What Does ‘’Dependence on a Higher Power” Actually Look Like?

Whether we are an alcoholic or addict, both, or neither, we’ve likely had some experience with the various styles of spirituality that people engage in. Whatever we believe or practice — or don’t believe and don’t practice — we are likely aware of many of the ways that people engage with the spiritual side of […]

How Do I Know If I Really Need Help?

Alcoholism and addiction are a disease unlike any other. They affect so much more than just the body, but the mind and spirit as well. Characterized by a three-fold nature, alcoholism and addiction are often deeply misunderstood, even by those who have the disease. Much can be done to understand alcoholism and addiction by reading […]

Learning How to Accept Help

People need people — there’s no getting around it. We’d all like to fancy ourselves as independent and self-sufficient, and we all are to varying degrees. But nobody can do it all by themselves. At some point in our lives, we will all need a little help. Sometimes we will need a lot of help, […]

Aren’t Healthy Coping Mechanisms Enough?

“Healthy coping mechanisms” has become a common catchphrase in popular psychology today. It’s a catch-all term for self-care, emotional balance, rational reaction, and general mental and emotional well-being. Any number of healthy, clear-headed, and constructive tools and practices that allow us to process, deal with, and navigate life events are considered healthy coping mechanisms. They […]

Coping With Chaos

Whether you are an alcoholic, addict, or neither, turbulent times are inevitable in our lives. This is not something we should live in fear of. Still, it is an eventuality that we can prepare for — particularly those of us who are in recovery and may also have mental and emotional health issues to consider. […]

Why Do I Keep Slipping?

For many alcoholics and addicts, finding recovery is a desperately needed relief. Yet even for those of us who are desperate, sticking with recovery isn’t always a linear journey. Like everything in life, there will be ups and downs, good times, and rough times. Some days will be easier than others. These are the natural […]

Maintaining Friendships in Recovery

Entering recovery can be an exciting time, as we finally find help for our deadly disease and begin to feel hope again. It can also be a time of overwhelming change. So much of our previous lives that were lived in the disease will begin to fall away, and we will likely want to distance […]

What Is the Most Important Part of My Recovery?

For alcoholics and addicts in recovery, whether they are brand new or already familiar with the 12-Step program and lifestyle, this is a fairly common question. After all, recovery is a new way of life and considerable experience. There are many facets and moving parts, and each one holds much to teach us. The longer […]

Scheduling Recovery

It doesn’t take much for life to get busy, even for those of us who are new in recovery. It can happen so quickly that we forget the fear and terror of our previous lives in alcoholism and addiction. Initially, we were so relieved and so grateful for sobriety and recovery. Being returned to life […]

Can the 12-Steps Help with Other Addictions?

Alcoholism and addiction are often misunderstood terms. There is a difference between a hard drinker and an alcoholic, although it is a subtle difference. To understand it, most people would have to be intimately familiar with what makes one an alcoholic. Addiction is another term that gets misused too often.  Alcoholism and addiction are manifestations […]