Dangerous Isolation?

Dangerous Isolation?If you are living in isolation because of shame, God wants you out of hiding and into the arms of a healing community.”- Steve Arterburn

Have you been isolating yourself? Are you ashamed of your struggles? Has it been hard for you to connect with others? One thing that will either make or break your recovery is connection. You are more likely to succeed in recovery when you choose to connect. But isolating, withdrawing, and separating is dangerous. Why? There are three reasons why isolation is dangerous.

Reason 1: Isolation hurts your relationship with God.
When you go off course, you tend to run from God. We’ve all made mistakes; we’ve all done things we’ve regretted. (more…)

Are You in the Right Group?

You probably have a friend or family member who struggled with addiction and went to a support group. Going to a group helped them overcome their addiction and change their entire life. So, you decided to go to a support group yourself.

Although you found a group and went to it for several weeks, you never built any real relationships with anyone in the group. You felt the leader wasn’t accepting of you, and the only thing anyone seemed to do in your group was complain.

Sound familiar? A support group should be a safe place—a place where you will connect and learn from others. However, not every group will be a good fit for you. Here are some signs you’re in the right group.

7 Signs Your Group is a Good Fit (more…)

Loneliness: 10 Tips for Finding Friends

  1. Take a step of courage and place yourself in situations where you can meet people, like a church, social clubs or book club involving your interests. Say yes to invitations for gatherings you would otherwise find an excuse to not attend.
  2. If you want a friend – be a friend. Get involved in service or ministry opportunities. You will be connecting with others who are serving and who are in need of help.
  3. Proverbs 22:11 says – He who loves with a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend. Keep your motives pure. Avoid manipulation and don’t desire someone’s friendship for social status or other selfish reasons.
  4. Don’t rush it. People desperate for friends often overwhelm potential friends by getting too personal too quickly. This can scare off acquaintances that might otherwise become friends over time. Deep, lasting friendships take time to develop. (more…)