Wednesday, July 2, 2003
Envy
Most of us with that we could drink normally and we're ever addicts. It is not an easy life. It seems like it would be fun to have a glass of wine with dinner or beer on a hot day, but for us it is the beginning of the end. It is easy to think that anyone who drinks either is an alcoholic or a...
Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, June 30, 2003
Birthdays
Birthdays are important, because they celebrate a new life. Losing your birthday and starting over is hard. For some of us, just being able to honestly say, we've had so much time clean is important. There is a satisfaction of knowing that we've got ninety days clean when the only time that has...
Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, June 23, 2003
Step Three
I spent a lot of time on this step. Willingness is the key to any kind of change. Much of what happens in life requires waiting for God's timing. However, we will miss God's will if we aren't willing to do it when opportunity comes. All of us would like to believe that we are in control, but we...
Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
Step Two
Step Two must quickly follow step one or you'll go craxy. After all if you are powerless and your life is unmanagable you need something or someone to give you the power you need to overcome this problem you've recently admitted. The hard part about step two is that it involves change and getting...
Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Step One
Treatment centers have their clients write out the first step and then tell it to the group. Writing helps you to remember. The best thing is to start with your first use and write your history of drug and alcohol use. In addition, it helps to describe emotional events and how they impacted your...
Sign in to see full entry.
Sunday, June 15, 2003
Friends Who Don't Make It
I have a friend who lives in my house. He is in recovery but barely. Unlike everyone else, he can hang out with drug users and pass his urine tests. He says that he isn't using, but he does all the wrong things and none of the right things. I don't know if he's taking stuff to trick the tests or...
Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, June 14, 2003
Working the Steps
Working the twelve steps is one of the best ways to recovery. You can work them in treatment, in meetings, with a sponsor. You can't really work them on your own. The reason is that twelve steps are part of a community. As individualists, it is hard for us to see the necessity of living in...
Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, June 13, 2003
Two things
There are two major things that help our recovery. One is avoiding things that would cause us to relapse. The other thing is doing things that build up our resistance to using. You have to focus on both. If you don't you'll decrease your chances. Most people in early recovery don't do either very...
Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Humor
One thing I like in a meeting is humor. I went to one last night and people were laughing at themselves and teasing their friends. Laughter makes the stupid things we have done less serious. We are dealing with life and death. Using chemicals can kill you. However, joking about our past as well as...
Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, June 9, 2003
Roller Coaster Ride
I have twin daughters who have manic depression. They go through many ups and downs. I also have two men in early recovery living with us. They are also on a n emotional roller coaster. Early recovery is hard. Some get to a point where they are on a pink cloud. Even the pink cloud doesn't protect...
Sign in to see full entry.