Addiction Treatment Blog by Addiction Experts » Entries tagged with "sponsor"
Personal Accountability
Personal accountability is an essential component of recovery, one that many addicts are lacking as a result of their habitual drug abuse. The experienced drug user will use any means necessary to withdraw from family, friends, work, or anything else that might interfere with his using and abusing. I know this because I have acted this way in my life. Simply put, I chose marijuana over people I loved. The result was friends lost and people hurt. In my lifetime, I have spent numerous hours, days, and even weeks consuming my drug of choice rather than living a healthy life. The use of marijuana or other drugs is often done in groups of people who may be considered “friends” by the user. Who knows how far they would go for each other? … Read entire article »
Filed under: Latest News
Changes in My Self-Identity and Self-Esteem As a Result of Staying Sober
Since basically starting a brand new life in sobriety, the way I feel about myself and the way people see me has changed drastically, which I never thought would happen at all and so quickly. Coming into the program I was a complete mess. I was full of anger, self-centeredness, and an unhealthily forty pounds overweight. I walked around with a chip on my shoulder, disgusted by everyone but mostly with myself. People were not … Read entire article »
Sponsorship Gone Wrong
Completing the twelfth step of Alcoholics Anonymous signifies that one has a working knowledge of all twelve steps, hopefully applying them daily, and an able Sponsor—a fellow alcoholic in the program who mentors other alcoholics, helping them work through and understand the twelve steps, just as their Sponsors had done with them. Up until now, I have had two Sponsors throughout my nearly six months of sobriety. I chose my initial Sponsor on impulse because the … Read entire article »
Eskimos: Our 12-Step Angels
The term Eskimo is generally used in 12-step jargon to describe an individual who facilitates an addict or alcoholics early steps of recovery. The Eskimo may bring the newcomer to their first meeting or simply share their experience, strength, and hope so that the newcomer/using addict or alcoholic may identify and better see him or herself. I have been intrigued by this term for a long time. At first I was unclear of its exact … Read entire article »
What does an Olympic Gymnast and a Recovering Addict have in common?
I’ve been watching the Olympics every night, and while I enjoy the athletics to a certain degree, I find myself more touched by the human experience of the athletes. In a weird way, their interpersonal relationships of parent-athlete, coach-athlete, and teammate-teammate, are similar to the ones I have been experiencing on my journey of recovery. These athletes train for most of their lives to become as talented and strong as they are, and they do not do it alone. Like an athlete, I have performed the physical and mental feat of getting and staying sober (I have a year now!), and I have not been able to do it alone. Obviously, I have more of a mental recovery to go, but it is one of those journeys that never truly … Read entire article »
Filed under: Latest News
Character Defect – Illusory Divinity
“I am God. I am my own God. I am God to others. I do EVERYTHING with a God-like elegance and effervescence. I never need any help – I only help others. I predict the course of events before they unfold. I have the answers to every question asked- the right answers.” This was my internal dialogue for eons. I adopted this way of thinking sometime around the 4th grade. The most pathetic aspect surrounding this way of thinking: I never perceived myself as being arrogant. I mistook it as an internal confidence I didn’t want others to know about. If they knew about it, they would strive to attain it. If they attained my secret, there would be nothing separating them from me. I would then become an equal. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Recovery
Safe and Sober Vacation
Once individuals are grounded in their sobriety, traveling often becomes an attractive option. While traveling and using often went together, whether it was a cross country road trip with a pipe or a cruise with a lot of booze, a sober vacation is normally a new experience. There are several structured sober travel companies that provide opportunities for sober individuals or groups to travel in large groups in order to provide 12-step meetings, support, sober … Read entire article »
Remaining Anonymous in AA
As a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, anonymity is often a very pressing issue and topic of controversy. It is one of those grey areas of the program open to dispute. The 11th and 12th traditions both deal in the subject. At the group level, I find that it keeps the common good of the organization as top priority: “… ever reminding us to place principles before personalities”. Not one person takes precedence over another. We … Read entire article »
Improving My Program in Sobriety
With four months of sobriety under my belt and half of the Twelve Steps of A.A. completed there is an area of my ongoing program that I need to work on: my daily prayer and meditation. Almost every person I have talked to that is in A.A. working a consistent program says that prayer and meditation every day can be one of the most useful tools to overcome anything they are struggling with. The 11th … Read entire article »
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