Category Archives: Addiction Recovery

Addiction recovery

Daily Reading from Recovery Days June 2nd by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment


Self-care


Self-care is akin to self-respect, and it is desirable to have both. By reaching out to others, we validate our own sense of purpose and belonging in the world. Addiction makes us very selfish people but also very lonely people. Building defensive walls around ourselves produces isolation. We need to find the strength to remove these barriers and show ourselves as we really are. Am I ready to remove my defences?


Fear takes us back into our primitive state where the choices are fight, freeze or flight. That might have helped primitive man escape from a dinosaur but it’s not much help to me, in recovery today. Today I have a wealth of experience and knowledge that was not available to primitive man, yet in times of crisis, I can sometimes do no better. I should reflect on the example of others, who have learned appropriate responses to all kinds of situations. Today I will remember that self-care is about learning from others.

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Daily Reading from Recovery Days June 1st by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – review expectations


Spiritual growth


In peace, there’s nothing so becomes a man
as modest stillness and humility.
W. Shakespeare, King Henry V.
Humility is the virtue that brings us closest to reality. That makes it very important in addiction recovery. True humility does not allow false pride; it enables us to learn from others and it allows us to ask for help without feeling ashamed. It allows us to understand our weaknesses and to admit our mistakes. It is hard to imagine spiritual growth without humility. Do I understand that I need humility if I am to grow spiritually?


Humility is a difficult virtue to attain because it involves mastery of the ego. It is quite natural that I should care how other people regard me, because I am a social animal. But if I make myself seem better than I am, I live a lie. Much better to be honest. Today I will meditate on the words of the apostle, James:
Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.

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Daily Reading from Recovery Days May 31st by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment


Al-Anon


In May 1951, forty-eight family groups in the USA
which were connected to AA members voted to join
together, forming Al-Anon. As early as 1936, Lois W
and Anne S (the wives of AA’s co-founders) had
been talking with the families of AA members and
generally helping groups in various parts of the
country but there was no overall official organisation
until 1951. Today there are over twenty-four
thousand Al-Anon groups worldwide. We should
acknowledge the effective work they do in helping
countless family members who might otherwise
struggle to understand the disease of addiction. Am
I grateful for the work of Al-Anon?


Don’t talk, don’t trust and don’t feel are the three
main rules in dysfunctional families. And rules can
get passed down over the generations. Where
families understand what’s going on and the
reasons why, there is more family recovery. The
addicted person usually gets the main attention and
other family members are side-lined, often at great
emotional cost. Al-Anon not only educates but
supports such people. Today I give thanks and pray
for the wellbeing of all its members.


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Daily Reading from Recovery Days May 30th by Chris B

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Reaching out

Loneliness is on the increase. So is communication.
How can that be? It seems there are too many
messages and not enough real connection. How
satisfying can it really be to have a ‘friend’ on social
media whom you have never met in the flesh?
Meeting strangers face to face often makes us feel
good, so why don’t we do it more? Perhaps out of
laziness, or fear, or low self-esteem. Yet, giving of
ourselves is one of the most basic ways of reaching out
to another human being. If we are going to grow
spiritually, then we have to start trying new ways of
defining who we are. Will I reach out to help a
stranger in need or will I hide in my comfort zone?


We are defined by what we do, not by words or
intentions. Ask yourself what people will say about
you at your funeral. Instead of thinking that the
world owes us a living, we should all be asking what
we can do to make the world a better place. Today I
ask God that I will not shirk my responsibility to
others in the world.

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Daily Reading from Recovery Days May 29th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly


Steps Four and Five


We must learn from our past mistakes. The personal
inventory in Step Four must be as searching and
thorough as we can make it. You can’t clean a house
properly if you don’t know where the dirt is.
Sometimes it’s convenient to ignore things too
painful to recall. But, a thorough Spring clean
brings great satisfaction. Have I completed a
searching and thorough Fourth and Fifth Steps?

Looking inside myself, I may still see defects of
character because few people are perfect. I need not
despair. Experience and the example of others has
shown me that life in recovery is manageable as
long as I am working towards spiritual growth. My
Higher Power is there to help me face my true self.
I must check my personality regularly, as a doctor
would check my body, and take remedial action
where it is needed. Today I ask God that I never be
complacent about my personality and the need for
regular check-ups.

