December 2011
22 posts
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Sober Social Networking
Remember Christopher Shaw?? He has been kind enough to do some research on Sober Online Networking. There are a lot more out there than I thought! I am a member of Intherooms.com. It’s hard to keep up with everything!
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Holiday Blues Part 5 of 5 by: Scott Mitchell
Spiritual Poverty
A middle aged couple, while driving to a banquet one evening decided to discuss the closeness of their relationship. To make her point the wife reminisces, “Remember when we were first dating and even after we were married a while, whenever we drove somewhere, I always sat in the middle and you would put your arm around me. I would rub your shoulders and when we stopped...
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A Guest Blog by: Rhonda McBride, PhD, LCDC
Finding Peace in the Holidays
Rhonda S, McBride, PhD, LCDC
The holidays…..oh yes, the holidays. When we think of the holiday season, we often think of the Norman Rockwell pictures of Santa Clause, Coca Cola, Christmas carolers, snow outside and of course snowmen. I could write a novel on the “real” meaning of each holiday. Of course, this is interesting material for some...
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A Common Question for This Time of Year
Michael Cox, LCDC, La Hacienda’s Family Program Director, has a few words of wisdom for families this time of year.
Graduating patients will determine for themselves if they are uncomfortable being at dinner with alcohol being served.
Family members can ask former patients if they believe they would be comfortable in the presence of others drinking.
Family members should not feel required...
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Holiday Blues Part 4 of 5 by: Scott Mitchell
Emotional Extremes
“I…can’t… drive………55.” Sammy Hagar
Like Sammy, I could not drive 55 in my younger days. I liked 95 or even 105 miles per hour. One night while driving at 100 plus miles per hour, I noticed the needle on my temperature gauge was pointing to the red part of the gauge. Since it was not pointing directly at the “H” yet,...
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People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when darkness sets in, their beauty is revealed only if there is light from within. - Elizabeth Kubler Ross
In recovery we learn that it is an inside job and we work the program to fill that hole in our souls. I know for me, at the end of my drinking, everything looked good on the outside but on the inside...
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Holiday Blues Part 3 of 5 by: Scott Mitchell
Unrealistic Expectations
“Holidays in general breed unrealistic expectations. The minute you start wondering, is it going to be wonderful enough? it never will be.”
Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., Sociologist and Author.
It was early December of 1978 in Wamego, Kansas. As a young college student from a well to do family prepares to recline on a cold hard cot, the cell door slams shut,...
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Slaying the Dragon
This is an awesome letter from Judy in The Store about the impact this particular book has had for her. Slaying the Dragon is a history of the treatment of substance abuse and recovery in America. It is meant not only for people working on the “front lines” everyday but people in recovery would enjoy it too. I have read most of it and what surprised me the most was the amount of “medicinal...
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Set Free
I forgive and experience lasting peace and freedom.
When I consider forgiving someone, my body may respond in various ways. I may feel a tightness in my chest from anger or resistance. Or I may sense a peaceful, inner knowing that I am ready to let my resentment go.
I choose today to be set free through the act of forgiveness. As I forgive, my body releases stress and strain. I open to receive...
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Holiday Blues Part 2 of 5 by: Scott Mitchell
Busyness
Holidays bring on an exorbitant amount of activity for some people. There are things to buy, preparations to be made, cleaning to be done, invitations to send or call in, and sometimes even some home repair. In these times we can be tempted to skip or put off meetings or even start avoiding our sponsors. Our prayer and meditation time can become shorter or even non-existent for a...
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