In my group meeting the other day, someone shared this beautiful writing she did as part of her Step Six. As Fear is such a universal part of healing from Betrayal Trauma, I thought her words were a gift that would speak to all of our hearts. Thank you to this “SAL fellow” for being…
Last week we discussed a frequently asked question in addiction recovery groups: Am I an addict for the rest of my life? It was an interesting discussion and one that caused me to think a lot about my own recovery and what I’m doing (or need to do) in order to be “in recovery” as…
In recovery, we try to speak from our own experience. We have seen enough chaos and tried enough theories to know that our own strength, hope, and experience is really the only concrete thing we have to offer. Today’s topic is one that is near and dear to my heart, because it has affected deeply…
Today’s men’s discussion is based on a question received from a sponsor regarding his sponsee. He wondered, “How do I help a sponsee who’s struggling?” If you have questions that you’d like to discuss, please submit them here. Thanks for all your interaction in the men’s SAL group discussion. How to Help a Sponsee Who’s…
SA Lifeline sees recovery as an ongoing process of living with God at our center, “One Day At A Time.” But what does God-centered love look like? For those of us who have lived with a loved one in addiction, we have often fallen into a model of dysfunction, putting our addict at our center. When this…
Today we’re going to discuss a difficult question: How to Work with Family Members Who Aren’t in Recovery or Sobriety. I feel this question could be answered in a couple ways, depending on what is meant by a “family member who isn’t in recovery or sobriety.” For me, I don’t know that I have direct…
One of the most common 12-Step slogans is “One Day At A Time.” This has become one of my most oft-quoted mantras in recovery. But what does it really mean? What about this slogan can help me gain perspective and hope in recovery? Living in the present moment has become a huge paradigm-shift and a…
Valentine’s Day can be a very difficult day for those of us who have experienced the lies, deceit and betrayal of living with or having lived with a pornography or sexual addict. All the red hearts and the mushy sentiments can send us into feelings of sadness, fear, inadequacy or even anger. But there is…
Why do women have bookclubs? Do they really even read the book or is it just a reason they create to get together and talk, gossip, or possibly emotionally connect? Personally, I’ve been kind of jealous when my wife goes to bookclubs. It seems to me to be a great way to meet new friends…
When I first came to SAL groups, I had been attending a different recovery group for a year. While I had never heard the term of surrender before, it was skittered throughout many of the comments of SAL women each week in their shares. Embarrassed that I was unfamiliar with something that seemed so fundamental,…