Bad Expectations: How a Negative Outlook Can Ruin Your Recovery Chances RecoveryBy Promises AustinMarch 5, 2011You’ve heard of self-fulfilling prophecies, right? Well, when it comes to recovery from addiction, going around with a sour outlook is not only a miserable way to exist, it also can put a serious crimp in your recovery chances. Naturally, you want to do all you can to both jumpstart your sobriety and to ensure…
What it Means to be of Service to Others in Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinFebruary 22, 2011If you are among the millions of those in recovery who regularly attend 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) meetings, you already know that the Twelfth Step work involves sharing the A.A. message with other alcoholics – and that such an endeavor can help keep you sober. But there’s a lot of confusion over how you get…
The First 30 Days in Recovery: What To Expect RecoveryBy Promises AustinDecember 29, 2010If you’ve just come out of treatment for drug or alcohol abuse, or if you are welcoming home someone from treatment, the prospect of what to expect during the first 30 days in recovery is probably pretty frightening. There’s good reason for that. In fact, the early days of recovery are the most critical. It’s…
Settling into Your New Life in Recovery from Addiction RecoveryBy Promises AustinDecember 7, 2010You’ve completed treatment and are now back home. Congratulations! You’ve made a huge first step toward your goal of living clean and sober. Frankly, it can’t have been easy. Going through treatment is tough for most people – no matter how committed they are to overcoming problems with substance abuse or process addictions. While you’re…
Recovery Pitfalls and Common Sense Ways to Get Past Them RecoveryBy Promises AustinNovember 23, 2010Most individuals entering recovery from substance abuse or addiction to various behaviors are well aware that life isn’t going to be a breeze for the first few months or so. If you’re about to enter or have just entered recovery, you’re probably pretty familiar with the litany of pitfalls that you might encounter. What you…
Tips to Support Recovery During the Holidays RecoveryBy Promises AustinNovember 16, 2010Holidays can be stressful for anyone, particularly for those in recovery. Besides the temptations to party hearty that seem to be everywhere, there are also the feelings of depression and being left out to contend with. Don’t let the holidays get you down or cause you to slip. Here are some tips to support recovery…
How to Handle Rules and Emotions After Treatment For Substance Abuse RecoveryBy Promises AustinOctober 18, 2010Probably the first thing you want to do after completing treatment is just take a deep breath of fresh air. Probably the last thing you look forward to doing is starting in with a slew of rules designed to keep you on the straight and narrow. Then, there are all those pesky emotions that start…
Pace Yourself in Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinOctober 10, 2010Anyone who’s ever embarked on an endurance run knows the importance of pacing. The simple fact is that you can’t run flat out and expect to still be standing – or even make – the finish line. The same concept holds true in recovery. To be successful in long-term recovery, you simply must learn how…
5 Comedians Who’ve Recovered from Addiction RecoveryBy Promises AustinSeptember 10, 2010In honor of Addiction Recovery month and the upcoming Addicted to Comedy shows in Austin on Friday September 24th, 2010 being put on in part by the Promises Austin here is a list of comedians who have recovered from their addiction to drugs, alcohol and other substances. Robin Williams Robin Williams has appeared in more…
Take Bite-Sized Steps in Recovery RecoveryBy Promises AustinAugust 26, 2010You’re out of treatment and about to begin your first few days and weeks of recovery. Now what? Just the prospect of being on your own again is both liberating and more than a bit scary. That’s perfectly understandable, since you’ve just left a structured environment where if you ever had a problem, there was…
