Demi Moore is in the news for going to rehab after a trip to the emergency room this Monday. According to reports Ms. Moore suffered a seizure after doing whippits at her LA home. And what is a whippit? It’s basically the slang term for inhaling nitrous oxide to get high – that’s the same stuff your dentist calls laughing gas or just “the gas”. Whippits can be done in 3 different methods that I have heard of: The high schooler method of buying a whipped cream cannister and huffing out the gas by simply turning the can upside down. The college method of…
Recovery
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Most Topular Stories
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Demi Moore, Whippits, and Inhalant Addiction
The Discovering Alcoholic25 Jan 2012 | 8:30 pm -
Addiction Recovery Newsletter (1/21/2012)
Addiction Recovery Blog21 Jan 2012 | 4:30 amDear RecoveryHelper.org Readers, Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Newsletter (1/21/2012). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: RecoveryHelper.org. Addiction Recovery News New Research Shows How Neurons Interact And Could Lead To New Treatment For Addiction Harvard scientists have developed the fullest picture yet of how neurons in the brain interact to reinforce behaviors ranging from learning to drug use, a finding that might open the door to possible breakthroughs in the treatment of addiction. The finding is the result of… -
Potential Target Identified For Anti-Craving Medications
Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs News From Medical News Today26 Jan 2012 | 4:00 amScientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have identified a potential target for the development of anti-craving medications for people with addictions to stimulants such as methamphetamine. The discovery centres on a brain receptor related to the chemical dopamine, which has a complex role in addictive behaviours... -
Power of Vulnerability
Sexual Addiction Recovery23 Jan 2012 | 10:18 amThis describes so much of my recovery journey. Her theories have huge implications for sexual addiction recovery: Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Share this on Facebook Post on Google Buzz Share this on LinkedIn Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Tweet This! Buzz up! -
Watch: GWNI Interview! ‘Guess How To Ask for Things’ with Jef Gazley, LMFT (Part 1 of 2)
Guess What Normal Is23 Jan 2012 | 10:05 pmEver felt shame and embarassment when you ask for something? Do you, deep down, wonder if you truly have a right to get your needs met? What’s going on in those brains of ours? In this video, Jef Gazley discusses what’s normal when it comes to making requests of others in order to get our needs met (asking that annoying neighbor to stop parking his truck in front of my house) and the root of that difficulty. Watch: GWNI Interview! ‘Guess How To Ask for Things’ with Jef Gazley, LMFT (Part 1 of 2) from amy eden on Vimeo. This topic intersects with personal limits —…
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The Discovering Alcoholic
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Demi Moore, Whippits, and Inhalant Addiction
25 Jan 2012 | 8:30 pmDemi Moore is in the news for going to rehab after a trip to the emergency room this Monday. According to reports Ms. Moore suffered a seizure after doing whippits at her LA home. And what is a whippit? It’s basically the slang term for inhaling nitrous oxide to get high – that’s the same stuff your dentist calls laughing gas or just “the gas”. Whippits can be done in 3 different methods that I have heard of: The high schooler method of buying a whipped cream cannister and huffing out the gas by simply turning the can upside down. The college method of… -
R.I.P. – Etta James
22 Jan 2012 | 7:58 pmWe would be remiss not to mention the passing of Etta James this last week. This famous recovering addict and alcoholic is regarded as having bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and was the winner of six Grammys and 17 Blues Music Awards. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in both 1999 and 2008. Rolling Stone ranked James number 22 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and number 62 on the list of the 100 Greatest Artists. As an alumni of the Betty Ford… -
Toolbox Additions
19 Jan 2012 | 10:25 pmIt’s been over a week since we added some tools to the “Sober Toolbox”. Here are five more from the 2007 archives: http://discoveringalcoholic.com/recovery/trading-one-drug-for-another - What is MMT and why do we support it? http://discoveringalcoholic.com/alcoholism/sweet-dreams-go-up-in-smoke - Alcoholics, Addicts, and Sleep. http://discoveringalcoholic.com/addiction-recovery/getting-honest-with-yourself - Step Zero http://discoveringalcoholic.com/alcoholism/like-a-murder-of-crows - On drunkeness through rose colored glasses… -
Did Loose Lips Sink The Costa Concordia?
