911Addiction

You Are Only As Sick As Your Secrets

You are only as sick as your secrets is a slogan taken from Alcoholics Anonymous. These secrets can be things you are lying or covering up about or they can also be things you are refusing to deal with or even acknowledge. Alcoholics and addicts are masters at not dealing with problems or putting them [...]

The Hopelessness of Addiction

The hopelessness of addiction is sad to watch in someone. I was talking to one of my neighbors recently and he told me he had just left a rehab for his addiction about nine days ago and two days after he left the rehab he used again. I could see the fear, hopelessness and self [...]

Resentment in the Alcoholic and Addict

Resentment in the addict and alcoholic is probably the number one thing that will take them down. We are the kings and queens of wallowing in every imagined or real offense we have against some one. We can’t remember what we did last night but we remember what someone said to us 40 years ago [...]

Out Growing Drug Addiction

Out growing drug addiction, is it possible? This past weekend I had the pleasure of going to a baby shower for my wonderful nephew’s wife. It was beautiful outside and as I strolled around the yard I began to think about my own drug addiction struggles. I am 57 years old and addiction has been [...]

The Secret Life of Addiction

The secret life of addiction is a lonely life. It can be exhausting and depressing trying to keep addiction a secret from everyone. There is no joy in the day as we struggle to keep a smile on our face. We can be in a room full of people we love and still feel outside [...]

Thinking Good Things

Thinking good things is a positive way for the addict and alcoholic to live their lives. I am an avid Bible reader and in fact the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous was based on the teachings of the Bible. In the New Testament, specifically Philippians 4:8 is a verse I try to live by. It [...]

Accepting What We Can’t Change

Accepting what we can’t change is one of the hardest things an alcoholic or an addict has to learn. We like things to stay just as they are no matter what that is. I just recently learned that my childhood home may be up for sale and that one of my family members might be [...]

The Value of a Support System in Sobriety

The value of a support system in sobriety is key for the addict or alcoholic. I am not referring to Alcoholics Anonymous or some other recovery group. I am talking about the people in our lives that help us on a day to day basis. My husband is one of my biggest supporters closely followed [...]

Exercising Our Free Will

Exercising our free will is a gift that was given to us by God. Many people blame God for the mess the world is in and for the mess our lives are in. Alcoholics Anonymous suggests that the active alcoholic is the epitome of self-will run riot. Years ago a wonderful sponsor I had pointed [...]

Recovery Takes Time

Recovery takes time when it comes to really changing your life. The first part is putting down the drink or the drug and learning to live each day sober. I think the first year is about regaining health and learning who we are as sober people. Alcoholics Anonymous suggests that people in the first year [...]

Spirituality in Addiction

Spirituality in addiction is a touchy subject for many people. Many people don’t believe in God or don’t believe He will help them through addiction. I have believed in God since I was a little girl and throughout my struggles with addiction I have seen Him work in my life. I think part of the [...]

Characteristics of Adult Children of Alcoholics

There are many characteristics Adult Children of Alcoholics share. In doing some research for this article I was amazed at how many of these characteristics I still exhibit. At 57 years old I thought I had worked through many of the obstacles that have come from growing up in an alcoholic home. I discovered that [...]

My Love Affair with Pain Medication

My love affair with pain medication rages on as I found out the other day. I have not craved any pain medication in a while. I wasn’t foolish enough to think I didn’t have a problem with it anymore but I didn’t want it all the time either. The other day I was put into [...]

Dealing With Sobriety

Dealing with sobriety can be really hard. I always thought that if I remained sober that life would automatically be easier. Suddenly my life would be better and everything would be great. It hasn’t quite turned out that way. Sobriety carries with it certain responsibilities. When I was drinking and using drugs I did exactly [...]

I am not a liar, I don’t lie!

“I am not a liar, I don’t lie” is something I heard the other night on a reality show that I watch. I started to think about that sentence and wondered if anyone can really make that statement and have it be true. There are white lies and black lies and sins of omissions. Sometimes [...]

Self Discipline In Sobriety

The importance of self-discipline in sobriety is often over-looked and yet it is so important. Alcoholics Anonymous suggests that whatever we put before sobriety we will lose. I was visiting a friend in the hospital a few days ago. She is also a recovering alcoholic with 25 years of sobriety under her belt. I noticed [...]

