Dec
18
2008
RELAPSE PREVENTION MEASURES
Recovery Party Central
As someone in recovery well knows, the upcoming holidays are a dangerous time for us. What with the Christmas parties at work and the New Years Eve parties and let’s not forget the BIG football games coming soon. It is like Party Central this time of year. Everyone every where is having a party. It is almost like they are out to purposely sabotage our hard work at staying clean and sober. I’m here today to share some great relapse prevention measures with you.
Great Recovery Idea!
So here is a fantastic idea for avoiding all that temptation. I just know you will love it.
Host Your Own Addiction Free Party!
Yes that is right! Host your own New Years Eve party and that way you can decide what is and is not allowed. No drugs. No alcohol. Be sure to have party favors, music, dancing, games, TV, and jokes galore. Invite your new friends who are also clean and sober to provide the cool atmosphere of any other party without the extras you are trying to avoid. Make your house the place for safe partying this year. Remember you are still just as much fun as you used to be only better.
Another Bright Recovery Party Idea
Go to a church party. If your church does not have a party go to someone elses church. You know they have been inviting you. It is a great way to fellowship. Take some of your old friends with you so they can see how much fun you are having in your “new Life”. Some are more fun that others. As a general rule for me, I go to the bigger churches who use contemporary music in their worship service.
That is just a few of the great ideas I have heard lately to remain clean and sober through the holidays and not lose sight of your recovery. Let me know how it goes.
Testimony Tuesday
Did you forget? I need your testimonies for a Tuesday post. Tell me how you got clean and sober or what you are doing now that you are clean and sober. Something to encourage those who are trying to get there.
e-mail me:
cathyisgodschild@live.com
Dec
12
2008
I hope you are keeping up with these. This is our road to recovery and the more detailed we can be on this 4th Step the better we will do at relapse prevention. In order to stay clean and sober we must know how we got into this mess. that requires a detailed look at our selves. While this is not a comfortable step it is a necessary one.
Today we will begin to check into our fears. Start by printing the list below. after you have printed it you will need to mark each one that applies to you in any way. You may add any that I have accidentally left out. Remember to be thorough.
FEAR
- Abandonment
- Aging
- Anger
- Authority figures
- Being alone
- Being deceived
- Being found out being myself
- Change
- Compliments
- Confrontation
- Creditors
- Death
- Denial, my
- Disapproval
- Disease
- Divorce
- Embarrassment
- Employment
- Facing myself
- Failure
- Fear
- Feelings
- Financial insecurity
- Flying
- Fourth and fifth steps
- Future, the
- Getting fat of thin
- God
- Going home
- Going out on a “whim”
- Having children
- Homelessness
- Homosexuality
- Honesty
- Humiliation
- Hurting others
- I’m a fraud and others will find out
- Incarceration
- Intimacy
- IRS, the
- Letting go
- Living
- Loneliness
- Losing hope
- Love
- Mediocrity
- Money
- Needing anyone
- Not being good enough
- Not being happy
- Not being liked
- Not being perfect
- People (specify who)
- Police, the
- Poverty
- Procrastination
- Rape
- Rejection
- Relationships
- Resentments, my
- Responsibility
- Risks
- Saying that I can’t do something
- Sex
- Sponsor, my
- Success
- Unemployment
- Unknown, the
- Violence
- Work
Dec
11
2008
Complaining Is Not Always a Character Flaw
Waiter, there’s a hair in my salad!
We have been working so hard that I just had to throw in some humor. I know you will forgive me.
OK So back to work now.
Today we will begin to list our resentments.
You will need paper and pen.
Divide your paper into 4 columns.
Title the columns as listed below.
- I’m Resentful at: John Doe
- The Cause: He stole my money
- This Affects My: self esteem, serenity
- My Mistakes in this: I was dishonest with him
Continue in this manner until you have listed every person you can think of that you are resentful at. This list would include family, friends, co-workers, bosses, doctors, lawyers, counselors, etc. If you have any resentment toward anyone it needs to be listed here and detailed out so you have something to refer back to.
Really get serious and be honest with yourself in this matter as in all the ones we have done up to today. You will not be sharing this list with anyone on it so do not be afraid to be honest. If you can not be honest with yourself you will not succeed in your recovery.
I will be back tomorrow with the next part of our detailed 4th Step.
Nov
23
2008
The upcoming “Holiday Season” presents a volatile situation for the addict in recovery. Many times the combination is deadly to the recovery process and many relapses occur during this time of year. Over the next few weeks we will focus heavily on relapse prevention. The reasons are many that the holidays are dangerous for a recovering addict. Today I will state a few of the reasons that recovering addicts dread the holidays. Continue Reading »
Nov
22
2008
How does the way you think affects your recovery? How does it relate to relapse prevention? What do you think about the most? How do you control your thoughts? How do you begin to change what your mind thinks about? I know that these and many other questions are going through your mind as you read the title of this post. Changing the way you think and what you think about is one of the most important things you can do in your relapse prevention plan. Continue Reading »
