Abstinence, to the recovering alcoholic it can either be a ball and chain or a ticket to freedom; it all depends upon one’s point of reference. Abstinence during my early years of sobriety seemed more like a punitive sentence, damned to eternally long for what I could no longer have. It was all white knuckle and clenched teeth, yet I knew it was at least better than the alternative. I don’t know the exact moment when it changed, but at some point as my recovery matured I found myself doing things and enjoying experiences I knew would have never been possible if I had still been drinking.
Recovery
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The Discovering Alcoholic
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The TDA Alphabet Primer: A is for Abstinence
20 Nov 2009 | 8:34 pm -
A Game with No Winners
18 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pmA hat tip to Bluefin for sending me the link to this video. So obviously I wasn’t the only one to have fun with this video. -
Less Cancer, More Birthdays
17 Nov 2009 | 11:05 pmThe American Society’s Great American Smokeout is this Thursday, so if you have been looking for a good day to stop smoking- it’s time to man up. I know that many in recovery claim that smoking helps keep them sober including me back in the nicotine stained days, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Beyond the fact that smoking is bad for one’s health, admitting one’s powerlessness to tobacco undermines recovery. The odds are steep with only 5% of people who try going cold turkey become smoke-free and less than one in three with medication and therapy,… -
Life After Drinking is Better… Honestly
16 Nov 2009 | 10:45 pmOne of the many justifications to imbibe I made as a practicing alcoholic was that drinking was a prerequisite for fun. Ballgames, golf, and dining out were all activities I couldn’t even imagine doing without a beer in my hand or access to the bar. It wasn’t much different for me in early recovery during my first year or two I considered sobriety and boring synonymous. As I matured in my however, new alcohol-free activities began to take the place of the old. I began to enjoy things I never imagined possible even they lacked access to a barmaid, cooler, or at least a flask. I had begun… -
Shelby County Treatment Center Aces CARF
15 Nov 2009 | 9:30 pmCongratulations to the Shelby County Treatment Center of Alabama (SCTC) for qualifying once again for a 3-year CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) certification for outpatient opioid treatment. More than that, the CARF surveyors that spent several days digging through the records, observing operations, and interviewing personnel made no recommendations “which signifies they did not identify any areas of nonconformance”. This places the SCTC among an elite group, only 3% of all clinics surveyed attain this distinction. I’ve led a recovery group at the SCTC for…
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Addiction and Recovery News
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Tab dump
9 Nov 2009 | 5:24 amMethadone maintenance therapy versus no opioid replacement therapy for opioid dependence - The metareview notes that there were few attempts to measure improvements in wellbeing. Alcohol-Induced Blackout - Are they predictive of dependence? Parity to Become Federal Law Despite Rule-Making Delay Policies to Prevent Drug Problems: A Research Agenda for 2010-2015 - Robert Wood Johnson's research agenda -
Stigma and community
6 Nov 2009 | 6:17 amI read this Ta-Nehisi Coates post yesterday on domestic violence, responsibility, individual agency, community, shame, isolation and empowerment. It's really stuck with me. Very heavy, heady stuff in a very short post.It got me thinking about some of the mechanisms of addiction and stigma, and the healing mechanisms of the recovering community. He points out the empowering aspects of a community of oppressed people and the responsibility this community confers upon its members.Further along these lines, Bill White has a new paper on stigma, addiction and methadone. It poses some interesting… -
Almost impossible to ignore
4 Nov 2009 | 5:57 amAn interesting explanation of dopamine's function--distinguishing drive and motivation from pleasure and reward:In the emerging view, discussed in part at the Society for Neuroscience meeting last week in Chicago, dopamine is less about pleasure and reward than about drive and motivation, about figuring out what you have to do to survive and then doing it. “When you can’t breathe, and you’re gasping for air, would you call that pleasurable?” said Nora D. Volkow, a dopamine researcher and director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Or when you’re so hungry that you eat… -
Lozenge/Patch Combo Best for Kicking Butts
3 Nov 2009 | 12:02 pmEncouraging findings for people trying to quit smoking:Smokers are more than twice as likely to quit if they use the nicotine patch along with nicotine lozenges—compared to lozenges or patches alone, buproprion (Xyban), buproprion plus the lozenges or placebo. The trial was the largest study ever to compare these approaches head to head, and included 1,504 smokers.All of the treatment groups did better than placebo—but the effect was strongest for the patch/lozenge combination, 40% of whom successfully kicked the habit. Smokers using this combo were not only more likely to quit, but… -
Gemini and Granny Growers
3 Nov 2009 | 11:23 amA mini pot tab dump:Baby Boomers and retirees are plunging into the medical marijuanabusinessA short history of Gemini Dream
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Addiction Recovery Blog
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Addiction Recovery Newsletter (11/20/2009)
20 Nov 2009 | 7:53 pmDear RecoveryHelper.org Readers, Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Newsletter (11/20/2009). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: RecoveryHelper.org. Addiction Recovery News Readers Respond on “Do Parents Matter?”–And More… Parents and Peers As a psychologist very familiar with the research, I think in “ Do Parents Matter? ” Judith Harris is conflating personality and behavior, which are two different concepts. Personality has more to do with genetic traits related to mood and energy (which plenty of… -
Addiction Recovery Newsletter (11/14/2009)
14 Nov 2009 | 9:04 amDear RecoveryHelper.org Readers, Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Newsletter (11/14/2009). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: RecoveryHelper.org. Addiction Recovery News Calendar: MIND events in November and December NOVEMBER Dementia, you thief [More] (Source: Scientific American Topic - Biotechnology) (More) The NADA-Protokoll-standardised groupacupunture for improvement of metal state in patients with different psychiatric diseases Acupuncture provided for a single person is time- and cost consuming and there is less… -
Addiction Recovery Newsletter (11/9/2009)
9 Nov 2009 | 7:39 amDear RecoveryHelper.org Readers, Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Newsletter (11/9/2009). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: RecoveryHelper.org. Addiction Recovery News Mexico’s Drug Cartels Recruiting Youth Drug cartels are luring an alarming number of Mexicoâ??s youth into a lifestyle of fast money, drugs and crime. (More) Animal Study Finds Males More Affected by Prenatal Cocaine Use Cocaine use during pregnancy appears to be linked to impulsive behavior among male children but not females, according to… -