16 Jan 2012 | 8:46 pmThey say loose lips sink ships. Especially if those lips were loosened with alcohol. Reports are now coming out that some passengers witnessed Captain Francesco Schettino drinking at the bar with a “beautiful woman” shortly before his ship hit a rocky crag close to the shores of the Italian island of Giglio. On top of that, Italian prosecutors claim Schettino was steering the ship near the rocky shore to send a greeting signal to a friend - sounds suspiciously like the maritime version of a drunken booty call disaster. Plus there is the news that the captain basically fled the… -
The 4 Steps
15 Jan 2012 | 7:41 pmI was looking for ideas on dealing with difficult people and came across some good advice at James Altucher’s blog in the post ”How to be THE LUCKIEST GUY ON THE PLANET in 4 Easy Steps”. Step B of his plan is: B) Emotional– If someone is a drag on me, I cut them out. If someone lifts me up, I bring them closer. Nobody is sacred here. When the plane is going down, put the oxygen mask on your face first. Family, friends, people I love – I always try to be there for them and help. But I don’t get close to anyone bringing me down. This rule can’t be…
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Addiction Recovery Blog
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Addiction Recovery Newsletter (1/21/2012)
21 Jan 2012 | 4:30 amDear RecoveryHelper.org Readers, Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Newsletter (1/21/2012). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: RecoveryHelper.org. Addiction Recovery News New Research Shows How Neurons Interact And Could Lead To New Treatment For Addiction Harvard scientists have developed the fullest picture yet of how neurons in the brain interact to reinforce behaviors ranging from learning to drug use, a finding that might open the door to possible breakthroughs in the treatment of addiction. The finding is the result of… -
Addiction Recovery Newsletter (1/14/2012)
14 Jan 2012 | 4:45 amDear RecoveryHelper.org Readers, Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Newsletter (1/14/2012). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: RecoveryHelper.org. Addiction Recovery News Narconon Suncoast Rehabilitation Center Earns 100% On FL State License Inspection Narconon Suncoast Rehabilitation Center, a substance abuse Adult Residential Level II, Day/Night and Intensive Outpatient Treatment service program just received a performance rating score of 100.00% for the second year in a row providing the best care possible. (More) Narconon… -
Addiction Recovery Newsletter (1/6/2012)
6 Jan 2012 | 1:53 amDear RecoveryHelper.org Readers, Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Newsletter (1/6/2012). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: RecoveryHelper.org. Addiction Recovery News Guidelines stress caution when combining anti-epileptic, HIV drugs New guidelines will help physicians better choose seizure drugs for people on HIV/AIDS medication, avoiding deadly drug interactions and preventing critical anti-HIV drugs from becoming less effective, possibly leading to a more virulent strain of the disease. (More) Pickerel Lake Recovery… -
Addiction Recovery Newsletter (12/29/2011)
29 Dec 2011 | 2:17 amDear RecoveryHelper.org Readers, Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Newsletter (12/29/2011). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: RecoveryHelper.org. Addiction Recovery News Recovering addict’s cat euthanized by Humane Society A cat that helped a man here overcome his addiction was euthanized after he took it to the Humane Society but couldn’t pay for its care. (Source: USATODAY.com Health) MedWorm Sponsor Message: Find the best January Sales in the UK. (More) Assessing Drinking Issues And Delivering Brief… -
Addiction Recovery Newsletter (12/21/2011)
21 Dec 2011 | 9:17 pmDear RecoveryHelper.org Readers, Welcome to the Addiction Recovery Newsletter (12/21/2011). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: RecoveryHelper.org. Addiction Recovery News Crucial advances in ‘brain reading’ demonstrated A new study demonstrates several crucial advances in “brain reading” or “brain decoding” using computerized machine learning methods. Researchers classified data taken from people being scanned while watching videos meant to induce nicotine cravings and detected whether…
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Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs News From Medical News Today
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Potential Target Identified For Anti-Craving Medications
26 Jan 2012 | 4:00 amScientists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have identified a potential target for the development of anti-craving medications for people with addictions to stimulants such as methamphetamine. The discovery centres on a brain receptor related to the chemical dopamine, which has a complex role in addictive behaviours... -
What Is Nicotine?