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Daily Reading from Recovery Days May 28th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly


Steps Four and Five


We must learn from our past mistakes. The personal inventory in Step Four must be as searching and thorough as we can make it. You can’t clean a house properly if you don’t know where the dirt is. Sometimes it’s convenient to ignore things too painful to recall. But, a thorough Spring clean brings great satisfaction. Have I completed a searching and thorough Fourth and Fifth Steps?


Looking inside myself, I may still see defects of character because few people are perfect. I need not despair. Experience and the example of others has shown me that life in recovery is manageable as long as I am working towards spiritual growth. My Higher Power is there to help me face my true self. I must check my personality regularly, as a doctor would check my body, and take remedial action where it is needed. Today I ask God that I never be complacent about my personality and the need for regular check-ups.

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Daily Reading from Recovery Days May 27th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – review expectations


Powerlessness


‘We are powerless over our addiction’ is a phrase often heard in addiction recovery. Yet it would be a mistake to conclude that willpower is therefore pointless. What we must understand is that willpower alone is not enough. The paradox of recovery is that by surrendering our will (and by implication, our willpower), we find the means to recover. Yet, we have to take responsibility and we have to take action. This requires a firm commitment, an effort of will. Admitting the problem, connecting with the best available help – our Higher Power, and then committing to a programme of regeneration via the Twelve Steps, is what recovery is all about. It requires willingness and willpower to carry that out. Do I recognise that I need willpower as well as willingness, for recovery?


Recovery requires a leap of faith. But I can’t just sit back and hope my Higher Power will perform a miracle. Miracles happen, but we have to act too. Recovery is not a choice between Willpower and Higher Power – both are needed. Today I give thanks for the miracle of recovery.

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Daily Reading from Recovery Days May 26th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment


How important is it?


King Midas of Phrygia was granted by the Gods the
power to turn everything he touched into gold.
Unfortunately, this meant his food, his wine and even
his daughter became gold within a short time.
Luckily the Gods relented before he died of
starvation, but he had learnt a valuable lesson; there
are more important things in life than gold. A lot of
people nowadays don’t seem to have noticed. They
pursue wealth as if it is the answer to everything. Do
I understand that money is not the answer to all my
problems?
American Billionaire Chuck Feeney gave away all
his eight-billion-dollar fortune, living his last days in
a rented apartment, owning just one pair of shoes.
He was influenced by early twentieth century
benefactor Andrew Carnegie’s dictum: To die rich is
to die disgraced. His message to other billionaires
thinking of giving while living was: Try it, you’ll like
it. Today I ask to remember that by giving, I will
receive.


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Daily Reading from Recovery Days May 25th by Chris B

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Silence

The ancient Greeks had nine muses. The early Roman king, Numa Pompilius, wisely added one more – Tacita, the muse of silence. For silence can be as powerful as the loudest of noises. Anyone observing two minutes of silence on Remembrance Day would agree. The value of communal silence is not appreciated as it used to be. Mediaeval monks valued silence greatly:

Everywhere peace, everywhere serenity.

Aelred, Abbot of Rievaulx.

Do I recognise the power of silence?

The Prophet Elijah in his cave, listening for the sound of God’s voice, said:

It was not heard in wind, earthquake or  fire, but in the sound of sheer silence. 

Silence isn’t empty, it’s often full of answers. Just a few minutes of silent meditation each day gives our brain and more importantly, our soul, a chance to rest and regenerate. Today I will find time for silence and I will appreciate the peace it brings.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days May 24th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – review expectations

Creativity in recovery

I have come into my strength

And words obey my call.   W.B. Yeats.

Contrary to popular belief, alcohol and drug use is less beneficial to creativity than recovery from addiction. Remarkable work has been produced under the influence of drugs, but usually it is the illusion of creativity, rather than works of true genius. Frustrated talent is the most common result of addiction, but when the stress and chaos of active drug use ceases, creativity bursts out. This can be used to process our feelings of loss, shame and guilt as well as making life more fulfilling and meaningful. Am I ready to explore my creativity?

Creativity takes us away from daily life towards the spiritual side – there is something miraculous about a work of art. Truly great art makes us think differently and thus act differently.

Remembering that the best I have done

Was done to make it plain.   W.B. Yeats.

It gives us new ideas and new ways of seeing things. Spirituality does the same. Today I ask God to open my mind to the idea of creativity.

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