Addiction Recovery Newsletter (11/2/2009)
2 Nov 2009 | 8:48 amDear RecoveryHelper.org Readers, Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Newsletter (11/2/2009). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: RecoveryHelper.org. Addiction Recovery News Federal Government Pushes Development of Addiction Vaccines The federal government wants to leverage interest and investment in vaccine development to get pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs that could “inoculate” people against addiction to cocaine, nicotine, and other substances. (More) Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff in Decision-Making… -
Addiction Recovery Newsletter (10/26/2009)
26 Oct 2009 | 12:24 amDear RecoveryHelper.org Readers, Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Newsletter (10/26/2009). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: RecoveryHelper.org. Addiction Recovery News Reduced attentional blink for alcohol-related stimuli in heavy social drinkers. - Tibboel H, De Houwer J, Field M. Researchers have used various paradigms to show that attentional biases for substance-related stimuli are an important feature of addictive behaviours. However, it is not clear whether these attentional biases occur at the level of encoding or…
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Addiction Recovery Basics
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Facts On Addiction To Drugs And Alcohol In America
18 Nov 2009 | 6:58 pmThere are millions of Americans in long-term recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs, improving the lives of individuals, families and communities. Faces & Voices advocates for a recovery research agenda to provide policymakers, the media and citizens with more information on the pathways that these people have taken on their recovery journeys, as well as their numbers and experiences. Taxpayers have invested millions of dollars in understanding addiction. It is time to understand recovery – so that the 21 million Americans who still need help can experience long-term… -
Only 5% Of Addicts In Recovery Make It, Baloney, Addiction Treatment Works: Here Are The Facts
16 Nov 2009 | 3:05 pmI get so angry when sometimes well-intentioned people will make statements to the effect of only 5%, 10% of the people make it in addiction recovery. How disheartening for somebody who’s trying to turn their life around to statements like that. Why not focus on the fact that addiction treatment works. Just today I attended a conference and Dr. Lewis Baxter Sr was the keynote speaker. He is the president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine known in the field as ASAM. He provided some rather heartening statistics. But these have to be qualified. He was speaking of people who… -
Stop Using Alcohol And Drugs: The Easy Way, But You Won’t Like The Answer
12 Nov 2009 | 5:05 pmThe good news is that millions have brought their addiction to drugs and alcohol into a state of remission; the bad news is that a far larger number have been unable to do so. Why is that? What do the abstinent people do? Well I promised you a simple answer here we go: 1. They stopped using. Completely. That means all mood altering substances as well as going through the detox and withdrawal process without giving up. 2. They committed with overpowering force and determination to handling themselves and life with its ups and downs without drugs and alcohol. It is no longer an option 3. They… -
How To Change Negative Thinking In Addiction Recovery
4 Nov 2009 | 7:10 pmWhat we think about a situation or event will determine feeling and emotions and later, behaviors and actions. In early addiction recovery, our thoughts are often not in line with what 98% of the world would think about the same event that we are thinking about. Someone is looking at me, I think they are challenging me, I feel disrespected and I say what the heck are you looking at, and I am ready to fight. Let’s challenge that thought. Ok someone is looking at me, maybe he likes my shirt and is wondering where I got it, if that is the case I certainly don’t want to fight the guy. -
Locating Local Addiction Treatment Centers
3 Nov 2009 | 6:29 pmA question that I am very frequently asked is how go about locating local addiction treatment help. In all honesty, I would not trust an Internet search because there is a lot of bad information and huge advertising budgets out there. The one solid recommendation I make is to use the addiction treatment locator provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration which is a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services. If the treatment center is licensed, or certified it will be listed here. You simply click on the map; enter a radius from your zip code…
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Treatment Centers Blogs
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TGIF 11-20-09 Blog O'The day
20 Nov 2009 | 5:09 amThe Lord gives us friends to push us to our potential – and enemies to push us beyond it. ~Robert BraultAlcoholism is an addiction that is poorly understood in Japan. As liquor consumption grew sixfold over the last 50 years in Japan to match its economic affluence, alcoholism became a growing but misunderstood problem.Alcoholic beverages are easily available at convenience stores and vending machines. Liquor ads are prevalent on television and drinking with work colleaRead More... -
Thursday 11-19-09 Blog O'the day
19 Nov 2009 | 5:50 amLearn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself. ~Alfred SheinwoldAt the Faculty of Public Health conference in Scotland, the call was made to the Scottish and UK governments to introduce new measures to curb binge drinking, anti-social behavior and to tackle Scotland’s increasing alcohol-related health problems.Scotland has one of the fastest growing chronic liver disease rates in the world, and one in three divorces isRead More... -
Wednesday 11-18-09 Blog O'The day
18 Nov 2009 | 5:39 amGod grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it’s me. ~Author UnknownMillions of people across the United Kingdom could be putting themselves at risk of alcohol-related violence, casual sex or blackouts, according to a new survey.Sixty-one percent of people questioned had been adversely affected following a night’s heavy drinking. The most common occurence was not being able to rememberRead More... -
Tuesday 11-17-09 Blog O'the day
17 Nov 2009 | 5:14 amAn eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind. ~Mahatma GandhiEnhancing the effects of dopamine, a chemical in the brain, influences how people make life choices by affecting expectations of pleasure, according to new research from the UCL Institute of Neurology.The study, published in Current Biology, confirms an important role for dopamine in how human expectations are formed and how people make complex decisions. It also contributes to an understanding of how plRead More... -
Monday 11-16-09 Blog O'the day
16 Nov 2009 | 5:16 amDon’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself. ~William FaulknerNew research has exposed the risks and dangers of alcoholic energy drinks (AEDs). There has been a continuing effort from state attorneys to ban the drinks. On Nov. 13 the FDA asked 30 manufacturers of AEDs to provide safety data related to adding caffeine and other stimulants to their products.The research from Wake Forest University Baptist MedicalRead More...