Hungry, Angry, Lonely or, Tired

Hungry, angry, lonely or tired are four things we should not let ourselves become in sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous has shortened this to Halt. They suggest that anyone of these situations can affect our sobriety. It is always important to eat the right things. Our bodies can not function correctly if we have a diet of, [...]

The Devil Within Me

The devil within me is difficult to deal with considering I am on a first name basis with Jesus. The devil’s name is alcohol and drug abuse and this devil plays havoc with my personality. My husband and children know that they can talk to me about what my substance abuse did to them. Thankfully [...]

The Hungry Monster

The hungry monster living inside of us is addiction. It is starving for everything we have. It will stop at nothing until it has devoured all that we hold dear. This monster considers our children to be an appetizer and our spouses the main course. Our extended family is this monster’s salad and our possessions [...]

The Sadness of Addiction

The sadness of addiction really hit home for me this past weekend. I have a brother who has been the black sheep of the family for years. He has had very little contact with any one in my family. He has spent years in and out of jail struggling with alcoholism and drug abuse. The [...]

Fighting the Good Fight

Fighting the good fight is a phrase taken from the Bible. Paul, a disciple of Jesus is at the end of his life and he speaks about how he fought the good fight and stood the course to spread the good word about Jesus. Paul was jailed and beaten for his faith. Paul suffered some [...]

Stinkin Thinkin

Stinkin thinkin is a term used in Alcoholics Anonymous to describe thoughts or perspectives that can lead the addict or alcoholic back to the drink or the drug. I take that one step farther and say that very little is as it really appears to us. As in most high schools, mine had the usual [...]

Sponsorship in Alcoholics Anonymous

Sponsorship in Alcoholics Anonymous is not a job that should be taken lightly. A sponsor is someone who makes suggestions, at times gives advice and is a sounding board for another alcoholic. He/she can be tough a times and say things we do not like. It is important for the sponsor to have at least [...]

Is It Possible To Maintain Sobriety Without Help?

Is it possible to maintain sobriety without help? I have known of one person who was able to stay sober without God or Alcoholics Anonymous or any other help. That man was my father. The problem was that he was sober and very unhappy. His unhappiness manifested itself through meanness. I avoided him as much [...]

Negative Emotions in Sobriety

Negative emotions in sobriety are difficult to deal with largely because we felt that our problems would go away once we became sober. Anxiety can cause heart palpitations, a nervous stomach and a general feeling of unrest. Depression can cause feelings of sadness and lack of motivation. Alcoholics and addicts whether sober or not do [...]

The Degradation of Addiction

The degradation of addiction is appalling and adds to the shame we already feel. The need to get our drug or drink is so strong that we will debase ourselves to get it. We will say or do anything it takes to get rid of the pain. This is a sad picture of a basically [...]

Adult Children of Alcoholics

Adult children of alcoholics carry many negative characteristics from childhood that they may not be aware of. It is important to identify these issues to lead a productive life. The adult child of an alcoholic has a 50% chance of becoming an alcoholic, so figuring out what drives us is even more important. One of [...]

Things That Trigger Addicts To Relapse

Things that trigger addicts to relapse have to be identified to keep us sober. Triggers are situations, places, people and emotions that cause us to think about taking a drink or a drug. An obvious trigger would be going to a bar for the alcoholic. The death of a loved one or divorce certainly …

“Cunning, Baffling, and Powerful”

Cunning, baffling and powerful is a description of the disease of alcoholism according to Alcoholics Anonymous. It is cunning because the disease can stay in the background patiently. We can be living a sober life and then one day the thought of a drink comes in our head and off we go. It has happened [...]

Alcoholism in Women

Alcoholism in women became more prevalent after World War 2. There was a study done at the University of Washington led by Richard A. Cerucza that claimed women born from 1954 to 1963 were at greater risk for alcoholism than those born from 1944 to 1953. The study also suggested that the increase was …

Fear

Fear is in all of us and especially in the alcoholic. Fear is what drives us to all kinds of behaviors. Most people would argue that they are not afraid, but if you look deeply you will probably find that underneath it all fear is running rampant. My husband and I have a very hard [...]

