by Renee W. While deep in my alcohol addiction, I was about as self-absorbed as I could be. All my thoughts and behaviours revolved around the centre of my universe: me. It wasn’t until months of recovery that I began to realize just how much I thought of myself. I do not mean I thought a … Read more about A secret weapon in recovery: Helping Others
by Renee W. I knew I desperately needed help, but deep down, I wasn’t ready to give up my addiction. I didn’t know how I would survive without my drug of choice – alcohol. My addiction lasted ten years, and while I had a few periods of sobriety in there, nothing stuck. My addiction was … Read more about How to help an addict who doesn’t want help
Here is one fact in recovery: quitting drugs or alcohol is the pivotal first step of sobriety. After all, you have to quit first. Then the recovery journey begins. While most people want to hear a definite timeline in recovery, the truth is, there isn’t one. Everyone’s recovery experience is … Read more about Ups, Downs, and Everything in Between: Understanding the First Year of Recovery
by Renee W. Labels can be incredibly damaging. They come with all kinds of biases and connotations, whether positive or negative. However, how we label ourselves defines not only the lens through which we see ourselves but how we act. There are always negative connotations to the label … Read more about Labels, Identity, and Recovery
by Renee W. When I got sober the first time in 2014, my strategy was simple: get my body back. I had gained weight from my alcoholism, and I thought if I could eat better and exercise, I would lose weight, feel better about myself, and stay sober. So, I put all my effort into … Read more about How Does Diet Culture Affect Women in Recovery?
By Renee W. One of the key things we learn in recovery is acceptance. We learn to accept what we cannot change, to change what we can, and the wisdom to know the difference (straight from the Serenity Prayer). That’s great and all, when we are making meetings, practising self-care, and … Read more about How to Put Your Sobriety First During a Pandemic
"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." - Buddha In eastern philosophy, the key to happiness is … Read more about The Importance of Gratitude
by Renee W. As a recovering alcoholic who has been enabled by well-meaning family and friends, I have a strong stance on this issue. When I was drowning in my addiction, I manipulated my family and friends as all addicts do. Some fell into the destructive cycle of enabling me … Read more about How to Know if You’re Enabling an Addiction
