Some of the stories we here in the rooms are about how willing people are to do what ever it takes to get and stay sober. A good sponsor will ask you what you are willing to do in order to achieve sobriety. When our answers are "anything, absolutely anything" we are on our way. Some of us don't know what they are asking of us. The first thing we need to do is to not drink or use, no matter what. We need to make a deal to make a phone call or go to a meeting before we pick up that drink. Then we need to be willing to keep an open mind. The spiritual side of the program comes next. Those of us who have agnostic or atheist beliefs need to hear the other side, the side we don't believe in.
What we are saying is that we should be willing to walk through the twelve steps with another human being who can help us. Some of us say that the steps are just suggestions and they are not 100% neccessary to sobriety. Well, when we jump out of a plane it is suggested that we have and use a parachute. There is no definite that we'll die but it's pretty certain that we will. The steps if approached in the same way can save our lives.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful that I am able to look past the negative and see the goodness in my fellow human beings. Today I will look for the good in all people that I meet. I pray for the gift to see the good in every person.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Pennsylvania Drug Rehab
Clearbrook Treatment Centers accepts both adult and adolescent patients suffering from the disease of addiction. Our new facility in Laurel Run Pennsylvania is for adults. Alcohol detox and drug detox are done at Clearbrook so that there is no need to go to another facility for these services. After detox, the client will spend 28 days at the inpatient treatment center in Laurel Run PA.
Adolescent drug rehab is also available for those whose children need it. Located in Shickshinny Pa, we pride ourselves at being the best at handling teenagers. Please visit our website for more information.
Adolescent drug rehab is also available for those whose children need it. Located in Shickshinny Pa, we pride ourselves at being the best at handling teenagers. Please visit our website for more information.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Nick-ism for the Day: Are you willing to stop blaming?
When we were using it was second nature to blame others for things that were going wrong in our lives. Taking responsibility for anything became virtually impossible. As long as you’re blaming, you can never be responsible. Without being responsible there is no way you can do what you have to do.
We used because someone hurt us, we used because we weren’t hired for a job, we used because people around us weren’t doing what we wanted to do. This is a great example of how we blamed others and the circumstances around us.
In recovery, we can see that the only way we can start getting better is to be responsible and take responsibility for our actions and our feelings. Taking a look at ourselves before we point the finger at someone or something else is a step in the right direction to getting healthier.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for the telephone. Today I will use the telephone to be in touch with my A.A. friends. I pray that I can use the telephone to stay connected with others.
We used because someone hurt us, we used because we weren’t hired for a job, we used because people around us weren’t doing what we wanted to do. This is a great example of how we blamed others and the circumstances around us.
In recovery, we can see that the only way we can start getting better is to be responsible and take responsibility for our actions and our feelings. Taking a look at ourselves before we point the finger at someone or something else is a step in the right direction to getting healthier.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for the telephone. Today I will use the telephone to be in touch with my A.A. friends. I pray that I can use the telephone to stay connected with others.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Fatal Nature of the Disease
Alchoholism is a disease. It is a fatal disease. At Clearbrook we are faced with the fatal nature of this every day. Getting sober is not easy, but staying sober can be. Once we come to the honest fact that we want to get sober because it is going to save our life, we can begin to crawl out of denial.
Some people want to get sober for their job, the courts, to have their families back. These are not neccesarily bad reasons, but the greatest reason to get sober is to not allow this disease to kill us. Most people when they achieve sobriety often get back the things they lost. The one thing we can never get back is our life. If the disease kills us, we can't start over.
This is a scary thought and not easy to write about. It is the truth though. Happiness comes out of this when we see the people come in broken and get "fixed".
Some people want to get sober for their job, the courts, to have their families back. These are not neccesarily bad reasons, but the greatest reason to get sober is to not allow this disease to kill us. Most people when they achieve sobriety often get back the things they lost. The one thing we can never get back is our life. If the disease kills us, we can't start over.
This is a scary thought and not easy to write about. It is the truth though. Happiness comes out of this when we see the people come in broken and get "fixed".
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Humility
One of the best ways to embrace humility is by helping others. We only learn this from experience. When we help others, especially another addict we may not realize it right away but they are helping us more than we could ever help them. Although we can gain a different perspective when we see how much another person is suffering.
Helping others can really open our eyes to how fortunate we are. When we do lend a hand it is only the beginning of our humility. Another great test of humility besides helping others is accomplishing something and being modest. Of course if you accomplish something it is good to celebrate but a good example is in the fellowships of A.A. and N.A. When we celebrate our anniversaries, the purpose of getting up in front of everyone and receiving a coin is not so much to help us receiving the coin but it is truly to help a newcomer. Being 30 days sober and seeing someone celebrate 20 years is a great eye-opener for the newcomer because they see that the program really does work.
