Tag Archives: Addiction treatment

Daily Reading from Recovery Days November 29th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – sit comfortably


Agnostics


Charles Darwin was in as good a position as most to take a view on creation and the meaning of life. His work On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was published on this day in 1879. It changed the world. As a scientist, he felt unable to believe anything for which there was not valid proof, such as the existence of God. Nevertheless, he remained an agnostic because like many great scientists, the more he explored the origin of the universe, the more difficult it became to view it as a chance event. Einstein felt the same. In the Twelve Step fellowships, everyone is free to believe whatever they wish about creation and the meaning of life. Most people come to the view that addiction is a powerful thing and therefore requires a powerful response, which the individual is unable to give, without help. Do I have an open mind on matters of belief?

You don’t have to understand everything in order to believe, whatever the scientists may say. Step Two begins: Came to believe. This means starting a process we feel is right, which will itself give peace of mind and fulfilment, while we explore the greater meaning in the universe: Today I am grateful for my belief in God and recognise the open-mindedness of agnostics.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days November 27th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment


Exercise and recovery

Our nature lies in movement, complete calm is death, (Blaise Pascal). Addiction is a mental, spiritual and physical disease so, successful recovery should involve these three elements. Exercise alone may not directly impact on the Twelve Step programme, but it gives many obvious benefits that can be grouped under the general heading recognised by the ancient dictum: Mens sana in corpore sano. (a sound mind in a sound body). These include stress reduction, general wellbeing and a better sleep pattern. It is even possible for people to become addicted to the act of taking exercise. Do I recognise the real benefits of a sensible exercise routine?

The therapeutic effect of gentle exercise was recognised by medieval monks who would recite their daily office while walking up and down. Another Latin phrase: Solvitur ambulando (things can be solved by walking) is attributed to the fifth-century bishop St Augustine. Walking is a valid form of meditation. Japanese poet Basho recommended composing Haiku (three-line poems) while walking:
No one travels
Along this way but I
This autumn evening. (Basho).
Today I will gratefully experience the benefits of exercise.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days November 9th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – review expectations


Witnessing

After many years of ruinously destructive addiction,
a person enters rehab and leaves clean and sober.
What happened? Change happened. What sort of
change? Change of attitudes, beliefs and
behaviours. How did change happen? Through
honesty, openness and willingness. But how was it
successful when so many fail? Through outside
help. What help? Help from a Power greater than
ourselves. Why? Because the person asked. This is
the story of thousands who follow the Twelve Steps.
Through our recovery, we bear witness to the power
of the programme and to our Higher Power. Am I
aware of my responsibility as a recovering person, to
bear witness through my behaviour and attitude to
life?

To bear witness is to be a living proof of a
significant happening. Just saying it is true is not
enough. Actions speak louder than words.
If I alone bear witness about myself, my
testimony is not deemed true. But…the very
works I am doing, bear witness about me.
The Bible, St John.
At first, our loved ones are understandably sceptical.
Today I will bear witness to my recovery.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 20th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – open your mind


Unselfishness


Truly unselfish people are often overlooked, but
they expect no praise. Take that wonderful example
– Jane Eyre the eponymous heroine of Charlotte
Bronte’s great novel. Self-effacing but quietly
determined, she finds fulfilment in the end: I am no
bird; and no net ensnares me. I am a free human
being with an independent will. She proves the
saying that, if you are not afraid to show yourself as
you really are, then others will respond positively.
Her unselfish devotion to the damaged though
sincere Mr Rochester ends happily: Reader, I
married him! Do I believe that in giving, I will
receive?

We live in a world that is designed to provide us with
what we want, provided we pay for it. We often rush
to gratify our desires without a thought for the true
cost – the work of others, the damage to the
environment, the effect on our health. Delaying
gratification is difficult, partly because it involves
using imagination to visualise a future benefit. But
delaying gratification also means we are not giving
our selfish desires top priority and that is progress indeed. For that insight I am grateful,

Daily Reading from Recovery Days October 17th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – send positive thoughts


Word power


Words can lead us into new ways of thinking.
Advertising copywriters say that, among the most
powerful words in the English language are: You,
Imagine, Now, Because, and Believe.

These are said
the be the words that influence us the most – we can
view them as follows:

  • You: focus for empathy
  • Imagine: the start of hope
  • Now: the call to action
  • Because: the gateway to understanding
  • Believe: achieve the impossible.

Perhaps what works for copywriters works for those
recovering from addiction. Try combining them in a
sentence such as: You are stronger than you
imagine and you can decide now to change your
life, because if you believe in yourself, you can do
anything. Feel the power of that! Sometimes,
looking at ourselves from a different perspective
gives us new insights. Am I keeping an open mind?
Every day in recovery is an opportunity to explore
new ideas of spirituality and creativity. I give thanks
for the power of words, correctly used.