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Medical News Today: Alcohol, Addiction, Illegal Drugs
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Linking The Treatment Of Alcohol-Use Disorders And Tuberculosis
21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amThe integration of alcohol screening, treatment and referral into primary care and other medical settings is not routinely done. Nor are there any studies evaluating the effectiveness of integrating care for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) into routine treatment for tuberculosis (TB), despite the high co-occurrence and mortality associated with these two diseases. -
An Intervention That Can Reduce Hostile Perceptions In Children With Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amPrenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been linked to a wide array of developmental deficits, including significant impairments in social skills. An examination of a social- skills intervention called Children's Friendship Training found that it led to a decrease in hostile attributions or perceptions of children with PAE. Results will be published in the February 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. -
A Brief Intervention That Works For Drivers Who Persist In Driving While Intoxicated
21 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amDriving while impaired (DWI) contributes significantly to road-traffic crashes, and is involved in more than one-third of all fatalities. Many DWI recidivists - drinking drivers who re-offend - do not participate in mandated alcohol-evaluation and intervention programs or else continue to drink problematically after their licenses have been re-issued. -
AMA Urges Safety And Common Sense In Schoolies Week, Australia
20 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amAMA Vice President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that Schoolies Week is a traditional celebration for students after a tough year, but it is also a time of high health risk for young people. Dr Hambleton, a Brisbane GP, said the focus has been on preventing the risks of alcohol and binge drinking but students should be equally careful and cautious about their sexual health. -
Mathematical Abilities Examined In Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
20 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amChildren with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have a number of cognitive deficits, but mathematical ability seems particularly damaged. Little is known about the brain structures related to mathematical deficits in children with FASD. A new study that used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate the relationship between mathematical skills and brain white matter structure in children with FASD supports the importance of the left parietal area for mathematical tasks.
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Drug & Alcohol Addiction Recovery
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The Benefits of Methadone Treatment
Opiate addiction can occur from using either illegal or prescription drugs. Sometimes people believe that because a doctor gave them a prescription, the drugs that they are taking are completely safe. The reality is that even when people are prescribed certain types of painkillers, they need to be particularly cautious ... -
Pain Clinics and Painkiller Addiction
With painkiller abuse on the rise across the United States, sources of painkillers are being subjected to increasing scrutiny. South Florida, in particular, has a high concentration of pain management clinics, and these clinics are being branded by some authorities and concerned citizens as unscrupulous pill dealers. Approximately 130 pain ... -
Do Genetics Cause Addiction?
The role of genetics in addiction has been debated for decades. Scientists and other health experts have successfully identified various risk factors for the development of addiction, but concise and objective predictors of addiction have eluded discovery. This year, however, science has made significant strides in discerning how genetics may ... -
Dopamine: The Key to Addiction?
Researchers nationwide have been focusing a lot of attention on dopamine – a chemical produced by the human brain – in an effort to unlock the riddle of addiction. So far, dopamine has been linked to several fundamental physiological processes, and plays key roles in pleasure, addiction and even disease. Researchers ... -
Alcohol Intolerance and Allergies: When Alcohol Is Toxic to the Body
Although most people can drink a moderate amount of alcohol without suffering serious physical effects, some people’s bodies are intolerant — or, more rarely, allergic — to alcohol. The reactions that can accompany alcohol intolerance and allergy run from fairly mild to life-threatening. Individuals who have never consumed alcohol before ...
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Addiction Recovery Programs, Rehabs and Articles
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Pros And Cons Of A Private Rehab For Drug Addiction Treatment In Rhode Island
A lot of people are getting into private rehab centers for addiction treatment in Rhode Island. Though these treatment programs are costlier than the state treatment programs, people do not mind paying a extra because of the various privileges that are got with this form of treatment. People who join into ... -
Relapse Prevention Offered By An Intervention Program For Drug Abuse Treatment In Kentucky
An intervention program in Kentucky performs many more tasks than merely helping families to convince their addicted members to get into treatment. One of such important tasks that it performs is to help addicted persons when they are out of the treatment centers so that they do not have a ... -
Why is Alcohol Abuse getting to be a Big Problem for the Addiction Treatment Program in North Carolina?
Earlier it used to be just the alcohol abuse problem in North Carolina, but now this abuse has been complicated by several supplementary issues. Things are really becoming difficult because people who are checking in for alcohol abuse treatment in North Carolina are having complications such as other addictions, health ... -
Using the Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program in Washington for People with Drug Addiction and Mental Complications
As the name suggests, the dual diagnosis treatment program is an approach of medical science to treat two coexisting conditions in the human body in a simultaneous manner. In the addiction treatment program in Washington, the dual diagnosis approach is primarily used to treat the addiction along with a mental ... -
Who gets into the Residential Treatment Program for Drug Addiction in Delaware?
The residential treatment program in Delaware is usually considered as the last resort at treatment. When all other methods of addiction treatment fail, the patient is put through a residential treatment program. This is a very comprehensive treatment program in which several medical and nonmedical approaches are used to bring ...
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Attitude of Gratitude
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11.21.09
21 Nov 2009 | 7:33 amOh, this is the creature that doesn't exist . . . In fact, it never was. But since they loved it, a pure beast came to be. ~Rainer Maria Rilke Today I am grateful… for another chance for a happy Saturday for generous friends for daily redirected thoughts for all those taken for granted things that tonight is birthday night as Lambda Still life taken with my iPhone It is by giving love that we are able to fill our inner emptiness, and it is through our Higher Power that we are healed and made able to love. ~Food for Thought -
11.20.09
20 Nov 2009 | 5:33 amI want freedom for the full expression of my personality. ~Gandhi Today I am grateful… that today is my sister’s birthday! I LOVE HER! to not have to pay for haircuts and manicures that I am having simple thoughts this morning, nothing profound for all the birthday wished I got Wednesday, too many to count for tulips on my desk Life is about choice. To be spiritual people, we must make spiritual choices. Honesty is a spiritual choice. And working the Steps is a spiritual choice. Our life is the sum total of our choices. We owe it to ourselves to choose wisely. We can do that now, thanks… -
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SO!!!
