For the newcomer, the concept of spirituality is a difficult one. For some of us that word makes us uncomfortable and discontent. We have struggled for a very long time to gain any kind of understanding of spirituality. Some of us may have dismissed the idea all together and some of us may have thought we were spiritual but really had no idea how to get in touch with that part within us.
Some of us have searched for answers in all kinds of different ways. Throughout our search we probably lost hope because no answer was good enough. No theory or idea filled that void within us. So, when we walked into the rooms and heard about spirituality and a Higher Power, we were skeptical. The true skeptics that we are, we scoffed at these ideas.
It wasn’t until we listened to other people’s experience that we began to open our minds. We saw that through learning and practicing we can gain an open mind and open heart to spirituality. We may have felt that the notion of practicing wouldn’t work but it did. We prayed. We meditated. We had no idea what we were doing most of the time. We prayed but didn’t know to whom or to what we were praying. Yet, the more we practiced, we started to see our Higher Power working in our lives. Things may have gotten worse before they got better but things did get better. Through it all, we learned from the things that happened (most of them we had no control over, our Higher Power was in control). The littlest improvement gave us hope.
The day we came to believe in a power greater than ourselves is the day we became a little less skeptical and a little more hopeful. Through it all we’ve seen that in the rooms we learn, we practice and we grow. This is a great gift that is given to us in recovery.
In case you didn’t know:
Children of alcoholic parents are four times as likely to develop drinking problems as the general population. Sons of alcoholic fathers face up to nine times the usual risk.
Clearbrook Treatment Centers are drug treatment centers in North East Pennsylvania that treat the disease of addiction.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Step 3- Making a Decision
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him
Willingness is the word that comes to mind when we speak of the third step. For so long we depended on ourselves and our ideas. The thought of anyone or anything else helping us to run our lives was impossible. When we've walked through the first two steps of the program, we have already made an excellent start. We by now realize just how powerless we are over alcohol and drugs. After the second step we start to see that there is a power out there that can help us. Even if that power is the AA or NA group as a whole, it is better than self reliance.
The third step asks us to make a decision. For so long we have made so many resolutions and trade offs, but we never made a decision. So many of us ask, "What does this decision entail? How do I do this?" Many people that have achieved long term sobriety say that the decision is that you will go on with the process laid out before us. There is a great deal of humility that applies to this step. It shows that we know and want help. It shows us that we realize that without help our demise is an alcoholic death.
One of the beauties of this program is that we do all these things one day at a time. Every day if we can practice the first three steps and realize how important they are to our recovery, the easier it gets.
This is what the Twelve and Twelve of Alcoholics Anonymous says about the steps:
A.A's twelve steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole. (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions- Foreward)
How has the third step effected your life? How did you come to make the decision?
We would love to hear your feedback
Willingness is the word that comes to mind when we speak of the third step. For so long we depended on ourselves and our ideas. The thought of anyone or anything else helping us to run our lives was impossible. When we've walked through the first two steps of the program, we have already made an excellent start. We by now realize just how powerless we are over alcohol and drugs. After the second step we start to see that there is a power out there that can help us. Even if that power is the AA or NA group as a whole, it is better than self reliance.
The third step asks us to make a decision. For so long we have made so many resolutions and trade offs, but we never made a decision. So many of us ask, "What does this decision entail? How do I do this?" Many people that have achieved long term sobriety say that the decision is that you will go on with the process laid out before us. There is a great deal of humility that applies to this step. It shows that we know and want help. It shows us that we realize that without help our demise is an alcoholic death.
One of the beauties of this program is that we do all these things one day at a time. Every day if we can practice the first three steps and realize how important they are to our recovery, the easier it gets.
This is what the Twelve and Twelve of Alcoholics Anonymous says about the steps:
A.A's twelve steps are a group of principles, spiritual in their nature, which, if practiced as a way of life, can expel the obsession to drink and enable the sufferer to become happily and usefully whole. (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions- Foreward)
How has the third step effected your life? How did you come to make the decision?
We would love to hear your feedback
Monday, February 7, 2011
Working Towards Serenity on a Daily Basis
Serenity is something we are always striving for. Some days it comes naturally. Other days we break a sweat trying to catch a glimpse of the feeling of tranquility and peace.
The more time we are working our 12-Step program, the easier it gets to acquire serenity on a daily basis. Yet, we are not perfect. We can never be perfect but when we look back to the past we see an obvious improvement. We used to feel crazy. We used to worry about yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our minds ran wild with fear, insecurity and worry. There was no shutting off our thoughts.
We do still get those feelings but after some time working the steps and helping others, we feel a little less crazy. Our minds are a little calmer. This is because we have learned how to be aware of our thoughts, fears, worries and insecurities. We can recognize them, thus making it easier to remember to just focus on today.
On a daily basis we must remind ourselves that in order to achieve serenity we must accept the things we cannot change. We must be courageous enough to change the things we can. We must able to distinguish the difference.