26 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amNicotine is a nitrogen-containing chemical - an alkaloid, which is made by several types of plants, including the tobacco plant. Nicotine is also produced synthetically. Nicotiana tabacum, the type of nicotine found in tobacco plants, comes from the nightshade family. Red peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes are examples of the nightshade family... -
Endocannabinoid System Disturbed By GABA Deficits
26 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amChanges in the endocannabinoid system may have important implications for psychiatric and addiction disorders. This brain system is responsible for making substances that have effects on brain function which resemble those of cannabis products, e.g., marijuana... -
Off-Campus College Party Hosts Drink More Than Attendees
26 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amOn any given weekend, at least 10 percent of students at a single college could be hosting a party, and on average, party hosts who live off campus are drinking more and engaging in more alcohol-related problem behaviors than are the students attending their bashes, research suggests... -
Does Inability To Express Emotions Affect Treatment In Substance Abuse?
24 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pmAlexithymia describes a person's state of deficiency in understanding, processing, or describing emotions, and even though the rate for alexithymia in those with substance use disorders is reported to be almost 67%, there are few studies that have evaluated therapy in alexithymic SUD patients...
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Sexual Addiction Recovery
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Power of Vulnerability
23 Jan 2012 | 10:18 amThis describes so much of my recovery journey. Her theories have huge implications for sexual addiction recovery: Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Share this on Facebook Post on Google Buzz Share this on LinkedIn Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Tweet This! Buzz up! -
Holidays and Sex Addiction Recovery
2 Jan 2012 | 3:57 pmTIPS FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Identify threats to your sobriety and make a plan to deal with them. Dailly contact with recovery support system. Have a plan for unstructured time. Better yet, make a plan for each day. Watch out for pre-trip and post trip emotional fallout as well. Find additional recovery meetings to attend if possible. Take healthy steps in your relationships. Now, think about how your recovery journey was affected by your holiday and family activities, and write down items for the following two categories: 1) I’m glad I did this and I need to remember to do it again: 2) I… -
Sexual Addiction and learning to meet Your Real Needs
25 Oct 2011 | 10:29 amSeveral weeks ago Jay Pathak (Mile High Vineyard Church in Colorado) taught a sermon called Growing in Grace. In a portion of that sermon he laid out the reason quitting your sin cold turkey – without making OTHER CHANGES in your life – results in falling back into your sin. Click below to listen to the 8 minute audio – It’s worth it! Growing in Grace – Jay Pathak If you’re interested in hearing the rest of the sermon, click here Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Share this on Facebook Post on Google Buzz Share this on LinkedIn Stumble… -
Sexual Addiction Resources for Munich, Germany, and Beyond
20 May 2011 | 10:46 amLast month my family and I were in Germany, mostly Munich. While in Munich I found the following resources for sex addiction recovery in Germany: Munich / München / Muenchen Homosexuals anonymous group: http://jason-online.webs.com/termine.htm Infos unter Tel.: 089-78018960 Email: klicke hier Treffen in der Regel wöchentlich (Freitags 18 Uhr – ca. 20 Uhr). There are many Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) Meetings in Munich. SLAA is a bit different, focuses more on addictive relationships with a sexual element, but if you have issues with porn/prostitutes/masturbation etc you will… -
Self-Sex Addiction Therapy — What Do You Need Right Now?
