From time to time I will present here samples of Addiction Recovery Tips. Humility is considered an essential trait for a person in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction to have.  It is often said that if you think you're humble, you're not. Humility lies in the recognition of powerlessness. Lack of power is the dilemma of the alcoholic or addict. Usually, the person who relies upon will power or any human power to support his/her recovery, will be doomed to failure because of the power of addiction. I suggest, humbly, that humility is gratefully recognizing, that recovery and the strength to live life with emotional balance, come from reliance upon the help of a spiritual source, Higher Power, God, or whatever term you use. As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, 10/07/2012.

From time to time I will present here samples of Addiction Recovery Tips, with a suggested action to take. Here's one about feelings in recovery. Individuals recovering from drug, alcohol, or other addictions or from being in a relationship with a person with an addiction, often struggle with feelings. Feelings are not good or bad (no matter how unpleasant), but just are normal human reactions to life events. The goal in recovery is not to avoid feelings but to accept them and find ways to address them that don't include use of alcohol or other drugs or other negative behaviors. Validating your feelings as appropriate human responses is the first step toward being in charge of them. My favorite tool, one that I mention often here and whenever I get the chance, is the Serenity Prayer, translated as set forth below:

God, grant me:
The serenity to accept the things I cannot change: Other people and many life events.
The courage to change the things I can: Me and how I react to other people and many life events.
and the wisdom to know the difference.
As always, comments are invited. Jan Williams, 09/27/2012

Are There Any Conditions on Your Recovery? Would It Ever Be OK For You To Drink or Drug? I am not talking here about necessary and needed medications prescribed by a physician and used as prescribed. I think it important for every individual in recovery from addictive disease to think deeply about, and to honestly answer, this question. Some conditions on recovery that I have encountered in working with recovering individuals include: not going to jail. not losing my job, my spouse, or partner, or, not getting my job, spouse, or partner back after I'm sober or clean a while. In my view, it matters little why an individual begins the recovery journey; many enter treatment and recovery for the job, significant other, for legal reasons, because of coercion from parents, etc. Being in recovery/treatment allows the individual the opportunity to break through denial and realize that abstinence and recovery are personally needed goals. At some point in recovery the individual must be on the recovery path for reasons internal to him/her, rather than for external reasons of the type mentioned here. An external condition is likely to be resolved or removed at some point, thereby removing the reason and motivation for abstinence and recovery, resulting in relapse. So, it is vital that each recovering individual check to see if there are any conditions under which he/she may think it OK to pick up a drink or drug, and then think through those conditions with a sponsor, a mentor, another recovering person, or a counselor or therapist. As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, 09/18/2012.

Research in 2012 Confirms Assertion in AA Big Book Chapter 7: Work With Other Alcoholics Plays a Plays a Vital Role in Your Recovery. See www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120906181647.htm?, which summarizes a recent research study. AA's basic text, Alcoholics Anonymous, written in 1939, states in Chapter 7, Working with Others, that "... nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics", and that "Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery." The study referenced here was conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and followed a large number of alcoholics over 10 years of their recovery. The study found that engagement in 12 Step activities, helping others, played a positive role in abstinence and recovery. As always, comments are invited. Jan Williams, 09/10/2012.

From time to time I will present here samples of Addiction Recovery Tips, with a suggested action to take. Here's one about genetics and addiction.

Family History of Addiction Is a Powerful Indicator of Risk for Addiction in Children

If a blood relative in your family, for example, a parent or grandparent, has a drug or alcohol problem, then you may be at serious risk of developing a problem yourself. If you do have such a relative, then it would be a good idea for you to take an honest look at your own drug or alcohol use to figure out whether you are developing a problem. The research is clear that if you have alcoholism or drug addiction in a close blood relative, regardless of whether you live or have lived with that relative, you may be four to six times more at risk to develop an alcohol or drug problem yourself.

Thought for the Day
Genetics explains 30 to 70 percent of alcoholism and addiction, depending upon the substance. A genetic predisposition to develop alcohol or drug addiction does not doom the person to develop addiction. Knowledge of this predisposition allows the person to exercise caution in drug or alcohol use or to even abstain from use. I will research my family history for the presence of alcohol or drug addiction and then take appropriate steps to control my use or seek help if need be.
Jan Edward Williams, 08/27/2012.