20 Nov 2009 | 5:21 amI remember when you were young Let me reminisce You're now very very old Happy Birthday, Sis It’s Trailboss’ birthday! -
11.19.09
19 Nov 2009 | 5:41 amThank you for the well wishes yesterday, “Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” ~G.B. Stern Today I am grateful… that yesterday was just about as perfect a day as I have ever had for Benadryl and nasal spray, about the only things that are keeping my allergies under control that God gave me a mind which I can use to make decisions. I do not have to believe everything I hear or read. I can think for myself. for yesterday’s speaker meeting. Something for everyone—from someone drunk making commentary to a touching life story. that all in all—I have it all Perseverance can tip… -
11.18.2003 > 2,192 days < 11.18.2009
18 Nov 2009 | 5:27 amTwenty-one hundred ninety-two days have passed since I walked back in the front door of Lambda Center. It was all over. No more fighting it, no more fearing it. There was no more time for making excuses to myself. This was the surrender. I had to surrender if I wanted any chance to win. The door closed behind me. I sat down and got to work. I listened. I went to meetings every day. I did what was suggested. I prayed. I got a sponsor. I began to work the steps again. I came early and stayed late. I sat on the side and saw a room full of gay men and lesbians that had found…
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higher powered
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A seasonal quip
21 Nov 2009 | 3:50 amFirst Christmas JokeThree men died on Christmas Eve and were met by Saint Peter at the pearly gates.'In honor of this holy season' Saint Peter said, 'You must each possess something that symbolizes Christmas to get into heaven.'The first man fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a lighter. He flicked it on. 'It represents a candle', he said.'You may pass through the pearly gates' Saint Peter said.The second man reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He shook them and said, 'They're bells.'Saint Peter said 'You may pass through the pearly gates'.The third man started… -
Welcome to Friday
20 Nov 2009 | 2:40 amtodAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkfulthat I was asked to help a friend through the AA steps; this will be good for both of usfor a reminder from Mary Christine of how much I always felt at home whenever and wherever I walked into a bar.And I've been in thousands of them.that I've studied the AA traditions with my sponsor and in meetings as well. Knowledge of how the traditions came to be what they are today is pretty good AA history, for those who are interested. This is for sure though; without those traditions in place, Alcoholics Anonymous would not exist.We would have imploded decades… -
All the world's a stage ...
19 Nov 2009 | 2:30 amtodAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkfulthat I had the pleasure of attending 2 very powerful AA meetings yesterday AND a very good Al-Anon meeting as wellthat I belongthat Scott W stayed sober another daythat we read Acceptance Was the Answer (a story from page 407 of the 4th edition of the Big Book) in the 6:30am AA meeting.Here are a few excerpts ...... "If you had my responsibilities, if you needed the sleep like I do, you'd drink too."... "The pep pills affected my hearing at times: I couldn't listen fast enough to hear what I was saying."... "In the hospital, I hung on to the idea I'd had… -
Scott is SIX !!!!!!
18 Nov 2009 | 2:46 amToday, my friend SCOTT W celebrates his sixth consecutive year of remaining sober. But Scott's not just sober, he's well into his recovery from alcohol and the thinking that goes with drinking way too much.Drop by and say howdy to SCOTT W, (click here) whose picture I have modified to protect his innocence anonymity.todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkfulfor those I've gotten to know in sobriety who are still there; I realize that the longer I stay sober, the fewer will be around who were here when I got herethat I try to pace myself through life rather than run as fast as I can (usually)that… -
Omniscient NOT!
17 Nov 2009 | 3:12 amtodAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkfulfor reminders how just the littlest thing can make a difference to someone; this may be something I share in a meeting or just a greeting at the door to an AA meeting. The moral to this story is that I just need to continue to be the best I can be -- at all times.that Step Twelve reminds me to practice these principle in ALL my affairsthat I will substitute-chair an AA meeting this morning -- as a group, we will read, then discuss several pages of the Big Bookthat I don't know what may happen today, but I'm pretty sure what won't happen.Apparently there…
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sobriety girl
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Sobriety and Thanksgiving: A Repost
16 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amHere's a scenario. It's your first few months sober and Thanksgiving, being your first holiday, suddenly creeps up on you. Panic. Angst. What do you do? Hide from the family? Ignore the holiday completely?As if holidays aren't tricky enough, being sober during these times, when being merry and celebratory is analogous with having a drink in hand, can be daunting. I know, I've had a few (seven and counting still) myself.One of the most elemental facets of sobriety is to make sure that you are always taking care of yourself, on every level. If you are not going to spend the holidays alone (I'm… -
The Seven Year Itch
18 Oct 2009 | 11:32 amI've hit a crossroad in the last year that likens itself to the seven year itch, as referred in marriage and a Monroe film. It is during this time in a marriage, after seven years, that being unfaithful may become into thought. I can assume (I say mostly assume because my own marriage didn't come close to seven years) that there just comes a time in any committed relationship that you question just about every aspect. And seven years seems like the perfect amount of time. You've gotten to know someone, you know habits and behaviors. Your goals may change and your lives may no longer run… -
The Demise.
19 Aug 2009 | 12:56 pmAs there are many cycles in our lives, I find one cycle within sobriety that has been resonating over and over again in the last year. Over the last few weeks, I have been dealing with my ever questioning state of sobriety with a scowl and intermittent indifference. The cycle of questions that force me to look at where I am in my life and what I truly need to be happy and content with the decisions I make. Formulate a plan. Let go of the past. Live life with gusto. Be sober. Be happy. And my addicted self, all the while, is hanging on my back like a bad relationship causing great distress.The… -
She let go.
30 Jul 2009 | 3:50 am"She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go.She let go of the fear. She let go of the judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the 'right' reasons. Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go.She didn't ask anyone for advice. She didn't read a book on how to let go... She didn't search the scriptures. She just let go. She let go of all of the memories that held her back. She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of… -
The Contentious Relationship.