12 May 2011 | 4:52 pmI read today in the AA recovery daily reading (24 hours a day): When we come into A.A., looking for a way out of drinking, we really need a lot more than that. We need fellowship. We need to get the things that are troubling us out into the open…. We need a new strength beyond ourselves that will help us face life instead of running away from it….Have I found the things that I need? This is so true. We get into recovery because we want to stop our sexual behaviour. But we really need so much more than that. The sexual behavior is just the surface of the issue, the real problems go…
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Guess What Normal Is
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Watch: GWNI Interview! ‘Guess How To Ask for Things’ with Jef Gazley, LMFT (Part 1 of 2)
23 Jan 2012 | 10:05 pmEver felt shame and embarassment when you ask for something? Do you, deep down, wonder if you truly have a right to get your needs met? What’s going on in those brains of ours? In this video, Jef Gazley discusses what’s normal when it comes to making requests of others in order to get our needs met (asking that annoying neighbor to stop parking his truck in front of my house) and the root of that difficulty. Watch: GWNI Interview! ‘Guess How To Ask for Things’ with Jef Gazley, LMFT (Part 1 of 2) from amy eden on Vimeo. This topic intersects with personal limits —… -
Watch: GWNI Interview! ‘Guess How Brain Therapies Work’ with Jef Gazley, LMFT (Part 2 of 2)
23 Jan 2012 | 10:04 pmI asked Jef Gazley, LMFT, how do brain therapies work, such as hypnotherapy and energy therapy — how to they get deep into the brain in a way that talk-therapy can’t? He explained that While cognitive behavioral therapy is absolutely key to healing, methods such as energy therapy or hypnotherapy can reach our brains in unique ways. Enjoy the video! Watch: GWNI Interview! ‘Guess How Brain Therapies Work’ with Jef Gazley, LMFT (Part 2 of 2) from amy eden on Vimeo. (This was my first attempt at recording a split-screen Skype video. My screen is frozen pretty much… -
Watch: GWNI Video! ‘Guess How to End Conversations’
19 Jan 2012 | 11:15 pmIf you’ve ever felt paralyzed by a conversation that you didn’t want to have and didn’t know how to end, not without suffering feelings of guilt and possibly abandonment, then watch this 10-minute video. The video contains a just-bumped-into-you conversation as well as my discussion with Tim G about the minefield that is conversations. ‘Guess How to End Conversations’ by Amy Eden for GWNI with Tim G. from amy eden on Vimeo. (c) 2012 guesswhatnormalis.com You can read about some practical tips in this post I wrote about strategies for ending conversations and… -
The Answer Resides In Your Gut, Not Your Brainy-Brain
16 Jan 2012 | 8:32 amHow often do you over-think things? Making an exit? Opportunities? Big decisions? Small decisions? Or just…buying a simple chocolate-chip cookie? Here’s how it goes down: A thought comes – “Mmm, oh, it would be nice to eat a cookie. A warm, chocolate-chip cookie.” Simple. Unless you put a “simple” thought like that through the mind of an adult-child! Drum roll, boom-boom – enter doubting, unsure, cocked for battle adult-child Brain: But…should I eat it? What if I then start to buy one every day…? Do actually deserve a… -
Does Hesitation Hold You Back from Truly Engaging with Life?
30 Dec 2011 | 12:41 amHesitant when asked to do something? Always want to know what’s going to happen–when, where, how long, and who’s going to be there? Cautious? Wary? Unable to wholly trust others? Yes, and of course. With all the chaos around us as children, caution and being slow-to-trust makes complete and utter, not-your-fault, 100% sense. In his book Homecoming, John Bradshaw wrote the following, which I suspect will resonate with you as much as it resonates with me (thanks Kenny!): “One final note. One way adult children avoid their legitimate suffering is by staying in their…
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higher powered
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The 60's
28 Jan 2012 | 5:24 amThis is a good presentation of the 1960's. Sit back and enjoy.If you weren't born until after then, sit back and be jealous.click HERE -
Happy Friday!
27 Jan 2012 | 4:55 amtodAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkfulthat we're all in the same boat togetherfor the freedom to make better choices than I used to makethat my blogger friend, Mary Christine, has embarked on a new jobfor David Blaine, the magician. I cannot figure him out.Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn'tappreciate kindness and compassion.- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama -
potpourri ...
