The Usual Suspects: Breaking Down Roadblocks to Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinApril 24, 2013The road to recovery is a unique journey that each newcomer takes once the commitment to sobriety has been made. How many times has someone new to the clean and sober state wished for a guide to living in sobriety, one that could prove useful in avoiding the common mistakes and setbacks – or just…
Coping Mechanisms to Aid Your Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinApril 19, 2013Life is filled with challenges, interpersonal conflict, physical and emotional pain, loss, and stress. It doesn’t matter who you are – no one goes through life unscathed. Some people also experience significant trauma, be it a childhood scarred by abuse, neglect or the tragic loss of one or both parents; a near-death experience as an…
Next Step Prepaid Credit Card Can Help Addicts Gain Control RecoveryBy Promises AustinApril 14, 2013There are many tools available to assist alcohol and drug addicts with their recovery once they make the decision to be sober. Physicians, rehabilitation facilities, licensed therapists, support groups, and 12-step recovery systems such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are available to individuals hoping to kick a troublesome habit. Recently, a company called the…
Recovery Balancing Act: Maintaining An Even Keel Between Work And Life RecoveryBy Promises AustinApril 2, 2013If it seems as though many days are a tough struggle just to get through, and you’re in early recovery, the good news is that you are not alone. Many other newcomers to sobriety are feeling the same. But that doesn’t help you much when you have to figure out a way to not only…
How To Find New Interests In Recovery – When Nothing Interests You RecoveryBy Promises AustinFebruary 26, 2013It can be a life-altering experience to go through rehab and find that you have entered recovery without a clue what to do next. Granted, you probably heard a few recommendations during the final phase of treatment, generally centering on relapse prevention and the advice to live one day at a time. Most of this…
The Law of Possibilities RecoveryBy Promises AustinJanuary 30, 2013“He can who thinks he can, and he can’t who thinks he can’t. This is an inexorable, indisputable law.” – Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter and sculptor, one of the most-recognized figures in twentieth-century art, best-known as the co-founder (with Georges Braque) of cubism (1881-1973) If we stayed in the mud, clinging to our addiction, we’d…
Top Reasons Men in Recovery Relapse with Drugs RecoveryBy Promises AustinJanuary 21, 2013There are many reasons men who are struggling to remain sober from alcohol or drugs relapse. Taken in reverse order, the four most common reasons are: They refuse to give up the friends, connections, and world of their addiction. There is a saying in 12-step recovery: To achieve lasting sobriety, you only need to give…
Nobody Plans to Be an Addict: Rediscovering Dreams Unfulfilled and Finding the Courage to Move On RecoveryBy Promises AustinJanuary 9, 2013For human beings, dreaming of a brighter future is as natural as breathing, eating, and sleeping. We all have ambitions and personal missions, things we are determined to accomplish and absolutely convinced we will accomplish if only we are given the opportunity. Our dreams are chicken soup for the soul, keeping us motivated and optimistic…
How do You Know if You Have the Wrong AA or NA Sponsor? The Top Ten Warning Signs RecoveryBy Promises AustinJanuary 5, 2013For drug addicts and alcoholics who are new to recovery and the peer support group experience, finding a good sponsor can mean the difference between success and failure. In some extreme circumstances, it can even mean the difference between life and death. That might sound overly dramatic. But addiction is a life-threatening illness, and the…
How Opening Up Your Mind Benefits Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinDecember 27, 2012“One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, U.S. author and physician (1809-1894) Have we ever thought about our mind as having infinite capabilities? Do we imagine, even just a little, that we are capable of brilliance and uniqueness and incredible accomplishments? If not, why not?…