30 Jun 2009 | 3:13 pmOver the last few months, there has been a complete breakdown of communication. I've been bitter and angry. Spiteful. Hurt. I've almost walked away several times. I've battled, yelled, pleaded and tried total rationalization with little success. It's been up and down to the point that I've become dizzy. I've cried in anger and quickly retreated by begging for forgiveness. Wrote letters, painted pictures and played sappy songs trying to find some neutral ground. Indifference. Love. Indifference revisited.At this point in my life, the aforementioned is my relationship with myself as a sober…
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Woman.Anonymous7
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I made the outreach call
14 Nov 2009 | 11:44 amAnd it was a good thing. I asked my friend what I should do about all the feelings I was having. She recommended that I make sure to acknowledge Husband's progress at the same time so he wouldn't go into shame. (Sounds very codie, but we are.)That's what I wanted to do - I wanted to avoid Husband going somewhere unproductive when I knew I was having feelings about who he'd been and what he'd done -
Still pissed after all these "I'm sorries"
13 Nov 2009 | 12:52 pmWhat do you say when you are still angry and resentful toward someone who has sincerely apologized 1000 times already?I'm sitting here on the phone with the IRS getting to the bottom of all the taxes Husband didn't pay while he was in the throes of his illness, some of which could have been handled if he'd skipped a few visits to the $500 prostitutes.I'm so angry to be in this position, and so -
Back to basics
4 Nov 2009 | 8:24 pmGetting back to practices, facing outward and connecting, focusing on the present, taking care of myself - working all these things is grounding me and getting me back to a peaceful place. It's like the fog suddenly comes in and settles, and then lifts just as unexpectedly. Was life like this before? I don't remember. I was asking Husband if he remembered how things were before all of this. I -
All things point to surrender (again)
1 Nov 2009 | 10:57 amWhat I'm left with after reading and church this week is that I can find peace and freedom in surrender and gratitude.Notes to self (again):Step one: I'm powerless. Just admit it and surrender (over and over and over again!)One day at a time.My most important relationship is with my higher power, which I am an expression of. My most important actions are to use my life and my abilities to be of -
No "fuck you"
30 Oct 2009 | 12:16 amBecause I have decided to try to work on my relationship with Husband, I've never had that final fuck-you moment. I've never been able to declare myself completely free of his influence and power over me. Instead I have said, "Yes, I gave you power over me - I gave you my trust. You betrayed that trust. And instead of withdrawing I'm choosing to trust you again. I'm giving you the power to hurt
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Blisstree » Diseases & Conditions
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10 Tips for Reducing Cancer Risk
21 Nov 2009 | 7:12 amWhile we can’t always prevent cancer, we can do things to help reduce the risk of developing it. Of course, we always hear: eat healthy foods, exercise, don’t smoke. But the message doesn’t seem to be getting through because people still eat junk or high fat foods, still don’t exercise and still smoke. The Mayo Clinic published 10 tips to reduce cancer risk in their most recent issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource. Here are the tips and below there’s more explanation: Stop smoking Limit alcohol intake – some alcohol is okay, too much is not… -
More on National Diabetes Month – Tips
20 Nov 2009 | 7:33 amLiving with diabetes is more than taking insulin or medication. Those who have diabetes or know someone who does knows that living with diabetes is a lifestyle. Insulin or medications, like metformin or glucophage are not a cures for diabetes, although that is a common belief. Insulin and medications merely manage the disease, allowing the person with diabetes to continue living as normally as possible. Unfortunately, the disease still can cause significant damage to the body, as the sugar levels fluctuate. People with diabetes who manage to keep their blood glucose (sugar) under strict… -
Exercising Your Knee When it Hurts
19 Nov 2009 | 11:55 pmIt may seem to go against your instincts, but in some cases, supervised exercise when you have knee pain could be just what you need. A study in the Netherlands of 131 people with patellofemoral pain syndrome found that patients who had followed a specially designed exercise program had better outcomes after one year of treatment than those who followed the standard care. Patellofemoral pain syndrome results in pain at the front of the knee, most often starting in adolescence, particularly among teens who are active in sports. It affects women more than men. The patients who followed the… -
P&G Recall of Some of Vicks Products
19 Nov 2009 | 3:57 pmP&G Voluntarily Recalls Specific Lots of Vicks Sinex Nasal Spray in the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom Press Release CINCINNATI, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) announced today it is voluntarily recalling three lots of its Vicks Sinex nasal spray in three countries: the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/pg/41327/ The company said it is taking this precautionary step after finding the bacteria B. cepacia in a small amount of product… -
Asthma May Lead to H1N1 Complications
19 Nov 2009 | 3:37 pmChildren who have asthma are at higher risk of developing problems if they contract the H1N1 flu, more so than if they have the seasonal flu, say researchers. Researchers in Toronto, Canada, investigated the differences between 58 children with H1N1 who were admitted to the Hospital for the Hospital for Sick Kids, in Toronto, and 200 who had been admitted to the same hospital with complications from the seasonal flu, between 2004 and 2008. The researchers found that 22% of the children who were admitted because of H1N1 had asthma, while only 6% of those with seasonal influenza were asthmatic.
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coffee bitch
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FLOATING SOBER
16 Nov 2009 | 11:17 pmWow I have been busting ass on my new company and hitting meetings and a bible study class. I am doing the things I don't want to do, it helps keep me sober. I have seen a lot of people die in 5 1/2 years and that is what the reality is for me if I decide to have a drink. I need to blog more because it helps me keep it real. -
clean living
13 Sep 2009 | 8:32 pmSimple clean living just like that Watching the kids while the wife is at a funeral in NY. -
alone
5 Sep 2009 | 9:47 pmWhen I am feeling alone I go to a meeting. It is the place were I can feel some comfort. My son's soccer game always makes me feel good. I like to see him running around and enjoying himself. They tied one game and lost a game to a team that is in a higher level. It is all cool though. -
HOT
30 Aug 2009 | 7:21 amWow it is so hot here in Southern California. My son's soccer game yesterday was played when the temperature was 105 degrees. They were all almost collapsing from the heat by the end of the game. We lost too which made it feel hotter. I helped clean the house yesterday as well as organize it and I feel better. It is amazing to me that I can feel so much better being organized. Organization is part of my program believe it or not. -
HERE
29 Aug 2009 | 7:42 amHey thanks Scot for the comment.I have been busting my ass on my new company and it is a virtual time sucker. I have not wavered in my program. I love this picture because it is what the reality is if I try to stay sober alone. My son has a soccer game today and I am excited. I love to watch him play because he enjoys it so much. The other 2 were playing football and due to a scandal evolving a couple coaches the season wont happen for them as well as the other kids. The coaches have big egos and decided to hold practices early despite league rules. These coaches are assholes and the odds are…
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In God's Hands
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Just wondering
26 Oct 2009 | 6:45 amIn the journey of my life, I had attempted to stop drinking, to stop porning, many times. Earnest prayer, vows to God, promises to loved ones, applying will power, powerful resolve, really wanting to, they all failed. I relapsed, over and over again. The periods of sobriety might have been 2 hours, it might have been two months, but I would fall into the ditch of shame again. Until I went to treatment and was introduced to the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. For some reason, at this time, the obsession to drink and to porn was lifted. Taking those steps saved my life, walking those steps… -
More, please
24 Oct 2009 | 9:07 amIt's time to report in, been a while.Early this week, I went on an emotional binge. Found a 40 pounder of self-pity and swallowed it all down. I needed to be understood. I needed to be needed. Was going to force my poor partner to understand just how trapped I was. How my life needed to change, I couldn't go on living in these conditions. I even started to think of ending my life, it wasn't worth the pain. Self-pity and anger, a deadly combination.Lost sight of my Higher Power's stage direction and decided I was going to play the victim.How is it that when I have something good in my life… -
Who is next?
