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.
Learning to “Just Be” – Self-Awareness in Recovery
When you’ve spent years hiding from yourself, it’s really hard to be present with self. Awareness of self is vital to healing, and growth. Simply noticing the things we do to block awareness afford us opportunities for positive change.
When Things Are FUBAR
There’s a meme to the effect of, “I remind myself that my survival rate of bad days is 100%.” I’ve gotten through the last three hours by saying to myself, “Just do what you can. Just do the next right thing.” This is me officially starting my day over. I’m not going to agonize. I’m not even going to stress. I’m going to practice acceptance while mindful of what my friends in AA say, “You don’t have to like something to accept it.”
Surrender to Win
On my good days, the only reason I make plans is to hear my Higher Power laugh. Given everything our country is experiencing right now and in the midst of overwhelming need for support in mental health and substance use disorder…I fell into the same old trap and made plans.
Healing Is Awkward
One of the things I most often hear from folks I serve is how awkward it is for them to reach out and ask for help. I totally understand that feeling, but I encourage folks to consider that this is the easiest way to stagnate their recovery. To be self-conscious and embarrassed is understandable. We need to be mindful that these experiences are not only common; they’re familiar to the folks we’d reach out to.
How to Stay Cool When the World Is on Fire
I want to know what sustains you when you’re overwhelmed? I hope you have lots of answers to that question and I hope that list includes some pretty stellar people. I am grateful for the folks my HP puts in my life. When I look at my support system, my ego would like to believe that I’m so clever that I went out and found these folks – but it’s just not true.
Recovery On the Hard Days
I’m grateful for the ways in which my Higher Power reminds me – usually through the good people in my life that in the grand scheme of things… my annoyances today are over very trivial matters.