“The party has been over for a long time.” — It’s an insight that many of the young people in treatment come to realize in their early recovery. Many young adults get swallowed up in experimenting with drugs and alcohol and are later surprised to find themselves addicted. Influences on

This is part four of a twelve-part series wherein we will take a closer look at each of the twelve steps of recovery. This post was originally published on AA Beyond Belief. Reposted with permission.  Step 4: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. by John S. Introduction:

This is part three of a twelve-part series wherein we will take a closer look at each of the twelve steps of recovery.  Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him. The journey of recovery has allowed us

For years, recovery from chemical dependency was thought to be the same for everyone, regardless of gender. The thinking was that “addiction is addiction” and that treatment and the Twelve Step meetings were an ideal place for men and women to work together on a common problem. However, recovery is

After almost seven years in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, the first image that comes to mind when I think of the word “addict,” is of a homeless, older, disheveled man in a dirty trench coat.  He is alone, and stumbling slowly down a dark and wet street, gripping

This is part two of a twelve-part series wherein we will take a closer look at each of the twelve steps of recovery.  Step 2: We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. This is a simple step, but one that as addicts we

A big part of recovery is breaking the old habits that reinforced addiction and replacing them with healthy habits that support recovery. Some aspects of breaking these “bad habits” can be incredibly emotionally difficult, such as cutting ties with old friends that you drank or used with. Other habits can

This is part one of a twelve-part series wherein we will take a closer look at each of the twelve steps of recovery.  Step 1: We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, and that our lives had become unmanageable. Some people arrive at a 12 step meeting knowing

  Each year as December slides into January, we begin making lists of all the things we want to change or “do better” in the New Year. Exercise more. Eat less. Stop smoking. Be nicer. All noble goals laid out with the best intentions, but so often left by the

The holidays are rife with triggers. For many, they are indicative of jovial social events and spending time with family. For others they can be a lonely and isolating time. But no matter what your personal circumstances, there is always the potential for unexpected feelings and emotions to arise. The