23 Sep 2009 | 6:48 amI've been able to keep one class going after I had returned to work. An evening class about sociology. One of the topics that keeps rambling through my head is about the deserving and the undeserving. Who makes the choice about who has access to social services or financial support? I guess the concept is about how different schools of thought (conservative, liberal, or socialist are some of such schools) influence social welfare programs and who is allowed access to those programs.So I think about, (who else?), me. When I did step three, I turned my will and life over to the care of a power… -
Not my way
17 Sep 2009 | 6:41 amI remember this game which I played as a child, I believe it was called Labyrinth. It was a wooden board that could tilt in four directions. The object was to control the marble by tilting the board, running the marble through a maze and prevent the marble from falling down the traps (holes in the board.)I'm feeling like that marble today, my circumstances giving my life direction. I've had to withdraw from 4 classes and return to work. I'm still enrolled in one evening class (hurrah!) The choice to return was made by both my partner and I. I feel, well, deeply sad.The mood at work is darker… -
Trusting
15 Sep 2009 | 7:30 amThere have been a few times in the past week where I've wanted to just pinch myself to reassure myself this isn't a dream. Sitting in class, participating in conversations I had never imagined I could have, staying right sized and hearing new ideas, and enjoying the enthusiasm of young adults, these experiences are so different than the heavy negativism I have experienced at work. Keeping up with homework and service work and even found time to play in the surf last Saturday. (The waves were scary big.) I never had believed that life could give so much when it was being lived.I was layed off…
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addiction-recovery « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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Getting our moral recovery straight
21 Nov 2009 | 8:38 amStep Four We made a fearless and searching moral inventory of ourselves. This one gets very straightforward. The points I have to make here have to do with using the original fourth step guide of NA. http://www.na.org/?ID=litfiles/us_english/IP/EN3110.pdf In my experience of doing my inventories, and reading and listening to the inventories in the Fifth Steps of sponsees, I think that this guide has great superiority over that step in the NA Step Working Guide. I won’t get too nuts and bolts on this, since the guide covers it very well. The point I make here has to do with explaining… -
No need for a God or Higher Power-part two
19 Nov 2009 | 11:46 pmTHE FIRST THREE STEPS…EXPERIENCE AND OPINION In the NA fellowship, there’s a lot of what we call shit head thinking. Mostly, when people share, we hear a lot of self deprecating talk. People blame their disease and themselves for all their frustrations and living “problems”. They make a lot of erroneous generalizations about themselves and the progress of their recovery. Most profess the belief that their thinking is fucked up and that some Higher Power or God is going to lead them forward to the best outcomes. Some do not buy into this at all. Some of us know that we… -
thursday
19 Nov 2009 | 10:44 pmLesson twenty: This moment is all there is; being kind is what this moment is for. This is definitely something that does not come at all naturally to me. Most of my energy is spent worrying about (or at least thinking about) times other than now—the past, the future, anything but right now. I have studied a lot about Zen and Taoism, and I totally get it, but I can’t seem to actually get it. That’s where I am today. -
November 19th - A Great Thursday
19 Nov 2009 | 8:52 pmI slept in a bit again this morning so I didn’t make it to the gym. I had a great day at work today. It was busy but I was able to finish off a few of the projects I have been working on. In addition I finished a project I have been working on the side so I was able to send an invoice. I am excited because I am going to use the cash to make some travel plans for Las Vegas. I called my girls after work but couldn’t reach them. I instead hit the gym for a really good run and some weight lifting. I ran the planned three miles. It was a good time and I left feeling… -
November 18th - Homework Again
18 Nov 2009 | 11:57 pmI received a call as I was leaving work. The call was my oldest daughter making sure I was coming over after work to help with homework. I went over there right after work and found her in the middle of a pile of papers. The assignment was to explore her talents and propensities to determine what possible career paths she should consider. When I arrived she had about half of the paperwork filled in but the answers were not well thought out and didn’t really match with the questions. After taking some time to explain why it was important and what the goal of the assignment…
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Sobriety is Exhausting
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1/2 Talk - 1/2 Rant
21 Nov 2009 | 5:50 amMy in laws came in last night for a weekend visit. My house was clean except for two closets that I hid stuff in. We sat at the breakfast table and talked for hours. It was so nice. I made a chicken noodle casserole for an easy late evening supper and it was delicious. Of course cooking around the holidays with real butter and cream seem to make everything taste good.Ms. SoberPants seems to have gotten out of her funk somewhat. She moved all the furniture to different rooms yesterday in mothers house and all by herself. She weighs 105lbs. and I have no idea how she did it. She told me she was… -
Meeting Frustration Leading to Rant
20 Nov 2009 | 3:28 amI am off work today, if you are not then it sucks to be you. My in laws are coming down from Michigan for a weekend visit and lucky me, I love my in laws. I have plenty of time to clean house and grocery shop before their arrival.Rant:Pg. 45 says "Lack of power, that was our dilemma."Pg. 132 says "We have recovered, and have been given the power to help others."It bothers me in a meeting that is occupied by new comers, to hear a person who has worked the steps saying they are "recovering" or that they are "powerless." How does this give hope to the new comer? Why would anyone want to go to… -
19 Nov 2009 | 4:02 am
19 Nov 2009 | 4:02 amOh the difference prayer can make! Ms. SoberPants actually walked out of the house after four days and went for a drive. Her car magically made it to a meeting after an hour or so. I did not call her last night even though I wanted to as badly as I've wanted a drink before. Why? Because calling her is all about me wanting to hear her voice, wanting to make a suggestion of what she should do, wanting to fix her by showing my unending love and support. My obvious calls of "fear" do nothing to help her. Calling her is to "fix" me - not her. HEY, that's kinda sorta good Al-Anony, right? Precious… -