In case you didn’t know:
Synthetic cannabis (Spice/K2), which mimics the effects of cannabis, is four times more addictive than THC. Clearbrook Treatment Centers are treatment centers for people who need rehab for spice addiction.
The more time we are working our 12-Step program, the easier it gets to acquire serenity on a daily basis. Yet, we are not perfect. We can never be perfect but when we look back to the past we see an obvious improvement. We used to feel crazy. We used to worry about yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our minds ran wild with fear, insecurity and worry. There was no shutting off our thoughts.
We do still get those feelings but after some time working the steps and helping others, we feel a little less crazy. Our minds are a little calmer. This is because we have learned how to be aware of our thoughts, fears, worries and insecurities. We can recognize them, thus making it easier to remember to just focus on today.
On a daily basis we must remind ourselves that in order to achieve serenity we must accept the things we cannot change. We must be courageous enough to change the things we can. We must able to distinguish the difference.
In case you didn’t know:
Synthetic cannabis (Spice/K2), which mimics the effects of cannabis, is four times more addictive than THC. Clearbrook Treatment Centers are treatment centers for people who need rehab for spice addiction.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Are You Different Than Everyone Else?
Many of us have felt like we were different at some point in our lives, even in the rooms of A.A./N.A. Sometimes this may be because we didn’t face the consequences some people faced, we didn’t lose our family, friends, and/or jobs. A lot of times we’ve even taken pride in setting ourselves apart from others.
But this is the wrong way of thinking. When having this mindset, we isolate ourselves thus making it difficult to hear the message and work a program. It doesn’t matter that we didn’t lose as much as someone else or that we didn’t use the way someone else did. We are all there because we suffer from the same disease. All of us could NOT use successfully. We all have a common problem. We are NOT different.
Once we open our eyes, we see that we actually have a lot in common with those around us. We quickly see the similarities. We are all working the 12-step program. We are all striving for change. We are all striving to be happy, joyous and free. When we let go of isolating ourselves, we can then share our experience, strength and hope with others. This is one of the many wonderful gifts of the program.
In case you didn’t know:
A.A. consists of more than 2,000,000 men and women in more than 180 countries.
Clearbrook Treatment Centers is an alcohol and drug rehab in PA and is only within 100 miles of NY and NJ. For more information, visit our website www.clearbrookinc.com
But this is the wrong way of thinking. When having this mindset, we isolate ourselves thus making it difficult to hear the message and work a program. It doesn’t matter that we didn’t lose as much as someone else or that we didn’t use the way someone else did. We are all there because we suffer from the same disease. All of us could NOT use successfully. We all have a common problem. We are NOT different.
Once we open our eyes, we see that we actually have a lot in common with those around us. We quickly see the similarities. We are all working the 12-step program. We are all striving for change. We are all striving to be happy, joyous and free. When we let go of isolating ourselves, we can then share our experience, strength and hope with others. This is one of the many wonderful gifts of the program.
In case you didn’t know:
A.A. consists of more than 2,000,000 men and women in more than 180 countries.
Clearbrook Treatment Centers is an alcohol and drug rehab in PA and is only within 100 miles of NY and NJ. For more information, visit our website www.clearbrookinc.com
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Step 2- Came to Believe
Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Coming out of alcoholic destruction and after admitting that we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable, this second step can seem like a big task. So many of us either at one time believed in God or a higher power but thought that he gave up on us. There are others in the rooms that don't believe in a higher power and never did. In the literature, it tells us that if we are just willing to believe in some kind of higher power, a beginning has been made. This shows some degree of humility by at least being open to the idea that this world did not originate out of nothing and means nothing. For so long we were so dependent on ourselves and our own thinking. For most of us that landed us in all kinds of predicaments. Whether it was jail, our total alienation from our families, bankrupt, both financially, morally, and spiritually, we all had our problems. What happens to a lot of people after they became at least willing to believe, they saw just how practical it really is. By attending meetings and listening to the stories of the people that have gone before them, it is tangible proof that something is working in those people's lives. If we go to enough meetings, read the book, and pray, we can and will recover from this seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Many people may ask, "If I don't believe, than what should I pray about?" Some simple prayers that we have heard work are simple. The simplest being this "PLEASE HELP ME". It is amazing at how many times this prayer has helped so many people.
Recovery from alcohol abuse and drug abuse is very paradoxical. The first paradox is that we must surrender to win. In the second step, the irony is that to become independent we have to become dependent on a higher power.
