Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “lifelong recovery”
When we showed up at our first AA meeting, the idea of ever reaching step 12 in AA may have seemed like a far-off fantasy. For some, it may have seemed impossible. But here you are, ready to embark on your final step. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message …
Back in step 10, we turned our focus from our past to our present. Now, as we begin to understand and work step 11 of AA, we’ll start to think about the future, particularly in regards to our spiritual path. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge …
By this point in your recovery journey, you’ve done a lot of hard work in clearing out negativity from the past. You’ve admitted your life became unmanageable, turned control over to your higher power, understood and asked God to remove your defects of character, and made amends with those you’ve harmed. In step 10 of AA, we’ll turn our focus …
Congratulations: you’ve finished step eight and by now, you should have a list of names of people that you want to make amends to. Logically, step nine in AA is to move forward and actually make these amends. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do would injure them or others. Like many of the previous …
Reaching step eight of AA means that you’ve spent a great deal of time working on yourself, reflecting inwardly on your character flaws, admitting them out loud, and finally turned control over to your higher power to remove them. In step eight of AA, we begin to turn our focus outward. In steps eight and nine, we’ll begin making amends …
Steps four through six in AA have been working up to this point. In step four and five we explored and came to terms with our shortcomings. In step six, we mentally prepared for having our higher power remove our character defects. Now, we’ve reached step seven in AA, where it’s time to actually ask God to remove these defects. …
Step six in AA is incredibly freeing. In the last two steps, you made a searching and fearless moral inventory of yourself and admitted the exact nature of your wrongs to yourself, your higher power, and another person. Now that we’re so familiar with these faults, it’s time to let them go while we work step six. Were entirely ready …
The infamously scary step number four is finally behind you. Step five in AA is next, and it builds on the exercise we completed in the last step. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous build on each other and are designed to keep you …
By this point, you’ve already admitted and accepted that your life as an addict has become unmanageable, began a relationship with a higher power, and committed to turning over all your control to this power. In Alcoholics Anonymous, next is step four of AA, the infamously scary step: Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Self-reflection should be …
In step two of AA, you were exploring your relationship with God or another higher power and beginning to wrap your mind around the idea of surrendering control to this power. In step three of AA, you’re making the conscious decision to actually do this. Made a decision to turn our will and lives over to the care of God …
If you’re at all familiar with the 12 steps of AA, you probably know that they’re a very spiritual program. But what is step 2 in AA, the second step is where participants begin to create a relationship with a higher power, a relationship that they’ll explore more deeply as they move on to other steps. Step one is all …
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. It can be scary and challenging to take the first step and admit that you have a problem with addiction. However, the only way you can start down that path toward sobriety is by taking the first step forward. Step 1 in AA can be one …
If you have a close friend or family member suffering from addiction, you might be wondering how long recovery takes. It’s certainly an understandable question – addiction is hard to cope with, both for the addict themselves and for their loved ones. Unfortunately, the answer to that question is not as clear-cut as you’re probably hoping. Each person’s recovery process …
There is absolutely nothing easy about having a loved one who is suffering from an addiction. Even when they are in recovery, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed wanting to help but not knowing how. There are plenty of ways for you to support your loved one through his or her journey to lifelong recovery: Educate and Care for Yourself Helping …
Back in April, we hosted our first-ever national webinar. It was a privilege to orchestrate a Q&A session with one of Any Length Retreat’s alumni, Anthony Brooks, about his experience with addiction, his time at the retreat, and what his life is like now that he’s two years sober. If you didn’t have a chance to tune into the live …
Over the last month, we’ve posted a lot about different ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic can affect those in recovery. We’ve talked about the feelings of loneliness and boredom that may arise during self-isolation and how to be proactive about reducing these feelings to avoid triggering a relapse. However, we know that in some cases, it may be impossible …
For a lot of people, a part of recovering from their addiction is rediscovering who they are without the substances that they used to rely on. Some people might feel like they need to find a whole new identity outside of drugs or alcohol. This process can take time and be incredibly difficult. That’s especially true now, in the middle …
At this point, the COVID-19 pandemic has been running rampant across the United States for about a month. In order to slow the spread, many people are social distancing and self-isolating. In our last post, we talked a bit about how, even though self-isolating is effective at slowing the spread of a virus, it can be difficult for people’s mental …
The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the world. People are staying inside more than ever, avoiding contact with those outside their immediate household. These precautions are necessary for stopping the spread of a virus, but may have a negative impact on mental health – particularly for those who are recovering from addiction and require regular interaction with the recovery community. …
