It’s common to have issues with the notion of a higher power. That can be difficult because it’s integral to most recovery programs. I’ve had issues with this myself; though I was exposed to several (probably too many) religions when I was younger, I’m definitely not a religious person. I simply wasn’t used to having […]
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Became Willing
I had a pretty messed up upbringing. My family life as a child was filled with mental, verbal and physical abuse. My parents were divorced before I can even remember. My dad was present but absent at the same time. I went to three different elementary schools because we were constantly on the run from […]
The Best Person I Ever Knew, and How I Let Him Down
The worst thing I ever did – and that would be an absurdly long list, if I had to write it all down (yeah, I have, but I won’t share it here) – still haunts me. And I’ve got myself to blame for that. To a certain extent, alcohol was to blame, sure, but I […]
Espionage, Intrigue, and AA
I was kidnapped once. Perhaps “abducted” would be a better word, I was in my twenties. I was in Jamaica with my then-wife, and the airline had lost our luggage, so we ventured out of the hotel into a local market. Two large men with a car convinced my ex that they were, in fact, […]
The Unfounded Fear of Face to Face
There’s absolutely no way I’m going to tell you that online meetings and communities for support, discussion and enhancement of a recovery program aren’t an incredible resource. I’m thankful daily that this resource exists, and if participation is any factor in determining this site’s popularity, so are many other people. Online communities like this one […]
Depression, Industrialists, Drinking and You
It seems like you’re hearing about depression a lot more now than ever before. Life, in general, creates more stress these days than at any point in the past; ours is the first generation who will not reach or exceed our parents’ success; a full-time job no longer promises you the ability to pay for […]
We Could Be Heroes
I’ve decided to upgrade; the title from this one is a Bowie lyric rather than Britney Spears. I hope you appreciate that. Most of the time when I’m writing these entries, I’m trying to illustrate my personal opinion on a certain aspect of sobriety, maybe trying to explain something that I feel I understand fairly […]
Sobriety as a Social Construct
One of the questions I see the most from people who have recently decided to try sobriety is the vague, but pertinent, “what do I do now?” It’s a good question, because if we really examine the reasons we were drinking to begin with, we’re now forced to address the issues drinking appeared to resolve […]
Square Pegs – Atheists, Agnostics and AA
It’s unfortunate to begin an article with a caveat, but I think it may be a good idea. Concerning religion, spirituality, personal philosophy toward recovery that involves faith in the supernatural, or whatever you choose to call it: this writing doesn’t exist to insult or degrade or detract from anyone’s personal belief systems. Discussion of […]
Postmodern Philosophy vs. 12-Step Recovery
know, inherently, that the title of this post itself is incredibly pretentious. I promise you, though, that I’ve got a point. When people refer to postmodernism, they’re talking about the pervasive sense of cynicism, irony and painful self-awareness in media and culture. What used to be funny is now, supposedly, stupid, cheap or lame. What […]
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