Life After Jail or Rehab

Life after jail or rehab requires vigilance. In both of these there is a certain amount of security in that all of your decisions are made for you. What you eat, what you do all day is planned for you. In prison even your clothes are chosen for you. The only decision that is required [...]

Relapse Happens Long Before The first Drink

Relapse happens long before the first drink and it is about attitudes. The first time we don’t do something we say we will do, we are on the way to a relapse. The first bad attitude that we let fester, we are on the way to relapse. It can take months to actually pick up [...]

I Am Powerless!

I am powerless is a hard thing to come to terms with. It doesn’t matter if it is alcohol, drugs, food or cigarettes. I have battled all of these addictions at one time or the other in my life much to my dismay. I wake up in the morning filled with renewed strength to succeed [...]

What is the Twelfth Step of Alcoholics Anonymous?

The twelfth step of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is “Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principals in all our affairs”. A spiritual awakening is a change in attitude toward God and the way we live our lives. We realize [...]

What is the Eleventh Step of Alcoholics Anonymous?

The eleventh step of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out”. The first three steps introduced us to our higher power in an effort to get [...]

What is the Tenth Step of Alcoholics Anonymous?

The tenth step of Alcoholics anonymous (AA) is “continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.” In steps one through seven you have worked on the inside and steps eight and nine you have begun the work on the outside by taking action. By this time you will have quite [...]

What are the Eighth and Ninth Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous?

The eighth and ninth step of Alcoholics Anonymous is the beginning of mending the broken relationships in our lives. The eighth step states “Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all”. In this step you must once again put your pride aside and make a [...]

What is Step Seven of Alcoholics Anonymous?

Step seven of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) states “Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.” Humbly is the operative word in this step. Humility is the absence of arrogance and pride. Humility is sadly lacking in most alcoholics. We come into AA with a chip on our shoulder. We are angry at the world for the [...]

What is the Sixth Step of Alcoholics Anonymous?

The sixth step is the beginning of changing the behaviors and character defects that lead to our drinking in the first place. Those defects have kept us in bondage to our drinking. In looking at these behaviors and earnestly starting to change them we begin the journey to freedom. The sixth step states “Were …

What is the Fifth Step of Alcoholics Anonymous?

In the fifth step of Alcoholics Anonymous you begin to own up to the behaviors you exhibited while drinking. You begin to clean up the mess you made of your life with alcohol. It states “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs”. In the first step [...]

What is the Fourth Step of Alcoholics Anonymous?

The fourth step of Alcoholics Anonymous is concerned with looking at ourselves and our behavior during drinking. It is the beginning of breaking down the walls of denial that we live in. It is not easy but very necessary. The form denial takes is that we don’t think we have a problem with alcohol and [...]

What is the Third Step of Alcoholics Anonymous?

The third step of Alcoholics Anonymous is “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him”. Many recovering alcoholics lament over the fact that they agree to turn their will and their lives over to God and in the next sentence take that will [...]

What is the Second Step of Alcoholics Anonymous?

The second step is when the spiritual part of Alcoholics Anonymous begins. It says “Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity”. Many people have mixed feelings or even anger when it is implied that belief in God is necessary for sobriety. This ambivalence can stand in the way [...]

What is Step One of Alcoholics Anonymous?

Step One of Alcoholics Anonymous is “admitting we are powerless over alcohol and that our lives have become unmanageable.” Admitting that we are powerless over anything can be hard to swallow for anyone, but for the alcoholic it is almost impossible. The alcoholic has a tremendous amount of pride (misplaced though it may be) and [...]

What is Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous or AA is a” fellowship of men and woman who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism”. This is taken from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholics Anonymous was established in 1935 in Akron, Ohio …

Sitting With Pain

Sitting with pain be it emotional or physical is hard to do for anyone but especially for the addict or alcoholic. I have been feeling pretty good lately on both levels. God has blessed me with hope which is a necessity for us to live. Without hope we have nothing. This morning I walked into [...]

Jesus Drank Why Can’t We?

If Jesus drank why can’t we is a question I have asked myself many times. His first miracle was turning the water into wine in Cana of Galilee. There were many references to Jesus drinking wine. If He is the one who sets the gold standard for behavior then drinking should be fine. I am [...]

