Tag Archives: Addiction treatment

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.

Daily Reading from Recovery Days June 24th by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment

Reaching out

In moments of great emotional distress, when a kind person says: I don’t know what to say, they should probably not say anything and just be there to listen anyway. A gesture, however small, is often better than words. When you smile at someone, it is a small act of kindness. It is quite likely that those who are happiest are those who do the most for others; it is certainly worth a try. Am I ready to offer help to others today?

In my father’s house there are many rooms. New Testament, St John.

I should imagine the world as my father’s house and people I meet, as his guests whom I should treat with care and respect. Of course, this requires humility and non-judgmental service. Have I considered treating others in the same way as I would like to be treated, if I were in need? Like it or not, I am a part of mankind, and I cannot stay detached, I must be involved. Today I ask God that I will not stay detached but instead that I will find opportunities to help others.

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 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 21st by Chris B

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Remember Mindfulness – enjoy the moment

Higher Power

When considering Higher Power, some people get very tied up with what this means. Are they dealing with a religious God and if so, which religion? What does this Higher Power look like? They ask. The point lies in the word ‘Power’. There is a power that helps us, a power in the meeting rooms that you can sometimes feel. Trying to put a label on this power is missing the point. It is enough for us that the power is there, and it works through other people. Empirical knowledge of a Higher Power is not possible, so let us just accept that it exists, if only because something must make the planets go round the sun. Why do we need a label? How important is it? Am I content to accept my Higher Power as an unknown but powerful source of help?

People of every outlook, background and belief find support and success in the Twelve Step fellowships. Atheists do as well as religious believers. I must look at the similarities and keep it simple. The urge to complicate things has been my downfall in the past. A Power greater than myself is all I require. Today I ask God for wisdom to keep things simple.