Tag Archives: Addiction recovery

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 10th by Chris B

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Power of example

The characters in the Winnie the Pooh books make a good therapy group. It’s quite a well-known view that they all present with some form of diagnosable mental illness: Pooh (ADD), Tigger (ADHD), Rabbit (OCD), Roo (Autism), Eeyore (Depression), Piglet (Anxiety) and Christopher Robin (Schizophrenia). This anthropomorphic cast and their stories are a brilliant allegory of real life and also a great learning tool for anyone with social awkwardness or anxieties. The characters interact with each other naturally and are ready to listen and to learn. As a collective example of honesty, openness and willingness to change, they take some beating. They also demonstrate how a therapeutic community heal its members through power of example and unconditional positive regard. Can I learn from the example of others?

Promise me you’ll always remember you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh. That is quite a good description of the Serenity Prayer’s message. Today I give thanks for the healing power of the example of others.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 9th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – sit comfortably

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr.

There are very few situations that occur, to which saying the Serenity Prayer is not a helpful response. The prayer seems to shed light over all difficulties. Prayer itself can have various effects – it helps us to focus and formulate our thoughts, it can give reassurance and calm to troubled minds and of course it can produce results. The simple act of saying the Serenity Prayer can be a soothing influence. The prayer offers us acceptance, courage and wisdom as a solution to life’s problems. It’s not a new idea but it can work for anyone, addicted or not. Do I say the Serenity Prayer regularly?

The Serenity Prayer leads me to look inside myself. The source of all my unhappiness is myself – my scheming and responses to life and its problems.
Who looks outside, dreams, who looks inside, awakes. Carl Jung.

The Serenity Prayer takes me back to reality.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 8th by Chris B

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Knowing reality

When we question things – advice, instructions or just the behaviour of another person, we are reacting in a human way. Other animals do not normally question situations, although young animals show curiosity in their early years. Human ability to doubt and question may have helped our survival as a species (why is the long grass moving? Because there’s a lion hiding there). Strangely, humans are also unique in having dreams and fantasies that can influence their attitudes and actions. So, on the one hand we can fantasise ourselves into unreality and on the other, we check ourselves by questioning. It is important to recognise these two influences on our behaviour. Am I aware of my capacity to distort reality?

Balance is everything. By daily meditation, I can learn the habit of self-awareness. If I have internal conflict, it is usually because I want something, or I resist something that my conscience is telling me to do. If I learn to see things honestly, I can take action to restore balance. Today I thank God that I can dream and also question my dreams.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 5th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – feel your body from top to toes

Service

Once you have done a man a service, what more reward would you have? Is it not enough to have obeyed the laws of your own nature, without expecting to be paid for it? Marcus Aurelius.
We should not expect payment or thanks for doing service. It is part of our spiritual growth and our commitment to working the Twelve Steps. Giving of ourselves in this way adds to our sense of purpose and self-esteem. We feel that we are part of a community of like-minded people, that we belong. Am I offering myself for service in the fellowships?

Prayer is often described as: The lifting up of the heart and mind to God. Perhaps it is also the offering of myself in service. When I do that service, I also do God’s will. It is prayer-in-action. There are many ways of connecting with a Power greater than ourselves and this kind of action is satisfying as it differs from so many of my prayers that seem to be of the ‘please’ and ‘thankyou’ kind. I ask God today for unselfishness so that I may help others as I have been helped, without expecting praise or reward.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 4 by Chris B

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Love

Much has been written about love over the centuries, yet it remains partly a mystery. Is it a feeling or an activity, dependence or nurture, selfless or selfish? It has been described as mutual therapy and also as a mutual torture. Most of us long for it and much of mental illness is said to consist of the absence of love. It is also said that therapy works best where the therapist gives unconditional love. The Twelve Steps are a form of therapy, so it is just as well that love plays a big part there. An even greater force for AA’s unity is our compelling love for our fellow members and for our principles. Bill W. Do I feel the love that exists in the fellowships?

There is contemplative love and love in action. When I work the Twelve Steps, I experience both – the service I do, the amends I make to those I have hurt and the message I carry to struggling people are all examples of love in action, whereas my relationship with my Higher Power is usually love in contemplation. Both have their important place in my recovery. Today I give thanks for the love that I find in the fellowships.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days August 2nd by Chris B

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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 August 1 by Chris B

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Balancing needs

If you have been addicted and thus, someone who puts themselves first all the time, you will likely have caused a lot of damage to others. Steps Eight and Nine are about making amends. You identify those you have harmed. Then, in Step Nine you first divide that list into people that you can approach and those that it would be better not to contact because it would reopen old wounds. At this important moment you should consult your sponsor or a person you trust, for guidance. In your new-found zeal you may have difficulty balancing the cost to others against the desire to relieve your conscience. In some cases, more time may be needed. Do I accept that I must balance my needs with those of others?

The Twelve Steps are a blueprint for a happy life. These two Steps help us deal with the past, and teach us the importance of treating other human beings with the love, respect and consideration they deserve. Everyone has their own story with their own strengths and frailties which we need to recognise. Today I ask God for the wisdom to balance my own needs with the needs of others.

Daily Reading fro Recovery Days July 31 by Chris B

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Higher Power

Making sense of a Power greater than ourselves causes some people difficulty. That is understandable. It is sometimes explained like this: – Addiction is powerful, more powerful than us- We were unable to beat it until we asked for help- With help, we succeeded – that took some power to achieve- The power was in other people – fellowships and elsewhere- Perhaps that power came to them from elsewhere – What sort of power? It

doesn’t matter. It’s there. Can I accept the existence of a Power greater than myself even if I can’t put a label on it?

There are many atheists and agnostics in the Twelve Step fellowships. But, we share more similarities than differences. Our primary purpose is not to promote any religious belief but to stay sober and help others achieve sobriety. In our differences lies our strength, because we can appeal to all people and exclude none. Not all organisations can say the same. I give thanks for the recovery fellowships to which I belong

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 29 by Chris B

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Mindfulness

It is difficult to describe how mindfulness works. Being aware of our surroundings and of our place in the world and thus our place in the universe is part of it. Opening ourselves to something we cannot see or quantify, seems to bring us a feeling of peace. Perhaps it is because our past lives have been such a chaotic mess that we welcome these precious moments. American poet William Stafford, was a conscientious objector during World War Two: Been on probation most of my life. And The rest of my life been condemned. So, these moments Count for a lot – peace, you know. William Stafford. Am I exploring the benefits of mindfulness?

Prayer should be a dialogue, not a list of requests. It is quite a turning point when our communication turns from: Please give me this to: Thy will be done. It is spiritual progress, not a sign that we have reached our destination. We will not arrive there until we breathe our last. Today, I give thanks for the new relationship that I enjoy with my Higher Power.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days July 28 by Chris B

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Individuality

Influences and pressures are constantly with us today and hard to ignore. Of course, we can choose to block some, such as social media, but its power, often negative, is very strong. Understanding that we are being manipulated by clever market techniques may make us think twice. We are encouraged into envy, jealousy or just plain wanting things. The packaging is so glamorous that we don’t see possible consequences – debt, pride and disappointment, for example. People are often led into gambling, shopping, pornography and other behavioural addictions by clever marketing techniques. Do I consider negative consequences from social media and other influences?

If I am watching a small screen intermittently, for hours each day, how much time do I have for my own thoughts? And how much am I worrying about the opinions of others? I am not here on earth to meet other people’s expectations; I am here to do what is right for me and ultimately right for the world. Perhaps I need to review my responses. I ask God today for the strength to assert my individuality. ……………………………………………………….