26 Jan 2012 | 4:59 amtodAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkfulfor this, from my Al Anon meeting last night ..."Finally, it's all about me!"for sunshine (during the day)for common sense. However, it seems to become less common as I get older.for those little holes they put in the middle of donutsYou cannot do a kindness too soon,for you never know how soon it will be too late.- Ralph Waldo Emerson -
round and round
25 Jan 2012 | 4:47 amtodAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkfulthat I love being soberthat it's good to be in recoverythat I really enjoy listeningthat I really like being in the middle of thingsRevenge... is like a rolling stone,which, when a man hath forced up a hill, will return upon him with a greater violence, and break those bones whose sinews gave it motion.- Albert Schweitzer -
Conscious Contact
24 Jan 2012 | 5:02 amtodAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkfulfor Step 11. "Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our 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.""Those of us who have come to make regular use of prayer would no more do without it than we would refuse air, food, or sunshine. And for the same reason. When we refuse air, light, or food, the body suffers."Before I came into the rooms of recovery, I never prayed. I had no Higher Power to pray to. It took some conscious effort at…
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coffee bitch
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BABE IN BOOTS
17 Jan 2012 | 6:12 pmThe gift of sobriety allows me to love a woman unconditionally, plus she has boots. So if these boots are meant for walking then they can walk all over me. Sober and in Love, WOW its a beautiful thing. And she is HOT. -
Woman I Love
17 Nov 2011 | 12:36 amI am still sober now 7.5 years and closing on 8 by living one day at a time. There is a woman I have been going out with that has freed my soul. She is like a mirror image of me in many ways. My sponsor and others have made comments about how I now have a glow. I am happy now and it’s great to be sober so that I can take all this in.. pretty cool.. -
Here but Where
12 Jun 2010 | 3:00 amI have 6 years now and my B date is May 17th. I feel good just beat from trying to get two companies off the ground. I hit meetings every week so that hasn't changed and I am still calling my sponsor everyday.. Wow a lot of phone calls over the 6 years. Thanks Garner I saw your email and broke away from my chaotic life for a second.. I will keep in touch my bros and sistas.. -
Meeting
12 Apr 2010 | 1:12 amI use to drink out of any type of bottle. I preferred the larger ones though. Went to a meeting tonight and there was a lot of new faces and some not. One person had gone out after having 10 years to try it once more. Same results and the same story as everyone else who goes out, it just doesn't work. -
Where the Hell have I been
10 Apr 2010 | 3:01 amWow I am coming up on 6 years and I have been working my ass off trying to get 2 company's off the ground. I have been tempted to drink but just not today. I am trying to get back to blogging, TIME. Hitting meetings and calling my sponsor everyday is what I do. I really don't have the desire to drink nor the energy. I am to tired to go chasing that anymore. Looking back it is hard to believe all the hiding and running around I did for WHAT? I like waking up with a clear head every morning, its a good thing.
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Actively Arielle: A Voice With A Commitment
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Voices of Recovery
26 Jan 2012 | 8:10 pmI'm excited to share with you some special voices. I am privileged to know a few fantastic fellow bloggers who are recovered. I don't like to imply that there is some hierarchy of recovery in which those who consider themselves fully recovered are better than those who are not. I just like to show people out there who are struggling or who are still fighting their way through recovery that full recovery is completely possible and real.Therefore, I'd like to do a series of "interviews" with a variety of fellow bloggers. Some are dear friends of mine, others are new friends, and others… -
Filling the Space the Eating Disorder Filled
24 Jan 2012 | 9:41 pmThis week's video is about emotions, recovery, and what to do when you're recovering and finally have some empty space where the eating disorder used to be! -
The Way to Alive!
22 Jan 2012 | 8:03 pmIf you have 3 minutes, give this a look. It's a little something different. ;) -
Arielle's Motivational Mash-Up # 8!
