These 12 simple and timeless tips can help you stay sober over the holidays. (from the December 1978 Hummer, adapted from Box 459) Line up extra A.A. activities for the holiday season. Be host to A.A. friends, especially newcomers. Keep your A.A. telephone list handy. Find out about special holiday parties. Skip any drinking occasions you are nervous … Read More
“So this is Christmas And what have you done Another year over And a new one just begun And so this is Christmas I hope you have fun The near and the dear ones The old and the young A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let’s hope it’s a good one Without … Read More
Do we truly need to get and stay sober? Do we really need to accept that we can never have another drink or another drug? Obviously, my answer is a resounding, “Yes!” I chose 18 years ago to travel down the road of sobriety. I have attended thousands of meetings over that time period and … Read More
You just finished up your treatment program. Your body is 100% drug/alcohol-free, and you feel ready to return home to start a new life of sobriety. You’re a little nervous, but excited, and ready to restore relationships, return to work, and sit around the dinner table with your family again. What you may not realize, … Read More
As our time of thanks nears, I am recalling the many Thanksgiving meals I have attended. Generally, the group that I’m with will pause before indulging, and share the things they are grateful for. Health, having a job, and being with loved ones’ seem to prevail as standard statements. Everyone that I am close to … Read More
You’re a busy person—most of us are. You have a job, a family, a pet, a house to keep up with, and a long list of unchecked boxes on your bucket list. In short, you might not be able to take 30 or 60 days off from these responsibilities and pursuits to attend an inpatient rehabilitation program. … Read More
In my second year of sobriety, I took my first sober vacation. Cape Cod, Massachusetts Low on sufficient funds, a friend and I traveled locally to Cape Code, Massachusetts. We rented a campsite next to a small lake. There were showers and a pavilion in case of inclement weather, and that was about it! The … Read More
When my life reached rock bottom, there was nowhere to go but up. Alcohol and prescription drug abuse had left me in a desolate, unhealthy place. Divorced and without custody of my son, I felt that only death could be worse. This was me, a true alcoholic and drug addict. I can see in my … Read More
Addiction comes at a price. There’s no debate about it. But how much of a price? Addiction is really good at not telling us just how costly it really is. Addiction is costly in multiple areas: Financial People who may have a difficult time paying rent or buying groceries somehow find money to buy drugs. The true … Read More
Recently, I heard someone say, “AA is nothing but a cult.” Honestly, I had similar reservations when I went to my first meeting. Several AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) fellows introduced themselves prior to the start of that session and after a bit, I asked, “Is this like—you know, like a cult?” AA—A Fellowship One woman laughed … Read More
