Browsing all posts in "tips".

Finding Peace: 10 Ways to Reduce Life Stress

I know when I was drinking, and in early sobriety, peace was not the word I would use to describe my life. Chaos would be pretty accurate. Misery would be accurate as well.  Feeling at peace is a wonderful goal for anyone in sobriety – because it is achievable and it can add a lot [...]

The Challenges of Summer Vacations

Sometimes the challenges of summer vacations are due to simply changing your schedule – you might be out of town for a week or two, or even longer. You no longer have your usual support network at your fingertips, especially if you travel abroad.  However, there are some things you can do to prepare for [...]

Repairing Trust Takes Time

One of the consequences of drinking and drugging is that you destroy trust.  To keep your addiction going you lie, manipulate, and maybe even steal. Sometimes in early sobriety it’s easy to get frustrated that people don’t trust you.
“Hey, I’m not drinking! I’m a new person! Give me a break!”
If you’ve been in and out [...]

When Your Family Is Even Crazier than You Are

Face it: when you are an alcoholic or addict, most of the time the people in your family have a few shortcomings. Grin. I mean, I have rarely met a recovering person who had a story of perfect parents who never drank too much or who just lived these exemplary lives filled with continually good [...]

Romanticizing the Bad Old Days

Ever find yourself getting wistful about the days when you were drinking?  It’s a really dangerous place to go – but most people do it at some point. Reminiscing needs to be kept in the proper perspective.  I think sometimes the best defense is a good offense (grin) – which means you have an arsenal [...]