Every year, millions of people decide to turn their lives in the midst of addiction into lives in the midst of recovery. One of the problems people encounter when making this change is that some of the close relationships they formed with people through addiction are lost and they may feel that they lose their support system.
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I enjoy the luxury of getting up most mornings and not having to rush out the door to get anywhere. Listening to the birds, watching the butterflies and hearing the water fountain gurgle makes for a leisurely morning on the patio and seems to make my 1 cup of instant coffee taste fantastic! Believe me I am not used to this and I cherish these times. It’s another promise coming true!
Continue Reading Recently I was asked to speak at a life lessons class at a treatment center in accordance with my role as a lead advocate for Heroes in Recovery (HIR). The appropriate presentation was unclear to me. My idea of this grassroots movement has changed quite a bit in the past year. When I accepted my position with HIR, my vision of a hero in recovery was someone else, not me.
Continue Reading Friday, January 13th, 2012 was a special day. It was the birthday of a woman I have been truly blessed to have in my life—my mother. We celebrated her birthday by going out to dinner at a new restaurant, going bowling, and playing arcade games with my daughter. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the night was a success. I drove home after the festivities had ended and pulled into my driveway. I got out of my car and opened the garage to go inside to catch some sleep. As I opened the door, an unwelcome surprise hit me smack in the nose!
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I recently read an article that I have continued to roll over in my mind. It spoke about how we as humans avoid pain and seek pleasure. More specifically, it points to how addicts and alcoholics, instead of feeling their pain, will drink or use drugs to relieve it.
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I will always remember the 10 hour drive to treatment. It was the beginning of December and we were driving north from Chicago. With every hour that went by, the landscape appeared to disappear under deeper and deeper layers of snow.
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