Me - Spewing
18 Nov 2009 | 2:52 amI must post in bullets today.I got up at 3:15am because I can not sleep but I wish now that I had tried harder.I'm worried sick about Ms. SoberPants, she is not doing well at all. I don't know that her sobriety is in jeopardy but she is sinking fast into a scary depression. There is no insurance and she has no job now that she is not caring for Mama.I've given her to God ----BUT---oh the big BUT.He is not telling me his plans for her.He is not moving as fast as I want him to.He is not keeping me informed of how she is doing at her house while I'm at my house.Do you know this big BUT ?Knowing… -
Tuesday Talk
17 Nov 2009 | 3:26 amI decided to put a couple of bags of "you're never going to fit into those jeans again" clothes together for donation. Since my husband lost his job in June, we can not afford to make some of our normal holiday donations so I'm trying to be creative in ways to give. There are a lot of places in Houston to take clothing and household good donations so I'm trying to go through every closet and cabinet to find ways to "give."Anyway, I came across this green pullover jacket thing that my husband loves and I said "honey, I'm putting this in a donation stack because it has shrunk through the years…
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Actively Arielle: A Voice With A Commitment
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Show & Tell: "Hope"
20 Nov 2009 | 3:33 pmHere is the third piece of artwork in my Calling All Art! Show & Tell and Giveaway. This piece is by Jonny and is called "Hope."[click for a larger view]This graphic arts piece speaks for itself.Well done, Jonny! I love the color of this piece, because it really does give a feeling of hope. The words are well chosen, the background is peaceful, and the face of the girl in the piece isn't really -
Question # 13: How to Fill the Void
17 Nov 2009 | 3:10 pmWell, your questions are still coming! I’ll keep going until the questions run dry, so if there’s anything at all you want to ask, just leave a comment on any post and I’ll collect them and go from there. No need to backtrack to the original Q & A post. Question # 13 comes from Stella: “How can you fill the void you feel when you stop restricting so you can't count on anorexia ‘support’?” -
Show & Tell: Lily Mosaic
15 Nov 2009 | 1:21 pmHere is the second piece of artwork in my Calling All Art! Show & Tell and Giveaway. This piece is by Serra and is a mosaic.[click for a larger view]Serra writes:"My lily is my symbol of new beginnings and second chances. The whitelily symbolises innocence and purity which is what i have finallyfound within myself in my recovery... I lost my innocence early inlife and searched for too long to -
Your Votes are Helping!
13 Nov 2009 | 2:24 pmJust a quick reminder to vote! :)You may remember that about a month ago, I asked for a little help regarding my blog. I'm a Top HealthBlogger with Wellsphere and that badge on my sidebar is there because of the Blogger Awards. Well, you guys have been voting for me, and it's really made an amazing impact! Last I checked, I was #9 in the Top 20!You guys are fantastic.The voting continues until -
Eating Disorders & Drugs/Alcohol
11 Nov 2009 | 2:31 pmHere's my Wednesday Video for the ED Recovery collaboration. The topic was:"Eating Disorders & Drugs/Alcohol--experiences, advice, beyond self-harm, links with EDs, why maybe do it, co-morbidity, etc." This is the first topic for Wednesday in our new 4 week program. This is about addictions in general. Just click to "watch on YouTube" and you'll be taken there. :)Next week's topic is: "Recovery
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Ex Con Alcoholic Addict's Struggle
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This sure made me angry
25 Oct 2009 | 11:41 amI guess a private prison company has been paying off juvenile judges in exchange for more bodies to occupy their facilities. It's being called The "Kids for Cash" scandal. Read more Here.It's time for the wayback but not toofarback machine.While talking with my friend who I mentioned in the last post, he mentioned what his last stay at San Quentin had been like. He spent three months in reception where he was locked up 24 hours a day. Meals were served on the tiers inside the cells because their was no movement on the grounds on account of quarantine for swine flu. Showers were given every… -
Phenomena
15 Oct 2009 | 4:25 pmI ran into a friend who was released from prison the same time as myself. We were in the same program upon release and even at the parolee house. He was still trying to see how far he could push things and stayed in constant trouble with the counselors at the program and his parole officer. Although he stopped using drugs completely. He missed the "exciting life" that comes along with the life of an addict. And, he's been violated and returned to prison many times since our simultaneous release.After the constant defiance and rebellion against being told what to do he will be discharging… -
Gettin Goin
5 Oct 2009 | 10:07 amI have been sorta busy lately. I have not been going to meetings as much as I would like to. I only went to 4 in the last month. I haven't got a sponsor yet. I don't feel good about this.It's not like I am being attacked by my cravings. Actually, I am blessed that feelings of using rarely enter my head. I just feel like I am at a standstill as far as my growth is concerned. So, today I am going to a meeting and I am going to go to 5 meetings this week and maybe find a sponsor. I am not a dry drunk or white knuckling it. On the contrary, feelings of joy and gratitude wash over me at the… -
Checkin In
23 Sep 2009 | 10:20 amI've been busy with work and entertaining my girlfriend who wisely decided to spend her vacation with me the whole week. We are having fun and hopefully I won't be so tired when I have a day off on Fri.I'll post a big one on tuesday. Lots to talk about.Until thenPictured Me and Not my girlfriend.The Greatest Readers -
Reassurance
16 Sep 2009 | 4:23 pmWhile leaving for the airport for my trip back home to San Francisco, my mother remarked, "Frankie, let's make it quick, Ok? She was referring to our usual excruciating goodbyes we endure whenever she or I leave each other when returning home from a visit to one another. I replied, "Want to say bye right now" hoping to escape the embarrassment of entering the terminal like I was just tear gassed at a anarchy rally.With that my mom turned around and faced the front door of the house and pretended to be waiting for my stepdad, Jimmy, to exit the house. I knew she was starting. I turned to my…
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sexual-sanity.com
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Self pity: friend or enemy of recovery?
