The Purpose (For Others, Not Ourselves)

For alcoholics and addicts in their disease, “purpose” is replaced by the driving power of alcoholism and addiction. We don’t need much purpose, nor could we find any beyond what our disease dictates we must do. But purpose may not ever be a thing we think about very much, whether we struggle with addiction or […]

Outside Issues: Dealing With Stress

Alcoholics and addicts are more accustomed to craziness, chaos, and turmoil than most people. But that doesn’t mean we like things that way when we really think about it. Chaos needs order, and craziness needs calmness. We need some kind of balance. We often lie to ourselves that we miss the insanity, the pressure, the […]

The Value of Our Communities

Almost every human alive is part of a community. We can define community in multiple ways. The most common meaning is “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. Community can also mean “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, […]

How Can I Know What the Right Advice Is?

Inside the rooms of recovery — and certainly out of them — people like to give advice. Ever since man learned to speak, we were likely offering each other advice on how to live and conduct our affairs. Hopefully, most of the time, advice is well-intentioned and kind-spirited. Sometimes it’s terrible advice but rarely is […]

Letting Go of Old Behaviors

It seems obvious to state that our lives in recovery are different from our lives in the disease. But this idea isn’t as simple as it might appear. Indeed, many alcoholics and addicts resist finding recovery because they don’t want things to be too different. That might sound odd but think about it. We’ve all done […]

The 4th-Step Blues: Separating Myth From Reality

Any alcoholic or addict who has been to a few meetings or spent any time in the rooms of recovery has likely heard about the 4th-Step. The problem is, we’ve likely heard a lot about it. Not necessarily everything we hear is accurate or even the truth. Much of it gets said in meetings, is overheard […]