Listening is one of the most powerful yet underestimated tools in recovery. We tend to think of recovery as action—meetings, steps, boundaries, new habits—but the skill of listening is woven into all of it. It shapes how we relate to others, how we understand ourselves, and how we move through moments of stress, temptation, andContinue reading “Listening: One of the Strongest Tools in Recovery”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
How Argument Connects to Recovery
We often think of arguments as something negative—something to avoid, something that means we’ve messed up, or something that proves we’re not doing recovery “right.” But arguments aren’t failures. In fact, they may be one of the clearest invitations we ever receive to grow, understand ourselves more deeply, and heal old wounds that still surfaceContinue reading “How Argument Connects to Recovery”
Brotherhood in the Desert
Brotherhood in the Desert: Reflections from the Samson Summit This past Friday afternoon, I flew into Albuquerque, New Mexico to meet a few friends. I’ve been in the mountains of Tennessee and Colorado, but this was my first time seeing the desert mountains. The beauty of the area took my breath away. After meeting aContinue reading “Brotherhood in the Desert”
Questions in Recovery
Most of us enter recovery searching for answers. We want to know why we did what we did, how to fix it, and when life will start feeling normal again. We want clear steps, guaranteed outcomes, and certainty that all the pain will finally make sense. But recovery rarely begins with answers—it begins with questions. Learning to ask honest questions isContinue reading “Questions in Recovery”
Perfectionism in Recovery: The Trap of “Doing It Right”
I have written before about how perfectionism plays out in our addiction, but perfectionism doesn’t vanish when we begin recovery—it often tags along, hiding behind our desire to “get better.” For many of us, it shows up as the same voice that once said, “You have to hold it all together.” In recovery, that voice shifts to, “You’dContinue reading “Perfectionism in Recovery: The Trap of “Doing It Right””
Staying Grounded Through The Holidays
For many people, November and December are described as “the most wonderful time of the year.” But for those of us in recovery, this season can bring a mix of emotions—some joyful, some painful, and some downright overwhelming. The holidays disrupt routine. Meetings get missed. Sleep and eating patterns change. Suddenly, you’re spending more timeContinue reading “Staying Grounded Through The Holidays”
Can You Stay Angry and Stay Sober?
Many people in recovery ask this question at some point: “If I’m still angry all the time, am I really sober?” Sobriety isn’t just about putting down the drink or the drug. It’s about learning to live differently — to feel differently. But anger can make that hard. It’s loud, consuming, and it convinces us thatContinue reading “Can You Stay Angry and Stay Sober?”
Perfectionism in Addiction
What if perfectionism is one of the hidden forces that keeps us trapped in addiction? In my own journey, and in working with others in recovery, I’ve noticed a consistent pattern: many addicts are perfectionists. It doesn’t matter whether someone is high-functioning or living under an overpass with a needle in their arm—perfectionism often liesContinue reading “Perfectionism in Addiction”
Give It Away
You can’t keep it unless you give it away A yearlong Baltimore study of 500 former and current heroin and cocaine injection users found that having a sponsor in NA or AA did not result in much of a change in long term recovery. On the other hand, the study found that being a sponsorContinue reading “Give It Away”
Boredom
I was in a group recently where the topic of conversation was boredom. It’s rare to come across someone today that doesn’t struggle with it. What I find interesting is that most opinions of the cause seem to revolve around a lack of stimulation. This is obviously a real cause of boredom but in myContinue reading “Boredom”