COVID-19 has changed the concept of “normal” for nearly everyone in the United States. Many people may be struggling with extended periods spent indoors or without seeing certain friends or family members. If someone you love is currently in recovery for substance addiction, you may feel a bit of extra concern regarding how well they’re adapting to this strange new …
For most people over the last few weeks, everyday life has completely changed thanks to COVID-19. To slow the spread of this deadly virus, people are practicing social distancing: limiting contact with other people. Many companies have their employees working from home while others have completely shut their doors for the next few months. Large gatherings are discouraged and many …
If you’re currently suffering or in recovery from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, you may be looking for different types of professionals who can help support you through your journey to sobriety. You may have come across licensed therapists or treatment centers that can help you overcome your addiction. If you prefer a less clinical source of support, you …
If you or someone you love is looking to get help for a drug, alcohol, or any other type of addiction, you’ve probably seen that both long and short term options are available. You may be tempted by a 30-day treatment program, thinking you can go into treatment and come out cured just a month later. Unfortunately, this isn’t how …
If you were to read through the twelve steps, you might find that the wording, at least for the first few steps, has a distinct feeling of “surrendering” to it, particularly surrendering to a higher power. There are two ways we can approach recovery: by simply complying with what is being asked of us, or surrendering our power. Surrendering, as …
Thanks to the Internet, we’re living in a world of diet trends and fads. In the last few years, we’ve seen a huge increase in people following keto diets, veganism, and more. A lot of people roll their eyes at others who jump on these diet bandwagons, but what if they actually work? More specifically, what if some of these …
Recovering from an addiction to alcohol or drugs is hard, but we believe that it’s always possible. We believe that twelve-step programs are the most effective method of treatment, but it’s by no means the only way an addicted person can achieve sobriety. Mediation is another helpful and important component in recovery from addiction and can be done in combination …
We know the basics of what constitutes an addiction: a compulsive need for a particular substance that takes priority over things like relationships, work, and the person’s financial situation. To many people who have never had a brush with addiction, it can seem a bit surprising that a person’s need to drink or use drugs can feel more important to …
“Cross addiction” is a term to describe someone suffering from two or more addictive behaviors. In most cases, the person will have addictions to multiple substances, like drugs or alcohol, but it also includes when a person is addicted to, for example, alcohol and sex or gambling. Other terms for cross addiction include addiction transfer or Addiction Interaction Disorder. These …
We know that eating well and exercising often are two of the keys to living a long, healthy life. This is true for everyone, but it becomes even more true for people who are recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction. We’ve talked recently about the benefits of healthy food and the implementation of an exercise routine. Sometimes, though, actually …
Remember how far you’ve come from the moment you stepped into your recovery program and how far you’ve come since then. According to the twelfth step of Alcoholics (or Narcotics) Anonymous, in order to fully recover and take your sobriety to the next level, you must share yourself and your story with those who are still struggling. Having had a …
One of the biggest steps to putting your addiction behind you and returning to a “normal” life is going back to work. Starting to work after treatment is a great way to create structure in your new life, and this is vital to maintaining long-term sobriety. It’s important to be especially careful in your first year of sobriety and be …
Recovering from drug or alcohol addiction is a gradual process that involves making many lifestyle changes. We’ve recently talked about how exercise affects the body and can help a recovering addict manage cravings. There’s another major lifestyle change that a lot of people are making at the beginning of a new year: diet. Is there any way a person’s diet …
For most people in recovery from an addiction, treatment involves some sort of counseling: speaking with another individual or a group of people to figure out the root cause and to learn how to manage any feelings or emotions that could lead to a future relapse. Recovering from an addiction is all about making lifestyle changes. It turns out, there’s …
If you’ve been looking into or have recently completed a treatment program for drug or alcohol addiction, you’ve likely come across sober living programs. Maybe you’ve wondered whether sober living is actually helpful. Sober living homes provide residents with a stepping stone from inpatient treatment to “normal” life. In the 18 months following completion of treatment, statistics show the rates …
So you’ve recently beat an addiction and are excited to declare yourself recovered. Congratulations! That’s no small feat. Since you know how it feels to struggle with an addiction and possibly doubt yourself through recovery, you probably want to help others who are recovering from an addiction themselves. Your story and advice could be a great source of support and …
Anyone who has struggled with addiction knows it can be hard to imagine what a future free from substance dependency looks like. It’s easy to let yourself be consumed by negative thoughts: “getting sober is too hard”, “only certain types of people have it in them to overcome addiction”, etc. Remember, almost everyone who has recovered from addiction in their …