19 Jan 2012 | 7:28 amA brand new Motivational Mash-Up like the previous 7! Hope you enjoy. Have a wonderful rest of the week. -
Warnings About "Quick Fixes"
17 Jan 2012 | 8:25 pmThis week's Wednesday Warrior video is up and it's all about warnings, as you will see. I end with snippets of my newest Motivational Mash-Up, which is up on my YouTube channel. I will link to it in a new post later this week.
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John Oppenheimer
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The Paradoxical Commandments
10 Jan 2012 | 10:41 pmThe Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent M. Keith People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway. People favor underdogs but… -
The Addictive Personality
24 Mar 2011 | 1:01 pmAddiction is an active belief in and a commitment to a negative lifestyle. Addiction begins and grows when a person abandons the natural ways of getting emotional needs met—through connecting with other people, one’s community, one’s self, and spiritual powers greater than oneself. The repeated abandonment of oneself and one’s values in favor of the addictive high causes the addictive personality to develop and gradually gain power. Human beings have a desire for change and a desire for permanence. Though we have a natural desire to express our spiritual nature, we also have a natural… -
Five Minutes A Day
16 Feb 2009 | 11:39 amFive Minutes A Day To A Loving and Intimate Relationship The formula has four steps, which, when practiced routinely, will create love beyond words. The decision to use the formula is in your hands; this means that deep emotional connection is a personal choice you can make beginning right now. That’s right: you can choose to feel connected to your partner, just as you choose to feel disconnected; and, in general, you will like yourself more when you choose to feel connected and feel bad (resentful, depressed, anxious, bored, numb, or angry) when you choose to feel disconnected. And… -
The Art of Being Sick
9 Dec 2008 | 5:50 pmThe art of being sick is not the same as the art of getting well. Some cancer patients recover; some do not. But the ordeal of facing your mortality and feeling your frailty sharpens your perspective about life. You appreciate little things more ferociously. You grasp the mystical power of love. You feel the gravitational pull of faith. And you realize you have received a unique gift-a field of vision others don’t have about the power of hope and the limits of fear; a firm set of convictions about what really matters and what does not. You also feel obligated to share these… -
Tip of the week….
26 Oct 2008 | 5:51 pmthis just in from The Week, October 31, 2008… Tip of the week: Stay happy during tough times Eat a peanut. When feeling blue, “mind your carbs.” Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and legumes keep serotonin levels high—and you chipper. Refined carbohydrates like white bread and pasta can cause a dive in serotonin levels. “When those levels crash, so does your mood.” Sleep it off. According to a Stanford University study, “night owls tend to be more depressed than early birds.” If you can’t get eight hours, get “at least six hours of uninterrupted sleep”…
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Adams Organizing
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Lessons from the film Obe and Ashima: ‘…it’s about failing 99% of the time…’
26 Jan 2012 | 6:04 amThis week I was blessed to attend the Banff Film Festival World Tour right here in my home town. The college auditorium was packed, with kids sitting in the isles as the skiing and outdoors themed filmes began. About halfway through the second half, however, a documentary title Obe and Ashima stunned the whole crown into silence. And I'm sure many of these sarcastic and brash college students couldn't keep the tears back any better than I did. The trailer for the film can be found —> HERE <—- 'Rock climbing is about failing 99% of the…
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Rum Radio
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Titrating Up from spiritual darkness or how I learned to love the higher power hyperbolic chamber of grace.