So when we are helping others and celebrating our recovery, let’s keep in mind that we must stay humble, not only for ourselves but for the newcomers who may feel hopeless.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful I was accepted when I came to A.A. Today I will remember to feel the acceptance that surrounds me. I pray that the acceptance I feel in A.A. will be experienced by others.
Helping others can really open our eyes to how fortunate we are. When we do lend a hand it is only the beginning of our humility. Another great test of humility besides helping others is accomplishing something and being modest. Of course if you accomplish something it is good to celebrate but a good example is in the fellowships of A.A. and N.A. When we celebrate our anniversaries, the purpose of getting up in front of everyone and receiving a coin is not so much to help us receiving the coin but it is truly to help a newcomer. Being 30 days sober and seeing someone celebrate 20 years is a great eye-opener for the newcomer because they see that the program really does work.
So when we are helping others and celebrating our recovery, let’s keep in mind that we must stay humble, not only for ourselves but for the newcomers who may feel hopeless.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful I was accepted when I came to A.A. Today I will remember to feel the acceptance that surrounds me. I pray that the acceptance I feel in A.A. will be experienced by others.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Nick-ism for the Day: Are You Willing To Live, Think and Act in the Present?
Are you willing to live, think and act in the present?
As addicts our focus is never present when we aren’t working a program. We constantly want to fix something from yesterday and think about the future. The present moment rarely exists in our minds.
When we surrender we must continually remind ourselves to focus on the present moment. We must ask ourselves what we can do right now and how we feel right now. When we answer those questions on a regular basis, we will become more apt for living in the present. We will quickly see how blinded we were by thinking of the past and the future so much.
If we stay focused we will see that all the power lives right in the present. Our minds will be freer and the way we think, act and feel will change for the better.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful to know that knowledge is not all-powerful. Today I will practice not depending on my knowledge alone. I pray that I learn to depend more often on grace.
As addicts our focus is never present when we aren’t working a program. We constantly want to fix something from yesterday and think about the future. The present moment rarely exists in our minds.
When we surrender we must continually remind ourselves to focus on the present moment. We must ask ourselves what we can do right now and how we feel right now. When we answer those questions on a regular basis, we will become more apt for living in the present. We will quickly see how blinded we were by thinking of the past and the future so much.
If we stay focused we will see that all the power lives right in the present. Our minds will be freer and the way we think, act and feel will change for the better.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful to know that knowledge is not all-powerful. Today I will practice not depending on my knowledge alone. I pray that I learn to depend more often on grace.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Nick-ism for the Day: Willing to follow direction?
In keeping with the theme of surrender there are multiple questions we must pose. The next few Nick-isms will ask some of these questions.
The first question we are asking you is…
Are you willing to follow direction?
Unless we surrender we cannot possibly follow direction thus we need to ask ourselves this question. We not only have a drinking and drug problem, we also have a behavioral and feeling problem that gets in the way of our surrendering. We find it difficult to give up because we try so hard to make our lives work while using but it NEVER works. We cannot successfully live a life and use.
The behavioral and feeling problem make it clear that there is something wrong inside of us that the only way we felt okay when we were in the midst of our addiction was with those chemicals inside of us.
If we have surrendered to this disease we have the experience to know that WE DON’T NEED DRUGS OR ALCOHOL TO FEEL OKAY. We have seen and experienced for ourselves in recovery that when we work this program we are MORE than okay!
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for knowing I am not perfect. Today I will look for the humor in my imperfections. I pray for the ability to find humor in what is not perfect in me.
The first question we are asking you is…
Are you willing to follow direction?
Unless we surrender we cannot possibly follow direction thus we need to ask ourselves this question. We not only have a drinking and drug problem, we also have a behavioral and feeling problem that gets in the way of our surrendering. We find it difficult to give up because we try so hard to make our lives work while using but it NEVER works. We cannot successfully live a life and use.
The behavioral and feeling problem make it clear that there is something wrong inside of us that the only way we felt okay when we were in the midst of our addiction was with those chemicals inside of us.
If we have surrendered to this disease we have the experience to know that WE DON’T NEED DRUGS OR ALCOHOL TO FEEL OKAY. We have seen and experienced for ourselves in recovery that when we work this program we are MORE than okay!
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for knowing I am not perfect. Today I will look for the humor in my imperfections. I pray for the ability to find humor in what is not perfect in me.
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