sobriety | Life Recovery

9 Tips for Staying Sober During the Holiday Season

Between parties and family get-togethers, staying sober during the holidays can be a challenge. Interacting with old friends and family members may stir up hard feelings, bad memories, difficult conversations, and tempting situations. But by following these tips, it’s possible to thrive—not just survive—this holiday season.

1. Have a plan in place.
Before going to a party or spending time with family, think about what will happen. Have a team of friends and accountability partners to provide support. Here are some questions to ask:

“Who is going to be there?”
“What feelings will this bring up?”
“Am I even ready to go?”

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Is God an Essential Part of Recovery?

Faith/Spiritual

There’s a lot of controversy over believing in a Higher Power in recovery. On one hand, some believe that God is not essential to recovery; while on the other hand, others believe God is an essential part of recovery.

Whether you’re in a Christian recovery group or a secular recovery group, those who take God more seriously and develop a conscious awareness of Him in their lives are more successful in recovery than those who don’t.

Spirituality and Sobriety
Evidence shows that those who believe in a Higher Power are more successful in recovery. Someone once asked Dr. Dave Stoop, coeditor of The Life Recovery Bible, “Is God an essential part of recovery?”

“Yes,” said Dr. Stoop. “Success in maintaining sobriety in recovery is directly related to the development of a personal relationship with God.” (more…)

6 Personalities Of An Alcoholic

Addiction/Recovery

If you are an alcoholic or know someone who is, it’s important to ask for help. But don’t stop there! Take it a step further by learning all you can about alcoholism. There are biological predispositions to alcohol and alcohol doesn’t affect everybody the same. This list will try to explain why it is so confusing to understand yourself or the person that you’re with if they’re an alcoholic.

The Abstainer
An abstainer is the personality of someone who has not been impacted by any kind of chemical, any kind of addiction, and certainly not alcohol. This first personality is really for most people who aren’t born addicted or born with some kind (more…)

Heads Up for the Holidays!

Addiction/Recovery

Many of you may be striving for freedom from depression, anxiety or addictive behaviors this holiday season. The “most wonderful time of year” can be one of the lowest times of the year if you’re already struggling and susceptible to the usual holiday triggers. You can be impacted in ways you don’t even realize.

Here’s a few suggestions to help you recognize those holiday triggers, avoid relapsing in your recovery, and in the midst of the sorrow and sadness that may fill your heart, (more…)