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12 Step Programs Articles
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- A 12 Step Program for the Recovering Divorcee - by Submitted on Jan 12, 2011 from Lee BlockHello, my name is Lee and I am divorced. I have been in post marriage recovery for the past 5 years. This is a 12 Step Recovery Program for Divorce, adapted from other 12 Step Recovery Programs. Step 1: Admit that you are powerless in your marriage and that your lives together have come to ...
Views: 2565(3 votes) - The "Big Book" is a text! - by Submitted on May 07, 2011 from Patt MannaChapter 1 - Study of How It Works (p.13-15 Spiritual Infusion) Here is a simple study approach to use. I learned it when attending an Inductive Bible Study course. It involves three basic skills: observation, interpretation, and application. (1) Observation answers the question: What does the ...
Views: 2388(1 vote) - Tactics Used by Addicted People to Avoid Accountability 2 - by Submitted on Dec 20, 2010 from Tim GrayThis is the second post in the series of tactics used by addicts and alcoholics to avoid accountability. Accountability is necessary for all of us. People in recovery need to do everything in their power to remain accountable—this will help them deal with temptations and triggers when they ...
Views: 3441(2 votes) - The Three Essentials for Recovery PART THREE - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2010 from Bill ChaseThe Third Ingredient- Unconditional Abstinence This is self explanatory. However being an Alcoholic and/or Drug Addict, or any other compulsion, we have a tendency not to get this or rationalize an excuse to this rule. It is really that simple We Don't Use NO MATTER WHAT. I have a very, very ...
Views: 1003 - The Three Essentials to Recovery PART TWO - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2010 from Bill ChaseSecond Ingredient "THE 12 STEPS" This may seem redundant to put this in here considering the title of this Blog. However you'll be surprised how many people Join the Fellowship of A.A., N.A. C.A. Whatever A. you attend. Go to meetings look at the wall where the 12 steps are posted, read the ...
Views: 1038 - The Three Essentials for Recovery PART ONE - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2010 from Bill ChaseFIRST INGRDIENT " A SUPPORT SYSTEM" One of the most important element in "getting and staying" in Recovery, No Matter what you are recovering from . Is A Support System in place for YOU.. Now WHAT IS A SUPPORT SYSTEM. A support system is the foundation of your recovery, It's like building a ...
Views: 1089 - Work the Program - by Submitted on Dec 08, 2010 from Tim GrayI think one of the main reasons people relapse is they stop working their program of recovery. In my years as an addictions counselor I have heard it over and over again when I ask what led up to a relapse…”I quit working the program.” There are many ways you can quit working the program. ...
Views: 1926(2 votes) - Addiction - Surviving the Holidays - by Submitted on Nov 28, 2010 from Lisa EspichThe holidays can be a magical time for families. It is a time for wonderful parties, great food, bonding, reminiscing about the past, and gift giving. Family members often travel great lengths to be together. For many people, it is the only time of year that their family is all together as ...
Views: 2959(3 votes) - 10 Common Dangers in Recovery - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Tim GrayHere are ten common situations that are very dangerous to a person in recovery. Recognizing these dangers will help you avoid a possible problem in the future. 1. Believing you are finally cured of your addiction. This is a dangerous form of denial. The lie is that you either are finally ...
Views: 2742(3 votes) - Are You Addicted? - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Tim GrayAs a substance abuse counselor I have worked with many clients who were on the fence about their addiction. They would have some issues in their life that made then think they were addicted but they would also have some reasons why they couldn't be addicted. I have found it helpful to explore ...
Views: 1751(2 votes) - What Qualities to Look for in a Sponsor - by Submitted on Nov 23, 2010 from Tim GrayHere are some qualities to look for in a sponsor. I have set the standard high since this is a very important relationship for you and your recovery. You may not be able to find someone with all the qualities I suggest due to many factors including the size of your town, number of people who ...
Views: 4061(2 votes) - Signs Of Alcoholism In Men - 5 Times More Likely - by Submitted on Nov 22, 2010 from Robert And Shelley JakobsenIt is estimated that about three-quarters of the population drink alcohol. Of this number, about 10% will find that their alcohol consumption leads to serious problems involving their health, work, finances, and relationships with family and friends. When a person uses alcohol despite ...
Views: 3858(1 vote) - Rehab Guide - Online and DVD Treatment - NEW Trend In Recovery - by Submitted on Nov 22, 2010 from Robert And Shelley JakobsenDetermining the right time for drug and alcohol treatment is different for each person. Some individuals will go and get help as soon as they feel like they're developing a problem. Others seek treatment when they feel they're becoming dependent on drugs or alcohol to cope with life. Still, ...
