Manifestations of Healing

Thank you to Alicia for sharing her strength, hope, and experience in this post about her journey to healing. Each time I pass the anniversary of my rock bottom, I can’t believe another year has passed. It’s been eight years now -eight years of learning a new way of living and even a new vocabulary:…

Details

The Greatest Showman and Addiction Recovery

So I am not a big movie person.  After Trauma blindsided me, most movies, songs, and media experiences felt like a Trigger Time-bomb waiting to happen. But every now and then, a movie comes along that is worth my time and my ten dollar bill. The Greatest Showman was this for me. Although seeing this…

Details

New Year, New Start

Happy New Year! Last week I missed sending out a blog post…I was still caught up in the aftermath of the holiday chaos, celebrations and feasting in my own home, and then whisking off with my husband and 5 kids to Wisconsin for Christmas with my family. I don’t know about you, but returning home…

Details

Is Relapse a Part of Recovery?

I’ve heard this quite a bit in other groups: “Relapse is part of recovery…” Or… “If I pop a tire, I’m not going to go back to where I started, I’m going to fix the tire and move on.” My initial questions are these: Where do these ideas come from? Who said these things? Was…

Details

Finding the Light this Christmas

This Christmas season, I have been reflecting on Light. Light is the best part of holiday decorating, in my opinion.  Every morning the first thing I do is pad around in my bare feet plugging in extension cords, and all day long I keep my houselights off and let the warm glow of twinkle lights…

Details

Self-care vs. Self-soothing

“Take care of yourself.” We say it to those we love, but do we say it to ourselves? And if we do, are we taking the true meaning of those words to heart? When I tell my husband to take care of himself before he goes out on a shift as a drug detective in…

Details

Using the Understanding Pornography Manual: Understanding the Basics

You may be aware that SA Lifeline Foundation recently published the updated Understanding Pornography & Betrayal Trauma Manual.  This publication is one of SA Lifeline’s proudest accomplishments. The manual includes clear guidance from top experts in the field, and straight-forward explanations that bring clarity to complicated issues.  It is also unique in that it offers…

Details