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Becoming Aware is the first Pillar of Living the Soul of Recovery, and is one of the basic components of an empowered and enjoyable advanced recovery. What does being aware really entail? There are three components which comprise Awareness: Mindfulness, Wisdom and Essence. Here is an overview of each. Mindfulness – How to Be Fully … Read more

Advanced, long-term recovery from addictions is what we who have suffered the stranglehold of addiction strive for. The joy and freedom of it is worth all the effort of abstinence, sobriety and early recovery. Yet it can bring with it its own unique set of issues and challenges that are less intense or less of … Read more

Introduction This and the five remaining articles in the Recovery Series are aimed at people with long-term recovery from addictions. Sometimes called Stage III Recovery, Advanced Recovery comes with its own set of issues, concerns and challenges despite the years of integrating the principles learned and practiced in an individual’s recovery process. Nothing will replace … Read more

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous is the best-known system for recovery, and is generally thought to be the most consistently successful. But it is not the only system. Some people have difficulty with the language of AA. Written in 1939, it can be challenging to understand some of the phrases since word usage has … Read more

The sixth article in this series listed the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. These steps have been adopted and adapted for nearly every addiction by the anonymous group dedicated to that addiction. But what about the vast majority of people who do not identify themselves as having had an addiction (and thus have no perceived … Read more

The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous comprise a group of principles that, when applied with intention and consistency, transform our lives. We have the opportunity with them to turn from a destructive way of life to one that is meaningful, purposeful and powerful. AA literature does not isolate or boil these principles down into single … Read more

Those of you who are familiar with my program, Living the Soul of Recovery, know that the first pillar of strength for long-term recovery is Awareness. Awareness has three components: –       Mindfulness –       Inner Wisdom –       Essence These three parts, working in harmony with each other, enable us to know and master ourselves so we … Read more

In the previous article, I wrote about the 6 Stages of Recovery. Stages 3, 4 and 5 are about abstinence, sobriety and early recovery, respectively, and no program of starting and maintaining recovery is better known or probably more successful than the 12 Steps. Originally published in 1939 in the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, these steps … Read more

(Note: Please see Blog #2 in this series, “The Four Types of Addiction,” for a definition of addiction and a description of its types. Recovery is not just for alcohol and drug addicts!) Addiction is like a living death. It feels isolating, empty, painful (emotionally to be sure, but often physically as well), confusing, lost, … Read more

In my last article, I wrote about the chemicals that are released in the brain in the addiction process. Here’s a brief recap: – Dopamine, which stimulates arousal; – Norepinephrine, which stimulates excitement; – Oxytocin, which creates bonding; – Prolactin, which releases tension; and – Serotonin, which brings about satisfaction. We all want to experience … Read more