I SO DON’T MISS THAT
THINGS SOBRIETY HAS LEFT BEHIND
THE HANGOVER
Remember those? We may remember those horrible mornings, but it’s pretty likely we didn’t remember the horrible nights before, right? It used to be kind of funny, in a way, wandering around in that fog with that headache and that inability to function fully. It was kind of fun to head right back out there for a Bloody Mary or whatever with that ridiculous excuse that a morning drink would solve the hangover problem. Funny until we started showing up at work with a hangover everyday or not showing at all, while watching our job security slipping away. Funny until we realized that that morning hangover drink was becoming two or three, and starting to last into the day and onto the night and repeating every morning with that funny hangover that slowly became not so funny anymore. The retching, the runny nose, the bloodshot eyes, the shakes, the loss of appetite, the sheer wreck of it all. Not so funny anymore. But, now blessed with recovery, we’ve left behind those hangovers and mornings have become a beautiful thing again. Leave them behind, but don’t ever forget the damage they used to do.
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LOVE AND ADDICTION CAN BE EMOTIONAL
PART THREE
Dealing with a loved one in addiction or, hopefully, in recovery, can be exhausting, nerve-wracking, frightening, and potentially destructive to any relationship. Emotions can fly at us from all directions and with little notice. They can be very unhealthy, particularly for those trying desperately to provide support for a struggling friend, family member or lover. Keeping emotions in check is hard work, but also necessary for all involved. There are three emotions in particular that can run a relationship off the recovery rails if not tended to with care. Last week; grief. This week; guilt.
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LOVE AND ADDICTION CAN BE EMOTIONAL
PART TWO
Dealing with a loved one in addiction or, hopefully, in recovery, can be exhausting, nerve-wracking, frightening, and potentially destructive to any relationship. Emotions can fly at us from all directions and with little notice. They can be very unhealthy, particularly for those trying desperately to provide support for a struggling friend, family member or lover. Keeping emotions in check is hard work, but also necessary for all involved. There are three emotions in particular that can run a relationship off the recovery rails if not tended to with care. Last week, anger, this week: grief
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LOVE AND ADDICTION
CAN BE EMOTIONAL
Dealing with a loved one in addiction or, hopefully, in recovery can be exhausting, nerve-wracking, frightening, and potentially destructive to any relationship. Emotions can fly at us from all directions and with little notice. They can be very unhealthy, particularly for those trying desperately to provide support for a struggling friend, family member or lover. Keeping emotions in check is hard work, but also necessary for all involved. There are three emotions in particular that can run a relationship off the recovery rails if not tended to with care. We’ll tackle one for each of the next three weeks.
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IT’S HARD AT FIRST
EARLY RECOVERY CAN BE A STRUGGLE
Life without drugs and alcohol. Wow, this is great. But how do I stay this way? It’s been said many times that getting sober is hard. Staying that way is harder. For those new to sobriety, there are many challenges early on. Recovery means change in your lifestyle, relationships, coping skills, you name it. Change can be a struggle. Here are a few struggles we should work hard to avoid.
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