Try as we might, some problems are so vexing and difficult that it seems impossible to arrive at any sort of workable solution. This is not an unusual situation for anyone in today’s stress-filled society, but it can be even more frustrating for those who are in recovery. When faced with simultaneous, and often conflicting, …
“When you are not honoring the present moment by allowing it to be, you are creating drama.” — Eckhart Tolle Chaos and drama: Some people thrive on them, seemingly on a mission to find ways to stir them up lest life become boring. Drama shows up in many situations. It can appear as a couple …
Recovery support groups typically contain people from all walks of life. At AA or NA meetings, you may come across people from different social classes as well as different races and religions. You’ll meet people who are young and old, rich and poor or somewhere in-between. From criminals to judges and from street people to …
There are many types of mindfulness practice. Some are meditative and draw on traditional practices such as transcendental meditation, Zen Buddhist meditation, yogic meditation, and the walking meditation popularized by the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Some types of mindfulness practices are task-oriented and rooted in daily life. Mindfulness teachers urge their students to instill …
You may be familiar with a Boy Scout rule that encourages cleaning up after yourself: “Leave the campground better than you found it.” This isn’t always easy in practice, especially for those whose behaviors in the throes of addiction left chaos and damage in their wake. To begin anew, taking inventory can be an enlightening …
Taking Inventory of the Relationships in Your Life Read More »
“Change is inevitable, change is constant.” — Benjamin Disraeli Humans never stop changing — which means we never stop coping with change. From the moment we’re born, we must learn to adapt to our environment in order to live and thrive, often without even being conscious of this instinct. By the time we’re old enough …
Control vs. Surrender in the Face of Life Change Read More »
While your spouse is in rehab for addiction, you may feel helpless and lost, unsure of what to do to help him or yourself. Instead of stewing in sorrow, self-pity or guilt, take action and take steps to heal and to be prepared for his return after rehab. Addiction doesn’t just affect the addict. It …
You’ve been through rehab and done the hard work of getting sober. You’re back to the real world and striving to make real changes in how you live your life so that you can be healthy and happy while maintaining your sobriety. You have loving family and friends on your side to support you, but …
Around one in five Americans experience extreme stress, and stress has been closely linked to addiction in a multitude of studies. Stress Awareness Month aims to shine the spotlight on stress, to help us all think about ways to reduce our stress and, in the process, to help us move away from poor coping mechanisms …
While stress is nearly unavoidable in this non-stop world and it’s all too easy to fall prey to ever-present stress, this doesn’t mean you have to live with it. Indeed, stress is best when banished because unchecked stress can lead to potentially fatal heart attacks, strokes, ulcers and many other serious medical conditions. What’s a …
5 Surprising Ways Meditation Can Help Reduce Stress Read More »