Coming out of alcoholic destruction and after admitting that we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable, this second step can seem like a big task. So many of us either at one time believed in God or a higher power but thought that he gave up on us. There are others in the rooms that don't believe in a higher power and never did. In the literature, it tells us that if we are just willing to believe in some kind of higher power, a beginning has been made. This shows some degree of humility by at least being open to the idea that this world did not originate out of nothing and means nothing. For so long we were so dependent on ourselves and our own thinking. For most of us that landed us in all kinds of predicaments. Whether it was jail, our total alienation from our families, bankrupt, both financially, morally, and spiritually, we all had our problems. What happens to a lot of people after they became at least willing to believe, they saw just how practical it really is. By attending meetings and listening to the stories of the people that have gone before them, it is tangible proof that something is working in those people's lives. If we go to enough meetings, read the book, and pray, we can and will recover from this seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Many people may ask, "If I don't believe, than what should I pray about?" Some simple prayers that we have heard work are simple. The simplest being this "PLEASE HELP ME". It is amazing at how many times this prayer has helped so many people.
Recovery from alcohol abuse and drug abuse is very paradoxical. The first paradox is that we must surrender to win. In the second step, the irony is that to become independent we have to become dependent on a higher power.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Reduction of Shame
Shame can be a powerful force in our life. It is the trademark of dysfunctional families.
Authentic, legitimate guilt is the feeling or thought that what we did is not okay. It indicates that our behavior needs to be corrected or altered, or an amend needs to be made.
Shame is an overwhelming negative sense that who we are isn't okay. Shame is a no-win situation. We can change our behaviors, but we can't change who we are. Shame can propel us deeper into self-defeating and sometimes self-destructive behaviors.
What are the things that can cause us to feel shame? We may feel ashamed when we have a problem or someone we love has a problem. We may feel ashamed for making mistakes or for succeeding. We may feel ashamed about certain feelings or thoughts. We may feel ashamed when we have fun, feel good, or are vulnerable enough to show ourselves to others. Some of us feel ashamed just for being.
Shame is a spell others put on us to control us, to keep us playing our part in dysfunctional systems. It is a spell many of us have learned to put on ourselves.
Learning to reject shame can change the quality of our life. It's okay to be who we are. We are good enough. Our feelings are okay. Our past is okay. It's okay to have problems, make mistakes, and struggle to find our path. It's okay to be human and cherish our humanness.
Accepting ourselves is the first step toward recovery. Letting go of shame about who we are is the next important step.
Clearbrook Treatment Centers are drug treatment centers in Pennsylvania. At Clearbrook we know about shame, guilt, and remorse. We can help you and we can promise you hope.
Authentic, legitimate guilt is the feeling or thought that what we did is not okay. It indicates that our behavior needs to be corrected or altered, or an amend needs to be made.
Shame is an overwhelming negative sense that who we are isn't okay. Shame is a no-win situation. We can change our behaviors, but we can't change who we are. Shame can propel us deeper into self-defeating and sometimes self-destructive behaviors.
What are the things that can cause us to feel shame? We may feel ashamed when we have a problem or someone we love has a problem. We may feel ashamed for making mistakes or for succeeding. We may feel ashamed about certain feelings or thoughts. We may feel ashamed when we have fun, feel good, or are vulnerable enough to show ourselves to others. Some of us feel ashamed just for being.
Shame is a spell others put on us to control us, to keep us playing our part in dysfunctional systems. It is a spell many of us have learned to put on ourselves.
Learning to reject shame can change the quality of our life. It's okay to be who we are. We are good enough. Our feelings are okay. Our past is okay. It's okay to have problems, make mistakes, and struggle to find our path. It's okay to be human and cherish our humanness.
Accepting ourselves is the first step toward recovery. Letting go of shame about who we are is the next important step.
Clearbrook Treatment Centers are drug treatment centers in Pennsylvania. At Clearbrook we know about shame, guilt, and remorse. We can help you and we can promise you hope.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
How do we become selfless??
In the midst of our addiction we walked around with blinders on. We saw nothing else but what we wanted to see, ourselves. Our life seemed so much more important than anything else. What mattered the most to us was the drink or the drug. If anyone got in the way of that we either pushed them away or completely removed ourselves from them. Our happiness, our comfort and our “problems” always came first.
Even after getting sober we can still be selfish especially if we are not working a program. The only way to remove the selfishness that has been such a large part of our life is to go to meetings, work the steps and help others. Once we begin our journey of recovery and do all the things that make us selfless rather than selfish, we learn a very valuable lesson: the world and everyone in it is not contingent upon us; the world does not revolve around us.
Clearbrook's Quick Fact:
In 2009, there were 2.6 million people aged 12 or older who used non medical prescription drugs including pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants and sedatives for the first time within the past year which averages out to around 7,000 new users per day.
Even after getting sober we can still be selfish especially if we are not working a program. The only way to remove the selfishness that has been such a large part of our life is to go to meetings, work the steps and help others. Once we begin our journey of recovery and do all the things that make us selfless rather than selfish, we learn a very valuable lesson: the world and everyone in it is not contingent upon us; the world does not revolve around us.
Clearbrook's Quick Fact:
In 2009, there were 2.6 million people aged 12 or older who used non medical prescription drugs including pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants and sedatives for the first time within the past year which averages out to around 7,000 new users per day.
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