4 Nov 2009 | 8:36 pmWe all have tendencies to self pity. We will never be perfectly free from it. In fact, in some ways, self-pity is normal and may even be helpful as part of the process of grieving our losses, and coming to terms with unresolved childhood wounds. Pete Walker, in “Recovering: The Adventure of Life Beyond Addiction,” has this to say about self-pity: “Everyone needs to occasionally feel sorry for themselves. Tears for the self are some of the most potently healing experiences of recovery. Self-pity, in balance and moderation, is extremely healing. Recovery, in fact, is often… -
Sexual anorexia revisited
30 Sep 2009 | 2:32 amToday’s post is an update of an article I wrote several years ago. I’m republishing it here because it’s a really important topic, and isn’t getting the attention it deserves. At issue is sexual anorexia, the unhealthy fixation on avoiding sex out of fear and shame. It can appear on the surface like a commitment to sexual purity (just as food anorexia can appear on the surface to be healthy self-discipline around eating). But under the surface sexual anorexia is very different than it appears. It’s not about healthy self-control, it’s about fear,… -
Being honest doesn’t mean saying everything you think
21 Sep 2009 | 8:56 amPeople in recovery struggle to establish honesty in their relationships. One of the consequences of addiction is lack of trust, stemming from the history of half truths and outright lies that were employed to cover up the addictive behavior. This is especially the case with sex addiction, because when violations of marital vows are involved, there is even more pressure for secrecy. The obvious antidote to the all this lying would seem to be simple: just tell the truth. But how do we do that in a loving way. Does “ruthless honesty” mean telling the “whole truth” all the… -
New study shows abuse rates by Catholic priests even higher than expected
18 Sep 2009 | 2:20 pmThere’s a great article on our companion blog for pastors (lastingleaders.org) about a recent report with even more bad news for Catholics. A comprehensive study done for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops found that between 1950 and 2002, 4 percent of Catholic priests were accused of sexually abusing minors (4,450 of the 110,000 priests active during that period). Previous estimates by church officials had been much lower. Read the article for more. Tweet This Post -
Facing our love / hate experience with God
27 Aug 2009 | 8:54 amI am increasingly convinced that spiritual inauthenticity is a major roadblock for many Christians in recovery. When we try to convince ourselves to believe something we don’t really believe, or when we struggle with thoughts and feelings about God that “we shouldn’t have,” we get stuck. There are no easy answers here, but I believe it is essential to face our questions, doubts, and jumble of feelings about God in an honest way if our recovery is going to be sustainable. To that end, I want to share an article written by Sallie Culbreth, Founder of Committed to…
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Laughter Is The Best Medicine
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Frayed around the edges
17 Nov 2009 | 8:53 amIf you were to walk into my house today, your first impression would likely be of a small, tidy, relatively uncluttered, fairly clean home. But if you look more closely, you’d begin to see the evidence that there is way more to be done than I am capable of doing on my own. More to be dealt with than can be fit into two days on the weekend. Days which are already full of birthday parties, grocery shopping, church activities and soccer. (Ok, so soccer is over. I’m still going to use it as an excuse.) Ballpoint pen on the couch. Permanent marker on the kitchen table. Crayon on the… -
Top 10 rules for parents
30 Oct 2009 | 9:00 amSo since I found out that the Baby Einstein thing was all a big scam, I’ve been thinking about what I would tell new parents (if asked, that is. I try really hard – not always successfully – not to give unsolicited advice.) So here are my “rules” for parenting, for if anyone is interested: 1. Relax. Take a deep breath. 2. Hug your kids a lot and tell them you love them at least once a day. Preferably more. 3. Act delighted to see them when you greet them, and ask them how their day was. (And try to pay attention to the answer for 5 minutes. Which I manage to do… -
I want my money back
28 Oct 2009 | 8:50 amOh, crap. All those Baby Einstein videos I bought aren’t going to guarantee David’s admission to Harvard? Oops – guess I’ve been duped. (David who rarely wears a shirt unless he’s leaving the house) I think Emma was about five when I realized that there’s a reason why most kids don’t get into Harvard, and it’s not that they didn’t watch enough PBS, or they watched too much Barney (thank God those days are over), or they weren’t read to for 20 full minutes a day, or they didn’t play enough Candyland (blech. I hate Candyland.) In… -
More excuses why I haven’t been blogging
26 Oct 2009 | 11:54 am1. Margaret untethered the hot air balloon in the garage and it took me 12 hours to find her. 2. Had to get ready to host bunco. 3. Spending hours and hours making home-made Halloween costumes. No one will believe that one. 4. Catching up on episodes of Glee. (Good show) 5. Catching up on episodes of Modern Family. (Great show) 6. Catching up on episodes of Dexter, Season 2. (Great show) 7. Trying to practice my art skills so I can stay ahead of David. Futile. He’s already surpassed me. (Not saying much. I can’t even draw a cat that’s recognizable as a cat.) 8. Can’t… -
Breaded Cod with Spinach
13 Oct 2009 | 5:41 pmI adapted this recipe from one I saw in Woman’s Day a few years ago. It’s delicious. I serve it with a side of boiled red potatoes or boiled noodles with a bit of parmesan and olive oil. Ingredients: 4 cod fillets 1 cup panko bread crumbs, Italian-flavored 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 lb. spinach 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted Toss spinach, olive oil, garlic and pine nuts in a large rectangular glass baking dish. Combine bread crumbs, 2 Tbsp. olive oil and grated parmesan in a bowl. Roll cod…
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The Word From The Hood
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Wordless Wednesday-Jesus Pumpkin
28 Oct 2009 | 12:05 am -
Ghosts & Hauntisngs: A Christian View
27 Oct 2009 | 12:05 amShazooloThe philosophy of this Christian site is to endeavor to examine other beliefs, world-views and philosophies, in a respectful way. All individuals of differing beliefs disagree. To deny this is like denying the sun will rise tomorrow. It is only when we forget that we are all human, and brothers and sisters in Adam, that debate and disagreements become mean spirited and personal. Disagreement and mutual respect as individuals can go hand in hand. None of this means that truth needs to be compromised.Pt. 1 - Ghosts & Hauntings: A Christian ViewPt. 2 - Ghosts & Hauntings: A… -
Wordless Wednesday-Stop Leaning On My Face
21 Oct 2009 | 12:05 am -
The Parties Over
16 Oct 2009 | 10:46 amThe Latinos: Anyone who is still partying and having a good time, like there is no tomorrow...will probably not see tomorrow..if you continue with your ways. -
Testimony Thursday: Conquering Life's Mountains
15 Oct 2009 | 12:05 am(The Tina Barry Story) The young social worker opened the door of the abandoned building and could not believe what she saw. Trash was all over the floor, including rotten chicken bones and other rotten foods, and in the midst of this disgusting mess were four little girls. These girls were sleeping on old mattresses that were thrown on the floor and a baby bed with a mattress that was oozing its stuffing’s and covered in baby excrement.These four little girls ranged in age nine months to six years old. The social worker noticed the youngest was naked, covered in scum and near death from…