Clean and Sober

The times in my life that I have been able to say that I am clean and sober have been unrivaled by anything else. The only thing that has been better is when I have felt that I am right with God. Why then do we give up that feeling to go back to the [...]

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

Sick and tired of being sick and tired is a slogan from Alcoholics Anonymous. It describes the physical and emotional sickness and exhaustion that comes with drug seeking and drug using. Being an active addict is a full time job and is just as tiring as a “real” job. I have often thought that if [...]

Tough Love

I have never been a person who believed in tough love. I thought it was a way for the people that used it to feel superior and better than us. I felt that alcoholics and addicts had a hard enough time without people making them feel even worse. I thought what we needed was compassion [...]

Fear and Faith

Fear and faith go hand in hand. Beneath any negative emotion an alcoholic or addict has is fear. Any one of these negative emotions can be driven away by faith. Most people know that Alcoholics Anonymous is based on 12 steps as a way to live life and stay sober. Step four is “Made a [...]

Needle in My Arm

I woke up one day with a needle in my arm. How I got here? I still ask that question. My biggest fear was becoming a junkie with no way out except the escape from the rush of dope. I woke in the morning feeling like death. There was no way to get out of [...]

Doing the Next Right Thing

Doing the next right thing is a motto taken from Alcoholics Anonymous. As alcoholics and addicts we have spent a lot of time seldom doing the right thing. Alcoholics and addicts spend much of their time lying. Some of us have stolen things and have certainly hurt others because of the nature of our disease. [...]

Should Addicts Date Other Addicts?

Should addicts date other addicts? As a mother, my first thought is to say no. One of my daughters, (who is an addict) seems to gravitate towards dating other addicts and alcoholics. I thinks it speaks to her lack of self-esteem; she doesn’t feel worthy of dating a healthy man. I have seen her meet [...]

Isolation

Isolation should be avoided if you are an alcoholic. We are told by Alcoholics Anonymous and the therapeutic community that alcoholics shouldn’t be by themselves for long periods of time. It will make us focus too much on ourselves. It is also said that we need to be in service to others as often as [...]

One Day At A Time

One day at a time is one of the slogans that Alcoholics Anonymous uses as a tool for staying sober. AA has many wonderful slogans and at times I have found strength in almost all of them. The term “One Day at a Time” is actually taken from the Bible where God tells us not [...]

Interventions, Do They Work?

Interventions; do they work or do they just cause more unrest in a family that already has their share of misery. Interventions are when family and close friends confront the alcoholic in a group setting, in an effort to force the alcoholic to acknowledge that they have a drinking problem. Each person takes turns talking [...]

Making Amends to People We Have Harmed

Making amends to people we have harmed is important to continued sobriety. “Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all” is Step 8 of Alcoholics Anonymous. Many alcoholics think that they have only harmed themselves, but that is simply not true. Even if the alcoholic [...]

Came to Believe…

Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity is the second step of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is also one of the hardest because people have a problem believing that there is anything greater than they are. Many people struggle with the idea of God, because they see the suffering [...]

Alcoholism in the Elderly

Alcoholism in the elderly population is on the rise. It isn’t always noticed by family members because symptoms are attributed to the aging process. Alcohol related medical problems are responsible for more hospitalizations in the elderly than heart attacks. It costs more than 230 million dollars in Medicare expenses which taxpayers have to absorb. Often [...]

Beauty for Ashes

Beauty for ashes is a scripture in the Bible. It can be found in the book of Isaiah, chapter 61 verse 3. As I have said before, it is not my wish to offend anyone with religion. However, I do believe in God and Jesus and I believe that the Bible is the Word of [...]

Admitted We Were Powerless Over Alcohol

“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and our lives had become unmanageable” is the first step of Alcoholics Anonymous. It seems pretty straight forward, but it is the toughest step an alcoholic or addict can take. It doesn’t matter whether you are an alcoholic or not, admitting being powerless over anything is a daunting [...]

Resentments and Anger Are Poison for the Alcoholic

Resentments and anger are poison for the alcoholic; there is nothing that can take us down faster. The truth is that alcoholics are notorious for resentments and blaming their drinking on everyone but themselves. Some imagined slight of 25 years ago is not forgotten. Often when they are drinking, they will bring up resentments and [...]

Should a Drug Addict Ever Take Narcotics?