Views: 1713(1 vote) - Co-dependence Means Always Having to Say You're Sorry! - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2010 from PD RiversYou would never consider your self an addict. You could quit anytime, right? What am I talking about? No, I am not talking about alcohol or drugs or even gambling. I am talking about co-dependent relationships. CAN you quit anytime? Probably not. Statistics have proven that some people can only ...
Views: 2365(1 vote) - If I Wanted to Leave Alcoholics Anonymous. . . - by Submitted on Oct 13, 2010 from Richard Burns, J.D. (pen name Dick B.),If I Wanted to Leave Alcoholics Anonymous. . . Dick B. © 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved First of all, I don’t! But let’s just say: (1) That I’m thinking of drinking. (2) That I’m really not “willing to go to any lengths” to prevent that from happening. (3) That I’m beginning to ...
Views: 2413(1 vote) - RECOVERY IN THE TWELVE STEPS - A SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION - by Submitted on Sep 25, 2010 from Darlene LancerMany mental health professionals do not understand the 12-Step recovery process, unless they have participated in a 12-Step program. Although they may encourage their clients to do so, they may feel perplexed or intimated, or act patronizing. Often, therapists don’t realize that the 12-Steps are ...
Views: 4206(1 vote) - How to Separate the Help From The Hype In Addiction Treatment - by Submitted on Sep 22, 2010 from Peggy FergusonThere is so much "information" on the internet about addiction and recovery and unless you already have some knowledge about addiction and recovery, all resources may appear equal to you. This is not the case. There are advertisements, articles, and blog posts about addiction recovery ...
Views: 1835(2 votes) - 20 Ways to Increase Your Confidence - by Submitted on Sep 17, 2010 from Sandra Lenington20 quick and practical methods to increase your confidence. Here we go: 1. Think about someone who is confident and act, talk and walk like him or her. Model their mannerisms and behaviour. It works for them; it will work for you. 2. Smile a lot more. That doesn’t mean putting a silly ...
Views: 1851(3 votes) - Top 10 Best Alcoholics Anonymous Alternatives List - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2010 from Melanie SolomonOver the past few years, I have examined the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous and a lively discussion has followed these posts. AA is a group that many have very strong feelings about - both positive and negative. For some, AA has been a life-saver and allowed them to manage their ...
Views: 9983(2 votes) - The Salvation Army/an A.A. Source: Article One - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2010 from Richard Burns, J.D. (pen name Dick B.),The Salvation Army: an A.A. Source Article One Dick B. © 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved It took many years of research before I was able to find and discuss the many strong links between the Salvation Army and Alcoholics Anonymous. And the links were of several different ...
Views: 2446(2 votes) - Is Alcoholics Anonymous Effective? Get the Facts Here First Before You Make Any Decisions Regarding Your Drug or Alcohol Treatment Plan - by Submitted on Aug 12, 2010 from Melanie SolomonBy Melanie Solomon http://www.aanottheonlyway.com The product is copyright © by Melanie Solomon. No part of this product may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any other means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written ...
Views: 3052(2 votes) - How to Choose Your Most Effective Drug or Alcohol Treatment Program - by Submitted on Aug 18, 2010 from Melanie SolomonHOW TO CHOOSE YOUR MOST EFFECTIVE DRUG OR ALCOHOL TREATMENT PROGRAM (A Chapter from “AA Not the Only Way” By Melanie Solomon http://www.aanottheonlyway.com Note: This is NOT a free product. You do not have the right to give it away or sell it without proper written consent from the ...
Views: 1733(2 votes) - A.A.-Step 10: Teachings of Dr. Bob's Wife Anne Smith - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2010 from Richard Burns, J.D. (pen name Dick B.),A.A.-Step 10: Teachings of Dr. Bob's Wife Anne Smith Dick B., © 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved We have recently covered Steps One through Nine of the Alcoholics Anonymous suggested steps for recovery. We did so by pointing out the applicable remarks on those topics by Anne Ripley ...
Views: 4664(1 vote) - Alcoholism, Addiction, Denial and Recovery...There is Hope - by Submitted on Jul 21, 2010 from Amy CrowellWhat comes to your mind when you think of an alcoholic and drug addict? Do you immediately envision a person on the side of the street, begging for change and holding a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag? Do you envision a person in a crack house shooting up drugs and sleeping under a bridge? ...
Views: 3752(1 vote) - How to achieve Peace & Happiness? - by Submitted on Jul 20, 2010 from Prof. George Grant"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12 "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." You become what you think about most of the time. And the most important part of each day is what you ...
Views: 3116(7 votes) - Exploring Step 2 of the 12 Steps: Hope is the place to be! - by Submitted on Jul 14, 2010 from Ned WickerWe all want and need to have hope. Hope gets us up in the morning and drives us to achieve what we otherwise would just dream about. Hope allows us to keep going when circumstances are dire and there doesn’t appear to be any opportunity of turning the tide. Hope is the expectation of something ...
