As an addiction counselor, Jim is often asked, “HOW CAN I CONTROL MY DRINKING?” Alcohol is steeped in our traditions and most aspects of socializing. In the next livestream, Jim will explore drinking in moderation and considerations of what we can do instead of drinking.
When You’re Down and Don’t Know Why
A big part of recovery is noticing habits that don’t serve us and replacing them. Sometimes it’s as simple as identifying an emotional reflex. Example: Sometimes I catch myself feeling down and my brain immediately sets out to investigate why that is.
Overcoming Hypervigilance in Addiction Recovery
Seeking safety is a spiritual undertaking. It requires connection and a shift in awareness. Hypervigilance is constantly scanning for threats. Serenity is knowing that either no threat currently exists or that we’re equipped to deal with it if there is one. This is not something we can do alone. We need progressively more safe people and safe places.
The Fear of Getting Better
Like most aspects of recovery, getting better is counterintuitive in that it’s generally terrifying. When we’re not sure how to be, we entertain the option of shooting ourselves in the foot, just to get back to the familiar.
How to believe in yourself
My clients often share with me, “I’ve never felt good enough”. Whenever I hear this I immediately ask, “For who?” This is met with either a blank look or a long list. Either way, it goes back to childhood. While we cannot change our past, we must consider how lessons
Overcoming the Fear of Step Four
There’s an adage my friends in AA use to describe the fear of transformation, “One, two, three… drink. One, two, three drink.” This is a reference to working steps 1-3 in recovery, only to return (often briefly) to drinking and using.
Beyond Relapse Prevention: Trauma Recovery
Amongst those who do escape the perils of addiction, other demons remain. Rarely have I met a person in recovery from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) who did not have a great deal of repressed trauma, a wealth of unresolved grief and loss, and underlying mental illness.
The Mythology of Happiness
Happiness is more a state of being than it is an emotion. Gratitude and attitude are the keys. How lovely and disturbing to find that they’re both in our control. Here it comes – another opportunity to get out of our own way.
Better Than New Year’s Resolutions
If we’re going to achieve better health and a higher quality of life this year, then we need to set some meaningful goals and ensure that we have the accountability we need to ensure our process earns us the results we seek.
