Category: Uncategorized

Department of Children & Family Service Cases

People coming into the DCFS system who had had their children removed from their home are rightfully bewildered and confused.  Even in justifiable cases of removal it is still a traumatic event.  Removal of the children is necessary at times to protect their wellbeing.  At other times the removal can be an error on the

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Step 5

Step 5 reads as follows “Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”  This is where we share our written inventory with our sponsor or a closed mouth friend.  Some people may want to share their inventory with someone in the clergy.  The point is to share

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Waiting

One of the most challenging things for an alcoholic/addict to do is to wait for something.  We want things immediately and in the moment.  This can be waiting for something to happen, waiting for something to change or just plain waiting for anything.  Most of us have poor impulse control and we expect things to

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Resentment

According to the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous (pg.66) resentment is the number one offender for the alcoholic.  Resentment comes from a Latin word “resentire” which means to “re-feel.”  Surely resentment is an act of re-feeling past hurts and slights.  For the alcoholic these resentments can be “fancied or real.”  We can resent something that

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Step 10

Step 10 directs us to continue to take personal inventory and when wrong to properly admit it. The goal here is to rid ourselves of negativity quickly which could turn into resentment. We don’t want to end up with a long list again of persons we need to make amends to. Step 10 could be

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Step 11

  Step 11 goes as follows: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve out conscious contact with God as we understood him, praying only for the knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry that out.  Let’s break this step down.  First of all, it assumes that we have incorporated a period

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Step 12

Step 12 reads as follows: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all of our affairs.  This step assumes that we have taken steps 1-11 already. The result of these first 11 steps is a spiritual awakening. 

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Creative Minds

There is a story in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous where a man thought he could have a drink of whiskey and milk!  Surely this would be a sensible combination.  Another woman who was pregnant thought that she could drink Kalua and vodka.  We come up with all sorts of creative ideas when it

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Mental Defense

  The Big Book states that we have no mental defense against the first drink (pg,41).  That defense must come from a Higher Power. I know for myself that I would do anything to keep the supply of drinks coming to me.  Actually, I never really tried to control and enjoy my drinking.  I tried

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Upon Awakening

Step 11 in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous pages 86-87 gives us some direction as how we are to begin our day.  We are to begin it with a period of prayer and meditation.  This is probably something we have never done before.  We may need to get up earlier than we are used

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