Views: 2005 - The Secret Is Out! - by Submitted on Jul 13, 2010 from Jonathan RibbleHave you ever ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere? Or it would seem that the cars keep passing you by and no one will stop? Scary place to be especially if it is the middle of the night. Why this topic, well because I was just on a discussion board and a fellow colleague asked a ...
Views: 1469 - A.A. Steps Five through Nine: Teachings by Dr. Bob's Wife Anne Smith - by Submitted on Jul 13, 2010 from Richard Burns, J.D. (pen name Dick B.),Alcoholics Anonymous & “The Mother of A.A.” Anne Ripley Smith, Wife of Dr. Bob Dick B. © 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved Part Three: Key Teachings in “Anne Smith’s Journal” on Steps 5 – 9 Materials Sources The best source of information about Anne Ripley Smith, wife of ...
Views: 3853(2 votes) - Introducing the 12-Steps, God, as we understand Him…so what? - by Submitted on Jul 01, 2010 from Ned WickerWhile introducing the 12-Step process to drug addiction patients, I often see bristling when we come to the mention of God. They get that certain look on their faces; the one that says the door is shut tight and “I don’t want to hear any of that God business.” Their statement is usually ...
Views: 2515(1 vote) - Addiction Recovery Worksheet For Identifying Healthy Replacements for the Alcohol and Drugs - by Submitted on Jun 16, 2010 from Peggy FergusonOne of the most important tasks of early recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction is learning to replace the chemical with health living skills. When you have taken the chemical out of your life, it leaves a big gaping hole, where something of substance was. Alcohol or other drugs have ...
Views: 11013(2 votes) - Addiction and Recovery: Who Will Enable Your Addicted Loved One When You Quit? - by Submitted on Jun 03, 2010 from Peggy Ferguson"Enabling" can be described as a behavior pattern of the significant people in the life on an addict or alcoholic. "Enabling" involves rescuing the alcoholic/addict from the negative consequences of his or her behavior. When the addict has those negative consequences of his/her addiction ...
Views: 3195(4 votes) - Addiction and Recovery: "Treatment" and "Recovery" Are Not The Same Thing. - by Submitted on Jun 03, 2010 from Peggy Ferguson"My spouse went to recovery. Now they tell me that he needs to go on to additional counseling. What is that all about?" "Recovery" and "treatment" are not the same thing. Inpatient treatment, detox, or outpatient treatment, in and of itself, is not "recovery". Recovery is generally a return ...
Views: 2821(2 votes) - Staying Sober After In-Patient Treatment: Ten Reasons To Follow Through With Continuing Care Even If You Don't Want To - by Submitted on Jun 02, 2010 from Peggy FergusonThe majority of patients who successfully complete inpatient and have the desire to stay clean and sober relapse in the first year after acute care treatment. Anyone who has been to inpatient treatment has noticed that the among the other patients around them, that there is a large percentage ...
Views: 2799(2 votes) - Recovery Happens - by Submitted on Sep 18, 2010 from Peter StoneI recently saw a banner — set in place for Recovery Month — that read: “Recovery Happens.” My question is: “What is implied here?” Words have meaning, and when those words are demonstrative of a process to behavioral change, people either simply disregard, are motivated by, or are intimidated by ...
Views: 2144(4 votes) - The Serenity Prayer: How it Can Help Your Recovery from Addiction - by Submitted on May 10, 2010 from Candace Plattor?The Serenity Prayer: How it Can Help Your Recovery from Addiction God, grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference. These days, a lot of people have heard of the Serenity Prayer. Anyone who ...
Views: 5113(4 votes) - Sexual Addiction Behavior Types (Patrick Carnes) - by Submitted on May 30, 2011 from Ross Rosenberg, M.Ed. LCPC CADCAccording to Patrick Carnes, there are 11 sexual addiction behavior types. This information is important when when working with sexually addictive or codependents or co-addicts of sex addicts. As you will see, sex addiction comes in many forms and types. Anything from the lone web surfer who ...
Views: 8274(5 votes) - Healing from Addictions - by Submitted on Jul 22, 2010 from Michael HoareWhat are addictions? The Merriam Webster dictionary explanation is: 1: the quality or state of being addicted 2: compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; ...
Views: 2124(5 votes) - Addiction and Recovery: Don't Let Grief Over the Loss of Alcohol Derail Your Transition Into Recovery - by Submitted on Feb 23, 2010 from Peggy FergusonOne of the common experiences of the earliest efforts toward quitting drinking and becoming sober, is grief over the loss of the chemical. For many people with an alcohol or other drug problem, the chemical, (whether it is alcohol or oxycodone) has become the addict's best friend and constant ...
