Keep Calm When Disaster Strikes

Now is the time to keep calm. We’re not in control of so many aspects of our lives at the best of times. We can’t control what the other people in our lives are going to do, things can go wrong at work, and then there’s the weather… There’s a lot to manage in normal, […]
The Toxic Past: A Survival Guide

A Toxic Past Can Be Survived The toxic past returns to haunt us all, but there is hope for recovery. I started crying the other day while I was hiking. It just happened, and before I knew it, tears were rolling down my face. I finally stopped and took off my glasses to wipe my […]
When Does A Habit Become An Addiction

We know the cycle. He swears its an addiction. He accuses and she denies. Because alcohol and substance use disorder are diseases that can be diagnosed, specific criteria eliminates some of the speculation on how much use is too much.
Is Recovery An Asset Or A Liability

A few weeks ago, I met a new friend at church. We chatted about how old our kids are and where they go to school, the usual new friend fodder. Then she asked me why we decided to go to our church. It’s a typical question, and I could have said: location, killer band, free […]
Rebuilding Character In Recovery

The devastating effects of addiction on physical/emotional health and social functioning have been meticulously catalogued, but far less attention has been given to its toll on character and the role character reconstruction plays in the recovery process. A recent rereading of David Brook’s The Road to Character has spurred this reflection on character and addiction […]
Recovery Results Appreciate The Progress
How should we measure recovery results? I used to work for someone who would regularly remark, “I really don’t care how hard someone is trying, I only care about the results they get me.” This may be a good line of thinking when it comes to business performance, but it doesn’t apply to addiction recovery […]