Topic: maintaining sobriety

You might as well write ‘I don’t want you to go to AA’ in big letters on the wall behind the therapist’s chair. It’s about that obvious.

AA and NA weren’t designed by professionals and they do not operate like professionally-developed behavioral therapy programs.

Few of us are ever as dedicated to a goal as the addict is to seeking an alternative to abstinence.

At the end of each day, make a list of what went right. Focus on that rather than the things that didn’t.

One study indicated that it could take as little as 33 milliseconds to trigger a craving. If something only lasts three one-hundredths of a second, you’re probably not going to be aware of it.

AA and NA aren’t designed to have a ‘success rate’. Their mission is to reach out a helping hand to those who still suffer.

Ultimately, what replaces addiction in recovery is life, in all its glory.

Something serious is wrong, and it’s not being handled at all well.

You find yourself burdened with unfamiliar doubts and worries about the mechanics of living without alcohol and drugs. You wonder how you will ever adapt.

We certainly shouldn’t feel good about the damage we’ve done, but wallowing in useless remorse is a bad place to get stuck.