What is recovery? The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines recovery as “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.” The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) offers a slightly different definition. They write, “Recovery is an…
There are several ways to burn calories. Swim one hour and you’ll burn 250 calories. By riding a bike for an hour, you can burn another 600. Walking an hour will burn 300 more. If that’s not enough, try beating your head against a wall. Seriously. If you strike your head against a wall for…
Looking for a good laugh? Consider these nuggets of wisdom from the great Mark Twain. Better yet, let’s consider some even deeper truths from King Solomon. I love to read. Some of my favorite topics are history, theology, philosophy, politics, biographies, and sports. I enjoy the classics – the works of Tolstoy, Dickens, Twain, and…
If you want an in-depth description of the addiction cycle, read the works of men who are much smarter than me – such as Milton Magness and Patrick Carnes. If you are a simple man like me, the following description may make sense. As I look back over the decades in which I lived in…
Preparation is everything. Think of anything you’d like to accomplish: running a marathon, saving some money, losing 15 pounds, securing long-term sobriety. In each case, preparation is everything. Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.” If…
You can believe anything you want, but that doesn’t make it true. I can believe I’m an NBA superstar, but that belief will not get me a great jump shot. I can believe I’m a millionaire, but that won’t pay the bills. Believing something and being something are two different things. Did you know there…
Worry. It’s something we are all really good at. We all know how to worry and we all worry more than we should. The great Charlie Brown said it like this: “Sometimes you lie in bed at night and you don’t have a single thing to worry about. That always worries me!” As an addict,…
I googled “Famous people born on May 7.” These are the 12 names that came up: Tommy Fury, J Balvin, Jacob Bongiovi, Julia Antonelli, Chad Tepper, Sarah Baska, Rico Nasty, Tahani Anderson, Blake Rivera, Michael Rosen, Chiara Ferragni, and Mr. Beast. (Yes, Mr. Beast.) I’ve heard of exactly one of them – Tommy Fury (boxer).…
Bestselling author Harvey Mackay has identified seven reasons that people fail in any endeavor. These hold true for recovery. I suggest you identify just one item from this list, which applies to your life and struggles. Correct this shortcoming, and you will see your recovery rise to an unprecedented level. Make the following passage of…
Before there was Bruce Jenner, Caitlyn Jenner, Kendall Jenner, or Kylie Jenner, there was a man named Edward Jenner. While Edward never made the cover of People magazine, never changed sexes, or did any of the other things that make today’s headlines, he did have one thing on his resume that is pretty impressive. In…