Views: 4550(2 votes) - Addiction and Recovery: The Cross Addiction Worksheet - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2010 from Peggy FergusonMany recovering people who begin the process of becoming clean and sober, harbor the notion that they can continue to hang on to some remnants of an old drinking/using lifestyle. They often initially believe that specific drugs are The Problem. Initially alcoholics/addicts may not consider use ...
Views: 13436(4 votes) - Seeking Guidance from God in Today's A.A.? - by Submitted on Feb 03, 2010 from Richard Burns, J.D. (pen name Dick B.),Seeking Guidance from God in Today's A.A.? “Go with the Winners” and Follow the Original Akron A.A. “Christian Fellowship” Program Dick B. © 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved The following verses from the Book of James show specifically why and how to seek the wisdom of God. As A.A. ...
Views: 2515(2 votes) - One More Essential Tool For Preventing Relapse in Early Addiction Recovery - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2009 from Peggy FergusonMost non-addicted people have routines and organizing structures in their lives that help provide stability. An addict's lifestyle is often one of chaotic instability and disorganization. A general lack of structure and routine contributes to this disorganization and chaos. An addicted ...
Views: 3247(4 votes) - Addiction and Recovery: Do You Need Detox After Relapse? - by Submitted on Nov 07, 2009 from Peggy FergusonWhile most people realize that relapse is a common experience for addicts in recovery, they often do not know how to get back on track after relapsing on alcohol or other mood altering drugs. Although relapse is commonplace, it is predictable, and thus preventable. For many recovering ...
Views: 6274(3 votes) - Signs of Sexual Addiction - by Submitted on May 30, 2011 from Ross Rosenberg, M.Ed. LCPC CADCSigns of Sexual Addiction (Based upon Patrick Carnes work) 1. Loss of Control • Out of control sexual behavior predominates • The addict cannot control the extent, duration and regularity of his/her sexual behavior • Behavior excesses continue despite clear signs of danger ...
Views: 3206(1 vote) - Children of Insanity - by Submitted on Sep 30, 2009 from Paul HoodI have been looking at a book by Claudia Black, “My Dad Loves Me, My Dad Has A Disease” (A Child’s View: Living With Addiction, full of pictures and writing by children), and remembering the children of addiction, and the mentally ill. I have seen five-year-olds acting like little adults, ...
Views: 1827(3 votes) - Codependency: The Dance - by Submitted on May 30, 2011 from Ross Rosenberg, M.Ed. LCPC CADCThe "dance" of codependency requires two people: the pleaser/fixer and the taker/controller. This inherently dysfunctional dance can only happen with one partner who is a codependent and another partner who is a narcissist (abuser or addict). Codependents do not know how to emotionally ...
Views: 8185 - Addiction and Recovery: The Emotional Highs and Lows of Early Recovery - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2009 from Peggy FergusonWhen someone makes a decision to get the help that they need to quit drinking and using other drugs, everything begins to change. As an addict’s body begins to detox and as she is consciously trying to interrupt the momentum of addicted use of a chemical (including alcohol), she goes through ...
Views: 4647(2 votes) - Treatment for Spouses and Other Family Members of Alcoholics and Addicts - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2009 from Peggy FergusonOne of the most frequent questions that I hear from family members is, “Why do I need to be in counseling, when she is the alcoholic/addict? The family members that do come into treatment willingly and eagerly at the beginning are most often motivated to “help” the addict. The idea that ...
Views: 3028(1 vote) - Addiction and Recovery: How to Catapult Your Recovery to the Next Level by Using A Problems Checklist to Drive Skill Developmen - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2009 from Peggy FergusonEarly recovery is a time of self-assessment and problem identification. You have to know what is not working in order to begin to fix it. One of the first tasks, right after learning basic craving management techniques is spending the time and energy to identify the roles that chemicals have ...
Views: 2461(1 vote) - HEALTHY OPPOSITES - Change Your Behavior, Change Your Life - by Submitted on Sep 04, 2009 from Donna TorbicoFor ACoAs- (Adult-Children of alcoholics, abusers, abandoners & other narcissists) ACoAs know how they would like their life to be: TO have a fulfilling career, loving relationships, less pressure, a little fun... and they try, struggle, obsess - but not much changes. They become more & more ...
Views: 2782(5 votes) - How To Know What Boundaries Are? - by Submitted on Sep 02, 2009 from Mara FisherMany books have been written on the subject of boundaries. Is it possible to be an I and still be a We? Where do I end and my partner begin? Many of us have been pondering this notion. How do I get close without getting lost while in a committed relationship? Many believe that the lack of ...
Views: 1992(5 votes)