There are four psychological stages associated with learning a new skill. It is easy to apply the principles of these stages to the levels of transformation that takes place in recovery. Not just recovery from chemical addiction, but also recovery from self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors associated with obsessive and negative thinking. When it comes to [...]

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” Lao-Tzu The Streets of Sobriety can feel like more than a thousand miles, especially if relapse was part of the problem. Many addicts struggle with more than addiction: the battle to conquer impatience and frustration is legendary. So what’s the problem if we fall [...]

Who wants to be dark and dreary around the holidays? Everything around us suggests that this is a season of merriment; that holidays are meant to be a time of touching togetherness and affirming bonds of family and friends. But for those whose lives have been affected by living with addiction, this season can also [...]

Why Create Personal Boundaries? Learning to set healthy personal boundaries is necessary for maintaining a positive self-image. It is our way of communicating to others that we have self-respect and self-worth and will not allow others to define us. Personal boundaries are the physical, emotional and mental limits we establish to protect ourselves from being [...]

I recently reclaimed my own brain from the hijacking that took place over years of alcoholism and drug addiction. In my workbook, Captain Larry Smith’s Daily Life Plan Journal, I cover basic goal-setting and journaling feelings with gauges. My workbook is an excellent tool for people starting in recovery. However, in my journey as a [...]

“I’d been watching him in the meetings for a while…he was always so sweet and friendly and he has a lot of time and a great story! And that little boy of his is so cute. He must be a good guy if he won custody of that kid and is raising him on his [...]

Over the years I have listened to a sort of running monologue from clients who grew up with an addicted parent. It goes something like this: “I felt like it was all about them, like what was going on inside of me was sort of invisible, like what they wanted or needed always came first.” [...]