There was a popular song in the 1960’s entitled “Where have all the flowers gone?” by Pete Seeger. The chorus went:

“Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing.
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago.”

Alcoholism is a type of addiction that can affect an individual’s mental and physical health. To avoid further complications, rehabilitation is recommended. However, understanding how to get an alcoholic into rehab can be a confusing process, especially if the affected individual doesn’t acknowledge their addiction. If you or a loved one are looking for recovery options, here is an alcohol rehab guide to help you better understand the process.

On March 1st, meteorological spring started. On March 13th at 2 am, we will spring forward. And on March 20th we will experience equal amounts of sunshine and darkness as we usher in the spring equinox. Shakespeare wrote in his play Julius Caesar to, “Beware the Ides of March.” But from this author’s perspective, it looks like spring has finally spung and that’s a good thing.

Sponsors come from all levels of society, all cultures, and every gender identity. There are certain traits good sponsors share. These core traits are foundational to good sponsorship. 

We often hear in self-help meetings, “Have an attitude of gratitude”. For those of us who may not be feeling grateful, this can often come across as cliché and trite. But there is age old wisdom in the saying.

When I first came into the program, I was told by my sponsor and home-group members that I had to change the faces and places. I didn’t understand the phrase so I asked for clarification. They told me I had to find a new group of friends and a new set of hang-outs. For a 15-year-old, this was a monumental task. My peer group was everything to me. But I knew if I was going to stay alive and stay sober, I had to heed their sage advice.

Recovery Month is a national observance held every September. Started in 1989, Recovery Month educates Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life.

You can turn up the heat emotionally. You can turn up the heat physically. But what do you do when your emotional and physical temp are turned up, and you can’t access the reset gauge?

Experience…

While I was still in treatment sober living was “strongly suggested” as the next step in my recovery. I was told that it would put into practice the twelve-step approach to living in a somewhat controlled environment that would benefit my sobriety and my overall spiritual well-being. Believe me I was more than a little bit skeptical that this would in any way, shape, or form benefit me at all. This blog delves into whether they were right or not. We shall see.