4 Jan 2012 | 12:23 pmLast night at the home group it was the regular Monday night football Twelve and Twelve pass, tackle and Step study meeting. We were on the ten yard line with Step Two, a newcomer to the area, the group and, to A.A., who went by the moniker of Marlow took the opening salvo. He was a young man with hair in the hue of a reddish purple fire engine with a black aul in his ear, the ancient symbol of a volunteer subservient slave. (A large hole in the ear lobe) Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy… -
A Horsemen Times Four
20 Dec 2011 | 12:38 pmA horsemen times four “In dramatic lore they are known as, destruction pestilence, famine and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Terror, Bewilderment, Frustration and Despair guaranteed by Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Ernest and Julio Gallo. The terror of being conquered by a more powerful foe, it was too much for us alone, there was one who had all power that one was God, may you find him now! Action cures fear, inaction creates terror. Douglas Horton Life often time’s is regular and mundane, punctuated with moments of shear terror, exquisite joy and sharpness of… -
Fledgling Sparrows and a Tempest in a Tea Kettle
16 Dec 2011 | 10:19 amEarly on when RumRadio was taking shape I would inquire of my Sponsor Bob B and old and venerable member in good standing, alas with checkered past, both in and out of the rooms of recovery, Alas just like me. Bob had in time 34 yrs of continuous sobriety, Bob sobered up on the waterfront, on a diet of chronic relapse and pitiful demoralization. He was finally taken in tow by an illiterate house painter named Joe, who knew the Big Book by sense of smell, a hard core old timer who would give you what fer. There was no patty cake philosophy, just hard core recovery right out of the Big Book… -
Principles Before Personalities
1 Dec 2011 | 4:56 pm1) Honesty 2) Hope 3) Faith 4) Courage 5) Integrity 6) Willingness 7) Humility 8) Brotherly Love 9) Justice 10) Perseverance 11) Spirituality 12) Service It is better to trust in God than to put confidence in man. Do not put you hand in man, and if you must, always check to see if any fingers come out missing PRINCIPLES BEFORE PERSONALITIES When I stopped trying to make a mystery out of principles before personalities statement, like most good ideas it turns out to be simple. An idea or principle may have a wide range of use with many forms, which makes it complex… -
Spiritus Contra Spiritum
18 Nov 2011 | 3:56 pmSpirit against the ravages of spirits. His craving for alcohol was the equivalent, on a low level, of the spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness, expressed in medieval language: the union with God.* Carl Jung I started off on the broad bright lit highway of ease and comfort looking for the God of my misunderstanding at the wrong zip code and residential address, it took me through tobacco road and the quick sand mired swamps where denizens abound in the dusky realm of King alcohol. Nothing will make you more spiritual than almost becoming one yourself Shark Bait Gary “We…
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PoSARC - Partners of Sex Addicts Resource Center
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“An Easy Way to Be Proactive!”
21 Jan 2012 | 12:15 pmBeing triggered by ultra sexualized imagery everywhere is a PoSA’s commonplace nightmare. Being out with, or without your SAC (sex addict/ compulsive) when facing such ad images on billboards, sides of buses, store windows, magazine covers while in line at a store checkout, it’s enough to send us into a frenzy. And this type of imagery is only becoming more ubiquitous as seemingly everyone hops on the “porn-star imitation” bandwagon in a grab for the almighty dollar or their fifteen minutes of fame. But take heart- there’s good news! The National Organization for Women… -
A Very Blessed 2012 to You All!
