It is said that when a storm approaches, bison walk directly into it. At first, this seems to go against every instinct for survival. Yet it is often the fastest way through the storm. By facing the direction from which the weather is coming, the bison allows the...
In the chapter “Into Action” AA tells us that the recovery of family life is going to be slow. Page 83 says “There is a long period of reconstruction ahead.” The suggestion is that we ask our Creator every morning to show us the way of patience, tolerance, kindliness,...
I was at Hazelden in 2012, and held the position of Director of Spiritual Guidance, one of several clinical directors in Center City, Minnesota. Hazelden was approached with a generous grant for research into the value of a new drug, Suboxone, for the treatment of...
For local business owners in recovery, and the family members holding things together, the end of a business after substance use can feel like grief with a price tag. There’s the public sting of closing doors, and there’s the private panic of bills, debt, and income...
Cautionary Tales from Four Decades of Recovery The following accounts are drawn from four plus decades of experience in recovery. To maintain the privacy of those involved, names and locations have been altered. These narratives serve as cautionary examples that...
When I first came into the Al-Anon program, I had spent so much time and energy into isolating, stuffing my feelings and trying to fix and control people, places and things, that I had no idea who I was, what I liked or disliked or even what I what felt. When they...
