New to Sobriety and Recovery?

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If you’re new to sobriety and recovery, you might be wondering, “What the heck do I do now?”

Here are some ideas to get started:

If you’re considering professional treatment, be sure to read How to Choose an Addiction Treatment Program.

And hang in there. It gets better. 

The Recovery Book

 

 

Is a Personal Inventory Part of Your Recovery Program?

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Doing a personal inventory is an important part of maintaining your sobriety and recovery. In fact, Step 10 suggests you do it regularly. But just how do you do it?

In The Recovery Book (page 362),  Dr. Al suggests asking yourself a number of specific questions, all sorted into our familiar Recovery Zone System categories. 

Read through the questions below, or download a printer-friendly version with space for writing. 

Recovery Activities

  • Did I have a plan for the day, and did I follow it?
  • With whom did I spend most of my time?
  • Where did I spend my time?
  • Did anything threaten my sobriety recently? What?
  • What specific work did I do on my recovery program (attending meetings, doing meditations, reading fellowship materials, or listening to recordings, etc.)?

Ask Dr. Al: What is Recovery?

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What is Recovery?

Getting and staying sober is the first priority when someone gets into recovery. But most soon learn that recovery is about so much more. Here are some basic truths about living in recovery.

Recovery is a way of life. Recovery is about building and enjoying a better life for yourself in sobriety. It’s about finding and developing loving relationships, solid friendships, strong community ties, satisfying work, and invigorating play. It’s about spending your life in good health and good spirits. It’s about living a good life steeped in the culture of recovery.What is Recovery

Recovery is about healing. Over time you’ll notice that your body is healing. Even  better, your brain will be healing as well. Addiction hijacked your brain, making it very hard for you to make good choices. As you focus your thoughts and actions on sobriety and recovery, your cravings will disappear and your thoughts will … Read more...

37 Ideas to Help You Stay Sober During The Holidays

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For some people in recovery, the holidays can be tough. But you can make it to January with your sobriety intact. You don’t have to let unfulfilled expectations, stressful family dynamics, or crazy in-laws threaten your recovery. Not to mention all those holiday parties.

You just need a bit of preparation. Start planning your strategy now, with these #soberholidays tips from The Recovery Book and the workbook companion My Life in Recovery.

Sober Holidays Tip #1:  Remind yourself every single morning how good it feels to be sober (and how great it will feel come January). Plant that thought in your mind right now, and think about it every morning. Stick a note on your bathroom mirror to remind yourself to think about it every day. 

>> Download the first 3 chapters of The Recovery Book FREE at Amazon <<

>> Download a free sample of My Life in Recovery… Read more...

New! My Life in Recovery – A Companion Workbook to The Recovery Book

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Recovery is about so much more than just getting sober. For many people, recovery means learning how to stay sober, while also repairing relationships, restoring health, and picking up the pieces of an education or career. It can all be overwhelming.  

My Life in Recovery is a 12-session continuing care workbook that guides readers through developing a complete, personalized plan for staying sober, avoiding relapse, and living in recovery. It is used in conjunction with The Recovery Book, the award-winning “Bible of recovery.” 

My Life in Recovery gently guides readers through The Recovery Book with reading assignments, homework questions, discussion topics, journaling prompts, and personal exercises. In the process, participants learn about addiction and recovery and develop their own personalized, detailed plans for moving through the Recovery Zones and thriving in sobriety for a lifetime.

My … Read more...

Writing a Recovery Journal

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Excerpted from Chapter 10 of The Recovery Book.

Many people who are sober and in recovery keep a journal. Writing things down can be a very powerful way to process your feelings and get them “out of your head.” Often, problems don’t seem quite so big or so awful once you’ve worked through them on paper.

A journal is also a great way to keep an eye on your progress as you move beyond active addiction and into recovery. A year or two from now, you might look back on what you wrote and be astonished at what you have accomplished. And proud of yourself.

Your recovery journal doesn’t have to be fancy—you can get your thoughts down in a notebook, email memos to yourself, use a recovery app, or just start a computer file. You can write about whatever you want. And no one has to ever see … Read more...

How to Choose an Addiction Treatment Program

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Excerpted from Chapter 5 of The Recovery Book.

Addiction treatment programs—inpatient and outpatient—can be quite varied. Some specialize in alcohol rehab, others focus on drugs. Some are just for women, others are just for men, and some are for teens only. Some focus on the LGBT community, particular ethnic groups, or chronic pain patients.  

Addiction Treatment Programs – Basic Criteria

When you start looking for a treatment center, first consider several basic criteria:

Location. Can the patient as well as others in the family travel to a treatment center that is across the country, or is a center close to home preferred?

Treatment. What types of treatment are offered and what is the philosophy of treatment?

Certification. Are the counselors certified? Are there doctors on staff?

Expense. How much does it cost? Do they accept insurance? Do they have a payment plan?

Aftercare or continuing care. Is an … Read more...

How to Choose an Addiction Treatment Program – The Recovery APGAR Score

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Excerpted from Chapter 5 of The Recovery Book.

When a baby is born, doctors do a quick assessment of its condition using what is known as an APGAR score. You can do a quick screening of treatment programs using our Recovery APGAR system, which rates treatment programs on a scale of 0 to 10 on the basis of whether or not the most critical components are present. Any program that gets a score of 7 or higher is probably good.

You should be able to get the answers from websites or program materials, or by asking a program director, counselor, or admissions person the following questions. Award one point for each positive response. Unknown, ambivalent, and negative responses all score zero.  

Alcoholism as a primary disease: 

Does written program material state that the staff believe that addictive illness is a primary disease? ___

During the program is a … Read more...