Tag Archives: Addiction treatment

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.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 3rd by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Step Seven

Step Seven is about humility and also about reinforcing our commitment to change. I have committed to moving forward in life without these old behaviours is the basic message behind this important Step. If you can realistically appreciate your place in the world and your unique personality, then you are accepting life on life’s terms. You have no cause to be vain or arrogant but equally no cause to be ashamed. Can I take my place in the world without false pride or humility?

Step Seven is effectively saying that we are ready for new business and new ideas. We have asked for help in removing our shortcomings and now we need to fill the void left by that clean-out. In other words, opportunity beckons. Some of us may want to do service, some renew marriage vows, some perhaps will discover new strengths th a t they were unaware existed. It is a time for excitement and creativity. Today I ask God that I may make the best use possible of the talents that I have and the opportunities that appear.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days June 30th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – review

Better than well

This month we have explored humility, not wanting, listening and keeping it simple. We have looked at how mindfulness can help us bring balance and calm into our days. The process of spiritual growth is gradually happening within us. You could say the same thing about learning to enjoy life. Perhaps the two are linked. We will not achieve this ‘better than well’ state without ensuring that our attitudes, aims and choices are right. Do I understand that the goal of ‘better than well’ is not a passive state but something to be worked for?

Every day that I try my best to follow the programme of recovery, I am learning new habits. Perhaps I can already feel the difference. Each time that I help another person, be true to my word and assert myself appropriately, I increase my self-respect. If I can tell myself each night that I did my best, then I will feel peace of mind and will thank my Higher Power for guiding me. I ask God today to continue guiding me along the route of spiritual progress.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days June 28th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment

Al-Anon

We who are in recovery have managed with the help of a Higher Power, to rise phoenix-like from the bonfire of our addictive vanities. But how should our loved ones deal with this strange but vaguely familiar creature that has re-entered their lives? People in early recovery are often touchy and emotionally fragile. The best thing that family members can do for this ‘phoenix’ is to stay detached but supportive while they themselves go to Al-Anon. Do I appreciate the power of Al-Anon?

If instead of a triumphant hero, our phoenix turns out to be a wobbly, ambivalent and slightly lame duck, that does not necessarily mean disaster. The first bab steps are often faltering. Family members are advised to remember the ‘Three C’s’ – I did not cause this; I cannot cure this, and I cannot control this. Sometimes loved ones are so desperate for the person’s success that they find themselves managing their recovery for them. But success will only come when the addicted person takes action. Today I give thanks for the fellowship of Al-Anon.