As an addict, I have wrestled with the question, “Should a drug addict ever take narcotics?” Some people in the AA and NA community feel that the answer is no. Others feel that as long as you are in a 12 step program, take the prescription as directed and are accountable to a sponsor or [...]

Al-Anon and Alateen

Al-anon is an organization formed to help the families of an alcoholic. It was started about 55 years ago by Lois Wilson and Anne Smith. Lois and Anne were the wives of Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. It occurred to Lois Wilson that maybe she needed help as well, [...]

Humor in Alcoholism

Is there humor in alcoholism? Alcoholism is a deadly disease and must be taken seriously. However, the ability to laugh at ourselves has always been therapeutic no matter what we are facing. Many years ago, my first sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous gave me a tape by Scott Redman. He was an AA comedian. He passed [...]

How to Spot the Signs of a Drinking Problem

Many people wonder how to spot the signs of a drinking problem. Whether it is the family of a possible alcoholic, or the person that is doing the drinking, some people need confirmation. Who wants to think they are married to an alcoholic, and what person wants to think they personally might be an alcoholic. [...]

Are You the Parent of an Addicted Child?

Are you the parent of an addicted child? I am too. It is heartbreaking when something happens to your child and you feel unable to help them. Drug abuse is one of the hardest things to deal with concerning your child. My child is a recovering heroin addict. I was under the assumption that because [...]

Is Sobriety Possible Without AA or NA?

Is sobriety possible without AA or NA? Many people, including myself have stayed sober with out Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. I managed to stay clean and sober on my own for eight years. My father stayed sober for 15 years until his death. We stayed sober, but we were both angry sober people. I [...]

Gratitude is Essential for Alcoholics and Addicts

Gratitude is essential for alcoholics and addicts in recovery. Here are some things to be grateful for: For being sober. For making well thought out decisions For bad days that make us appreciate the good days. For remembering what we did the night before. For gaining back respect from others. For seeing a smile instead [...]

God Grant Me the Serenity

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can’t change Courage to change the things I can And the wisdom to know the difference This is part of a prayer written many years ago by Reinhold Niebuhr. It is called The Serenity Prayer. I have included only the first three lines to it [...]

Life After Rehab

The day comes when you have to go home. My experience with leaving a rehab is that life immediately tries to bite you in the butt. In rehab, there is a schedule that literally tells you what you need to do from the time you get out of bed until you go to bed at [...]

Addiction to Food

In the past when I have heard the word addiction, I immediately thought of alcohol and drugs. I now understand that not only am I addicted to drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, I am addicted to overeating as well. In some ways food addiction is harder than the other ones, in that we have to eat [...]

Addiction Relapse

Most people are aware of the meaning of addiction relapse. After having some clean and sober time, the addicted person goes back to the drink or drug. It is frightening for the family of the alcoholic or addict, but I believe it is tougher on the addict. The alcoholic or addict has put together some [...]

Alcoholism- Choice or Disease

The Faces of Addiction

I think when most people think of addicts or alcoholics, they think of sitting in the gutter with a needle in your arm or a skid row bum. That idea is changing slowly. I confess that even as an addict, I have at times thought that as well. I thought I haven’t lost much, how [...]

Going to AA Meetings

There is still a stigma attached to going to AA meetings, however, I owe every sober breath I take to Alcoholics Anonymous and its principals. It was started in Akron, Ohio by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, in June of 1935. It was started with one conversation between these two alcoholics. It …

What to Expect At an Alcohol and Drug Rehab

Many people don’t know what to expect from an Alcohol and Drug Rehab. The fear of it can keep people from going. Change is difficult especially for the addict or alcoholic. Life may not be working, but it is what we know. We can not imagine a life without alcohol or drugs. When you first [...]

Alcoholism and Depression

Alcoholism and depression go hand in hand. Most alcoholics and addicts are depressed. They may not even know it. For years my doctor suggested I might be depressed. I always said I didn’t feel depressed. I got up early every morning. I did all the things I needed to do. I always found something in [...]

Welcome to 911Addiction

Welcome to 911Addiction. Addiction takes many forms. When most people think of addiction, they think of alcohol and drugs. Anything that keeps you in bondage where you have no control is addiction. This can come in the form of food, cigarettes, gambling and sex. Some people are addicted to television. This maybe one …