Tag: recovery

sober coaching | life coaching > recovery

RECOVERY MYTH: ADDICTION IS A CHOICE

How many times have you heard that addiction is a choice? Well, it’s not. In the beginning, you make a choice to use alcohol or drugs to alter the way you feel. Soon this becomes a habit. The habit grows and gets out of control. By the time loss of control occurs your mind and body have been chemically altered and the substance of choice becomes as necessary as oxygen. If you believe that addiction is a choice then you must subscribe to the notion that other brain disorders or...Read More

SPONSORSHIP IN THE 12-STEP COMMUNITY DEMYSTIFIED

There are a lot of misconceptions about sponsorship in 12-step programs. There will be brochures that outline a lot of the common questions posed by newcomers. There is a period of adjustment as you learn the intricacies of the steps, traditions, and rituals of meetings.It is advisable to get a sponsor as soon as possible. The sooner you have a lifeline the better. Having a guide during your very early recovery is going to take a lot of the guesswork out of it, and give you something to focus on.WHAT...Read More

LOOK FOR SIMILARITIES NOT DIFFERENCES IN RECOVERY CIRCLES

When starting your recovery journey, identify the similarities, not the differences in the people and situations you encounter to develop a sense of belonging and community. There is proven psychology behind seeking the things that connect you to another person that will strengthen your support network and recovery foundation.When you enter a room full of people for the first time in treatment you have nothing in common with them, or so you think. Your mind will instantly plant rebuttal statements so you can remain aloof. You will be laser-focused on...Read More

YOU ARE NOT POWERLESS IN RECOVERY. YOU ARE A WARRIOR WHO CAN OVERCOME YOUR ADDICTION.

When you attend a 12-step meeting, you will be introduced to the first step which asks you to admit you are powerless over your substance and your life is unmanageable. This statement is true while you are stuck in the cycle of addiction, immersed in the culture and consequences that long-term substance abuse attracts. When you enter treatment or choose recovery the concept of powerlessness must be struck from your vocabulary and mindset. You are not powerless in recovery.In treatment, you are given the power back. It is your actions...Read More

A.A. MEETINGS, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. MAKE AN INFORMED CHOICE.

For hundreds, if not thousands of years, alcohol has been a part of society. The fledgling alcohol treatment phenomenon has taken off in the twenty-first century and is now a multi-billion dollar a year industry. Centuries ago there were treatments and groups to deal with ‘inebriates.’ Alcoholism was considered a moral issue for the longest time. The Temperance movement, Prohibition, and institutionalization have all had their day. Alcoholic Anonymous is perhaps the most well-known program for alcoholics since its inception in 1939. A.A. meetings have been the mainstay of peer...Read More

SHAME AND GUILT DON’T DEFINE YOU. IDENTIFY THE CAUSE AND UNLOCK YOUR INNER SUPERSTAR.

Shame and guilt in recovery are driving forces of relapse and staying stuck. Defining what shame and guilt are in regards to substance abuse is complicated and difficult to understand. Clarifying shame like an internal feeling of not being good enough, and guilt as an emotion tied to actions and behaviors you regret will give you a place to start.Simplifying how shame manifests in your adult life and in your substance abuse will help you identify areas you can work on to overcome the incorrect beliefs you hold about yourself...Read More

UNLEASH YOUR STRENGTHS. EMBRACE YOUR UNIQUENESS. DISCOVER THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS IN RECOVERY.

In any program of recovery, you are given a roadmap to follow. The basic principles are provided on which a foundation is built. Identifying your strengths and your unique qualities and applying them to your recovery is what makes it work.WHAT MATTERS?In the midst of substance abuse, you will lose sight of all the things that matter to you. Your value and belief system can become seriously compromised. Your strengths will have been buried under the chaos and drama that is your current life.In recovery, you will identify what you...Read More

RECOVERY MYTH: ONE WEEK SUBSTANCE FREE. YOU ARE CONVINCED YOU ARE CURED.

I have not had a drink or a drug for a week. I am cured. How many times have you heard that? How many people actually believe it? For the uneducated, this statement paints a sad but true picture of the general public’s belief about addiction.It could not be farther from the truth!Once you complete detox and get a few days clean and sober under your belt, and are feeling better than you have in years, you might think you’re cured.This type of overconfidence will take you right back out...Read More

RECOVERY MYTH – YOU CAN’T FORCE SOMEONE INTO TREATMENT

This is a minefield of opinion. But, yes, you can force someone into treatment. Whether they stay in treatment or remain clean and sober is another thing. HOW PEOPLE GET TO TREATMENTPeople are forced into treatment by the criminal and family court system all the time. There are special drug courts and outpatient programs that monitor clients over 18 months or so. There is also the 28 day stay at an inpatient if the courts so require.There are also probation and parole requirements that must be met that can include half-way...Read More

ABSOLUTELY GENIUS GIFTS TO EXCITE SOBER AF WOMEN – BE THAT PERSON THAT KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE PARK

Buying gifts for people in recovery will be a challenge if you are the type to only gift bottles of alcohol or alcohol related items. That gets old after a while. Want to make an impression? Gift something unique, out of the box, unusual, or right on point.Putting a bit of thought and effort into the equation will show your friend that you do indeed pay attention to their dreams, their current needs, and a way to spoil them. Spend some time to thoughtfully select something that will brighten their...Read More