Spirituality

Sometimes people are turned off by recovery in the Twelve Step Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous because of issues they may have with organized religion. The strength of 12 Step Programs is that they urge each individual to develop his/her own understanding of a source of spiritual strength. Perhaps the best place to start, I think, is with the willingness to be open to the support of others in recovery who have learned how to not drink by using AA principles. The strength of the group can be the foundation of spiritual growth.

Recovery Community

Check out this website for good recovery information and support: http://onlinerecoverysupport.ning.com/

Courage to change the things I can

The Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. How does an individual in recovery find the courage mentioned in this prayer? As with most aspects of recovery, developing the "courage to change the things I can" is an ongoing process. The progress that you can achieve will most often come from improving and strengthening your relationship with your source of spiritual strength, your Higher Power. Ways to improve and strengthen that relationship include use of daily spiritual disciplines (morning and nightly prayer, spiritual readings and reflections), helping others, and asking for help from others, in recovery, attending 12 Step meetings and listening and sharing. Fear is normally a huge issue in early recovery. Ask in morning prayers and throughout the day for the strength to take risks and do what you are supposed to do. Over time, you will reach the point where fear, though present (fear seems to be part of being human), rarely will prevent you from doing "the next right thing."

Is there a Cure for Addiction?

Most persons knowledgeable about addictions would simply answer: "no." Addiction to alcohol or other drugs is not cured by time abstinent from use of the addictive substance. There is no therapy that can teach an addict or alcoholic to use without problems over any significant period of time. Because of changes in brain chemistry and other pschological habituation factors, few, if any, individuals once addicted can return to normal, non-harmful use. The answer to addiction is abstinence from the addictive substance. Long term abstinence usually can be maintained only through comprehensive treatment that addresses the physical-medical, emotional-mental, and spiritual issues that are particular to each individual.

Seniors

Seniors do well in treatment for drug or alcohol problems, provided the service providers understand the special needs of seniors. "Patient, gentle, respectful" are traits that counselors must have especially with seniors. Older persons may have had recent losses, may be in chronic pain, and may be overwhelmed by a host of problems that are associated with being elderly. It is most unfortunate that even physicians fail to understand the special issues of the elderly. I just read about a study that as their patients age, physicians tend to spend less time with them. Physicians also tend to not even probe for drug or alcohol problems in the elderly, assuming that problems with balance, memory, blood pressure, sleeping, etc. are due to ageing rather than to medications and/or alcohol use.

Step One Powerlessness

The threshold requirement for a successful recovery from addictive disease is a gut level acknowledgement (not just intellectual) that you can no longer use drugs or alcohol without loss of control and ensuing negative consequences that outweigh any short term high or mood change from use. Any notion that you can somehow, some day, under some circumstance use drugs or alcohol successfully must be banished from your mind. Usually the only way to arrive at this state of mind is through much pain and proof to yourself that cannot use and get way with it. Are you there, yet?

Long Term Recovery

Do you know the number one key to maintaining long term recovery (abstinence) from addiction? Aside, of course, from not doing whatever you are recovering from doing, the key to staying abstinent and in recovery is to KEEP COMING BACK. This phrase certainly can mean to regularly attend and participate in Twelve Step meetings, but also can mean to continue any ongoing method of reminding yourself that time does not cure addiction and that provides you support, including, hopefully, the opportunity to share and receive feedback, and access spiritual strength.

Honesty

Honesty in recovery from addictive disease is essential. There are many aspects to honesty about your addiction. Of particular importance is an examination of the negative effects of your drug, alcohol, or other addictive behavior. First of all, you must take an unflinching look at how your addiction has hurt you and those you care about so that you can lay to rest any notion that you can return to your active addiction without devastating consequences. From the pain of uncovering how you hurt yourself and others can come a solid foundation for recovery.

Sharing

Why should you, a person newly in recovery from addictive disease, share with others in recovery perhaps in 12 Step meetings, in groups, or even online? There many reasons why sharing can be healthy and a support for your recovery. Talking out loud about a problem and your thoughts and feelings about it , can help you to clarify your thoughts and feelings; means that your problem is no longer a scret that may fester when held close to you alone; and finally, sharing may help the other person.

Twelve Step Meetings

I strongly suggest that anyone seeking to recover from an addiction, or from the effects of a relationship with a person with an addiction, go to 12 Step meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous (http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/), Narcotics Anonymous (http://www.na.org/), Gamblers Anonymous (http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/), Al-Anon (http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/), Nar-Anon (http://nar-anon.org/contactus.htm), and Gam-Anon(http://www.gam-anon.org/). These programs provide free support and vital information that can form the basis for a solid recovery. Attend 6 meetings with an open mind and see if you can understand why I recommend these groups.

Use Pain as an Opportunity

In recovery, how you react to the emotional pain and stress of life can be the difference between growth in recovery and relapse into your addictive behavior. Try to look at pain as an opportunity for growth, an opportunity to use new tools to handle pain (such as prayer and sharing), rather than resorting to old destructive means such as drug or alcohol use. Every time you refuse to use an addictive behavior to deal with emotional pain, you will grow in strength.

Keep It Simple

In early recovery from addictive disease (actually anytime in recovery), it is important to keep it simple: don't pick up a drink or a drug, or act on any thought or craving to use, regardless of what happens today. There is no good excuse for relapsing into addictive behaviors; so, keep it simple: it doesn't matter how bad you feel, how lonely you are, how angry you are, etc.---just don't use or do your addictive behavior (gamble, exercise, visit internet porn site, eat empty calories, if any of these are a part of your addiction). If you remain abstinent and in a recovery program, you will learn how to handle all these feelings, but for now, just don't do your addictive thing.

Live One Day at a time

Persons in early recovery from addiction, or the effects of an addiction, are often in a lot of pain and under much pressure from their minds, and maybe even from persons close to them, to use old, well-known ways to handle the pain, namely, to relapse into addictive behaviors. A recovery tool that can be a lifesaver is the concept of living one day at a time. This concept sounds trite and cheesy, but applied to the reality of recovery from addiction, can be the difference between abstinence and relapse. Brand into your head as a recovering person that today is the only day that you have to stay abstinent; you can handle the pain and cravings just this one day; don't think about abstinence the rest of your life---just for today.

Daily Spiritual Disciplines

It is vital to recovery from any addiction, or from the effects of a close relationship with an addicted person, to put in place daily spiritual disciplines. I refer to setting aside time every morning to ask your source of spiritual strength, or Higher Power, to be able to stay away from the first drink, drug, bet, website, or other addictive behavior, or attempt to control another person. One assist in this daily discipline can be through reading a daily meditation or reflection geared to your particular addiction, you know, those little books with a page for each day? The books can be purchased online from organizations like Hazelden: www.hazelden.com/, or you can subscribe to my service and receive a daily reflection by e-mail from me: http://www.alcoholdrugsos.com.