August 18th

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Remember Mindfulness – feel your body from top to toes

Trust in a Higher Power

In the book The Outsider, the hero Meursault is shown as a cold-bloodied murderer awaiting execution who says that he has only a little time left and he doesn’t want to waste it on God. That is an astonishingly arrogant statement. The author, Albert Camus is trying to shock the reader, but he is also saying somewhat bleakly, that total honesty, and uncompromising self-sufficiency is the only answer, if you believe God does not exist. Camus does not want this to be the case, indeed he spent his life attempting to transcend nihilism. Believing in a Higher Power allows us to feel we are connected. Do I feel I am not alone?

Blaise Pascal’s thoughts on the existence of God are known as Pascal’s Wager: If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager then, without hesitation, that he exists. This is a sensible approach, but much better to believe completely in a Higher Power. Today, I reflect on the further words of Pascal: there is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 2nd by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly


Reaching out


Mr Toad, in Kenneth Grahame’s book The Wind in
the Willows is a children’s favourite and a
therapist’s dream. An emotional ragbag of childish
rebel and arrogant fantasist, he epitomises the
‘King Baby’ type so often found in addiction
counselling. Mr Toad’s enormous ego leads him
into all kinds of trouble including prison, for what
sounds like automobile theft and drink-driving. His
salvation comes through his innate honesty and the
unwavering love and support of his friends. One could
draw a parallel with many real addiction stories.
Addiction isolates people. Along our path to
recovery, there is nearly always somebody who at
some crucial moment was there to extend the hand
of unconditional love and friendship. Am I grateful
for the acts of kindness that I have received?


A brand new, bright red motor car might seem the
most desirable gift. But a smile of thanks when we
perform an unsolicited act of kindness does more
good at far less cost. It takes little to bring happiness–
I just need to reach out and ‘astonish a mean world
with my random acts of kindness’ as American
writer Maya Angelou might have said. I ask God
today for the motivation to reach out to others.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 13th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – feel your body from top to toes

Keep it simple

Thinking, feeling, perception and intuition are the four functions of the ego, according to renowned psychiatrist Carl Jung. Employing these, we interpret and respond to reality. That works best when we have rid ourselves of the burdens of the past and the future and simply focus on today. We distort our grasp of reality by our opinions, our needs or our expectations. We must keep it simple, then we can progress our personal development. Do I appreciate that I must build my life on a foundation of reality?

Keep it simple Thinking, feeling, perception and intuition are the four functions of the ego, according to renowned psychiatrist Carl Jung. Employing these, we interpret and respond to reality. That works best when we have rid ourselves of the burdens of the past and the future and simply focus on today. We distort our grasp of reality by our opinions, our needs or our expectations. We must keep it simple, then we can progress our personal development. Do I appreciate that I must build my life on a foundation of reality?

When you lack understanding and you are unable to control your mind, your senses do not obey you, just as unruly horses do not obey a charioteer. Hindu, Upanishads. Total control of my mind will probably never happen, but I must remember that my thoughts, feelings and actions are all connected. If I focus on these and do not let my opinions and expectations get in the way, then I will be able to make the right choices. I will use meditation and mindfulness to help clarify my thoughts.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 10th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – relax your whole body

Dangerous relapse situations

Talk of having a ‘slip’ can minimise its seriousness. We can all get thoughts about drinking. Our addiction keeps trying to stage a comeback. The crucial moment is when the thought first appears. We must be quick to root it out and not entertain it because once we start dreaming about drinking or using, we are unconsciously grooming ourselves to embrace the notion. A cool glass of beer on a hot day can be a delightful thought as we struggle down a crowded city street but where would it lead us? It is vital that we banish such thoughts immediately and have a prearranged plan for doing so – a person to call or a task to change our mindset. Do I have a plan to deal with ideas of drinking and using?

As soon as I start to think that I am in control of my life, that even subconsciously, I have no real need for my Higher Power, then I am in danger. I must carry out a reality check – back to basics: I am addicted, probably no human power could have relieved my addiction, but my Higher Power has helped me do so, when asked. How can I think, when I look at the past, that I can succeed on my own?

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 5th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Help to change

Honesty, openness and willingness to change are three essentials of successful recovery. Openness is important because it allows us to accept new ideas. These can take many forms but one of the most surprising for some people is the idea of a Higher Power. Yet, anyone looking back at our past and the change that has happened since, might conclude that they see something pretty miraculous. How do people who have been written off as hopelessly addicted manage to turn their lives around? Since we were unable to help ourselves at that time, some other powerful force must have appeared.

A miracle is an extraordinary event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws. Life itself is one – nobody has been able to explain scientifically how it first happened. I am not being asked to believe in a specific source of power in the universe. I am simply asked to open my mind to the idea that there is a power of some kind that is greater than me and which helps me if asked. I can feel that power in the experience, strength and support of other people. May it always be there for us all, so that what I see darkly, I will see face to face one day.