2 Jan 2012 | 3:23 pmA Very Blessed 2012 to You All! Last night, New Year’s Eve, some dear friends came over and I suggested that before running off to various other parties that beckoned, that we share three things with each other: What one thing were we most grateful for in this past year? What one thing were we willing to let go of in 2012? What were we feeling brave enough to consciously bring into our lives in the upcoming year? I was astounded at the raw, naked honesty everyone expressed in their shares. Tears flowed and everyone was enriched from sharing in the ritual. A little vulnerable, perhaps,… -
Ask A Sex Addict in Recovery Your Questions
17 Dec 2011 | 12:03 pmQ- Why do addicts seem so cavalier about whether the relationship survives or not? He does not seem to care unless he’s being kicked out or I threaten to break up with him. Answer- Addicts who are not yet in recovery mode, or who are in the early phases of recovery, are often not yet able to be reflective and to consider the feelings and emotions of their partner. Addicts often feel more punished by being denied their ‘drug’ by the partner than feel empathy and guilt for their destructive behaviors. It is said that the active addict’s dream is to live a life without… -
Ask A Sex Addict in Recovery Your Questions
13 Dec 2011 | 8:01 amQ- Why don’t addicts ask us partners questions to better understand what we have been through and what we now currently need from them? They seem to have no interest in anything but themselves. Answer- This seems to be a sad and unfortunate aspect of sex addiction, those addicted tend to have an absence of empathy. And this lack of empathy is essentially one of the main qualities that Recovery helps develop in a recovering addict. What appears to be a common, initial feeling of a sex addict/compulsive (SAC) is a deep, incapacitating shame, which is different than guilt. Having to feel… -
Ask A Sex Addict in Recovery Your Questions
7 Dec 2011 | 7:17 pmQ- Please describe a genuine apology/amends-making. His apologies seem feeble and he does not seem in the least bit sorry that he hurt me, he seems sorry that he got caught. Answer- The amends matter is a complex scenario, since, for one thing, it is often tied to forgiveness. First off, there can be no forgiveness until you are ready to offer that, if ever. Most sex addicts/compulsives (SACs) are expecting immediate forgiveness of their actions to alleviate the shame they feel. And that is not as easy as a “Sorry, but I broke your favorite vase” sort of thing. It is my belief…
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Emotional Sobriety: My Journey to ACA
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January 2012 Topic: Transactional Analysis: You Tube Games, Etc.
25 Jan 2012 | 7:09 pmTheramin Trees has done an amazing job with his videos about transactional analysis. They include: TA1: Ego States and Basic Transactions is the first in his series on TA and offers some of the metaphors he finds useful such as Parent, Adult, and Child states and basic transactions. It has been viewed 87,156 times. TA2: Games is the second video and looks at games and some ideas on how to deal with them. TA3: Gimmicks is the third video and looks at some different perspectives they can be viewed from–including gimmicks as faulty rules, faulty roles and faulty definitions–and… -
More Transactional Analysis Books
24 Jan 2012 | 7:05 pmTo add to our collection of transactional analysis books: (6) TA Today: A New Introduction to Transactional Analysis by Ian Stewart and Vann Joines By A Customer-”Best introduction to current transactional analysis, both for anyone and professionals. Introduces the key concepts of TA in a very practical manner. You are also encouraged to work on yourself using the concepts. Very easy to read and comprehensive at the same time.’ (7) Transactional Analysis: 100 Key Points and Techniques by Mark Widdowson “Transactional Analysis (TA) is a versatile and comprehensive system… -
January 2012 Topic: Transactional Analysis: Game Theory of TA
23 Jan 2012 | 7:34 pmReprinted from working-minds.com: “Game Theory in a Nutshell”: Dr. Berne discovered the Game Theory area of T/A during close study of alcoholics. He defined only three roles or moves in Game-playing: Victim, Rescuer, and Persecutor. You all make these moves in virtually all transactions, automatically, by default, because these three moves were given to you by example, since the day that you first drew breath, since every one of you grew up inside the Culture-Structure. The advantage of learning and consciously, intentionally operating inside of an awareness of Games operated by… -
The Components of Transactional Analysis
22 Jan 2012 | 7:37 pmI have written about the importance of using transactional analysis to discover which of your inner voices has the main track. Our feelings come from our thoughts. So if we are basically in our inner child, we may feel inadequate, angry, abused, etc. TA teaches us that we have inner child, inner parent, and inner adult. Each of these three mind sets also have good and bad components to each of them. The components are each of these is explained very well by Dr. Claude Steiner. Dr. Steiner’s biography is here. The components excerpts are from this page: (1) Ego States and… -
You Are Who You Think You Are
18 Jan 2012 | 7:27 pmOur self-image is formed by allowing ourselves to be influenced by various authority figures. As we mature and accept the responsibility of defining ourselves, these internalized voices of authority must each be examined and evaluated. It is only when we take back our own power to define ourselves that we are truly free. Our conscious mind is where thoughts are formed. Our subconscious mind is where our creative mind takes root. As we learn to harness the vast power and energy of the subconscious mind, we are tapping into our real source. Transactional analysis therapists estimate that we…
