that is vital and has to be done. We will define suggest as a subtle command. In Chapter 5, How It Works, it states

Read More

No matter what (2)

Recently I shared that throughout my sobriety I have wondered if a specific event could entice me to drink or use. Those events were physical harm to my daughter and for my mother to pass away. How could I endure such pain generated by such events? Well needless to say my mother passed away approximately

Read More

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

Read More

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’S)

There is another scourge we alcoholic/addicts are exposed to and that is sexually transmitted diseases. Due our poor impulse control and loss of inhibitions when drinking or using we place ourselves In positions which may expose us to these diseases. In the past the main diseases we were exposed to were syphilis and gonorrhea. Time

Read More

Effect of Relapse on Others

When we speak about relapse, we tend to speak in terms of ourselves. This seems to be the natural thought process that occurs. But what about when we think of others relapsing? Or actually get news that a friend or loved one has gone out and relapsed? I don’t think we realize the full impact

Read More

Loss

About 8 days ago I lost my mother to a painful, prolonged illness. She spent most of her time in her home, until she was hospitalized and then had to go to rehab for ambulatory issues. It was just too painful for her to go out. She had always been a woman on the go

Read More

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

Read More