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[one_half_last]Welcome to this week’s blog RoundUp. I found some interesting analogies this week for the recovery process. Enjoy!
Higher Power
Graham over at Guitars and Life is writing about a higher power or “the God thing” referred to in AA this week. I love his analogy to gravity. I have often heard from clients in my practice about [more] how they can’t do the God thing in AA so it doesn’t work for them. Now as I have said before, I don’t think AA is for everyone. That being said, I do think everyone should try it. [/one_half_last]Because those it works for, it really works. And, if you are not going to go to AA, or some other formal sober support group, I have the following questions for you:
- Where are you going to find support for your sobriety?
- Where are you going to find new friends who don’t drink or use drugs?
- Where are you going to find a place/people that you can talk to about your recovery issues that “get it” without you having to explain “it” all first?
Addiction Recovery Ideas For Staying On Track
Here is another great analogy post –using flying to take stock of your current recovery. The quote that first caught my eye here is: “Everything matters; every single little adjustment you make in the air does SOMETHING to the way the plane flies.” As Paul J. Wolanin writes at Addiction Blog, “…getting “off course” in life did not happen overnight…”. How true that is. If you look back at places in your own life where you strayed from the course that you intended, you can see where it was the little things that took you off track. It is the small things that you do every day that keep your body/mind/spirit focused on the course. If you stop doing those small things, the bigger thing gets lost. It is true in recovery as well. You must continue to do the small things every day that keep the bigger picture in mind.
How To Stop Drinking
There is so much to love in this great post by Lee Davy over on The Needy Helper this week. It is another analogy post (how did I happen to find all of these this week?!) using theories and videos from Tony Robbins and his book Money: Master the Game. In one section, this post goes back to what I was talking about in the previous paragraph: “What is the ONE THING you can do to take you one step closer to that end goal? It’s a series of ONE THING’s that culminates in massive action. Massive action doesn’t instantly appear. It’s a combination of tiny little steps.“ To get clean and sober, and to stay clean and sober, you must take single steps every day. Call a friend. Breathe through a craving. Get enough sleep. Eat well. Exercise. Go to a meeting. What ever those small steps are for you, Write Them Down. Do Them. Every. Single. Day.
Assume You Are Complacent In Sobriety To Defeat It
Complacency. A strong word with some powerful negative connotations. But you can use it to your advantage. Over at Spiritual River this week, Patrick is talking about being complacent in sobriety. His post identifies what complacency looks and related to recovery, he says: “You stop engaging in the above process entirely. You no longer are willing to experiment. Because you think that you are safe in recovery, that you have found the right path, that you have all of the answers now.” He goes on to talk about the fact that no one has all of the answers and that personal growth is a necessary part of the ongoing recovery journey. Of course, as a therapist, I believe that with all my heart (smile).
An Alternative To Medical Marijuana For Pain?
Finally this week, a bit of interesting new research. A bit more technical than I often post here but an important read. Medical News Today has this bit of news about an alternative to medical marijuana. I have often said that there are other options, and that marijuana certainly comes with its own complications, even if you are utilizing it for medical purposes. I found one of the most interesting sentences in the article to be: “…given Delta9-THC, they developed complete tolerance to the pain-suppressing effects of THC and with repeated dosing, THC was no longer effective in suppressing neuropathic pain.” Tolerance. Hmmmmm….
That’s all for this week. I hope that you have enjoyed the RoundUp. Have a great weekend!
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