Resilience: Needed More Than Ever Today
As we live through these very challenging times, I can’t imagine anyone arguing about the need for developing resilience. This is especially true for those of us in recovery from addictions, whatever be our addiction or addictions. In this article, I’d like to suggest four practices that I have found helpful in developing resilience. The …
How Minnesota Treatment Providers and People in Recovery Have Been Impacted by COVID-19 (And How They Believe Things Will Be Different)
We reached out to Minnesota substance disorder providers, treatment centers and mental health professions—as well as people in recovery to hear how COVID-19 has affected them and how it will affect them after the virus has passed. Below are their response with minor edits from our team. We want to thank them for their responses. …
Where the Heck Can I Go On Retreat This Year?
With virus-related restrictions in place, you may not have access to a resort or retreat center for a quiet time of self-reflection this year. But closer to home are some pristine, tucked-away woodlands that invite relaxation, gently adventurous discoveries, and communion with self and nature. Waking up in Crystal MAC Wildlife Management Area The northwest …
Letter From the Editor: Retreat
Since I wrote my last Letter from the Editor, the world has changed in so many ways. Yet, in others it has not. If we cut out all the noise and chaos of the outside world for a moment, we are faced with the stark reality of ourselves. For many, confronted with this unscheduled time …
Becoming: Growing Into Myself in Sobriety
God having a plan for me is evidenced in reflection of the events throughout my life. As a child, I had struggles that I remember and can feel, but no longer identify with. The growth that comes with age, brain maturation, experiences and learning shape who we are at different times. I think of that …
Shelter-in-Place Self-Care
Even if you did not fully listen to the pre-flight safety presentation the last time you were on an airplane, I am willing to bet you can recall the flight attendant’s advice to put your mask on before helping others. The reason is simple: You cannot help anyone else if you are in danger of …
When You Live Through Another Person
“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?” — Rumi First a note to my readers. I’ve decided to not write about the coronavirus (COVID-19). There is already so much written about this topic, often for very good reasons. These are times when following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control …
Managing Cross Addiction
One of my favorite analogies that I have heard while in recovery is that working through a recovery program is like playing a game of whack-a-mole – the minute one addictive behavior is pushed down (or quelled for the time being), another one pops up to be dealt with. I heard this analogy while sitting …
Corona Retreat
“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” — Parker Palmer Retreats. I usually schedule retreat dates with care, finding calendar space with little disruption to my life. I aim for a good chance of pleasant weather–Arizona in January, …
A Tribute to Matt Talbot
Matt Talbot was born in Dublin, Ireland. Matt left school at the age of twelve and went to work in a wine merchant’s store in order to help his family financially. He started sampling the wines at work and one-year later, at the age of 13, he was a hopeless alcoholic. For the next 15 …