It’s time to once again continue our monthly series on the Twelve Steps, this time by focusing on Step Eight. In many ways, the Eighth Step and the Ninth Step go hand in hand. Consider Step Eight to be something of a primer before we begin making our amends. And since making amends will be…
People in sobriety maintain anonymity for several reasons. In the case of AA, members are encouraged to maintain anonymity for the sake of the program itself. If a person relapses, those who know them might blame the program rather than the individual. Others maintain anonymity out of fear. They do not wish others to judge…
When we first come to grips with alcoholism and addiction, we often find ourselves dreading the next step. We harbor many reservations about entering recovery, not all of them rational. Despite the ways in which our substance abuse caused us harm, it feels like a part of us. We may not yet feel ready to…
If you poke around a bit on the internet, you’ll find a lot of people who believe that treatment centers such as Amethyst are unnecessary. Not only do they believe that a person can quit on their own, but they often quote sometimes questionably funded studies that say quitting outside of treatment has a higher…
Last night, basketball fans were treated to Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals. Prior to the game, many analysts had noted that Cleveland might have a shot at stealing the game from Golden State if LeBron James received some much-needed support from his teammates. It was believed that this could happen because Kyrie Irving…
Nobody can go through addiction recovery alone. If we are to remain sober, we need a healthy support network upon whom we can lean when we need help. But for some people, this will be difficult to attain. Some of us have found that our social skills were lacking while in active addiction. Maybe we…
There’s a 1997 anti-drug commercial starring Rachel Leigh Cook that you’ve probably heard of before. A remake of an older PSA (which launched the popularity of the “this is your brain on drugs” slogan), the 1997 version achieved such a high level of popularity that it has been spoofed literally dozens of times, on everything…
On page 17 of Alcoholics Anonymous, diversity receives an important mention. Bill Wilson, co-founder of AA, writes: “We are average Americans. All sections of this country and many of its occupations are represented, as well as many political, economic, social, and religious backgrounds. We are people who normally would not mix. But there exists among…
At Amethyst Recovery, we very much believe that recovery is a group effort. Not just in the sense of the other addicts and alcoholics that our patients will meet if they stay in our sober living facilities, but also in terms of the friends and family that the patient knew before entering treatment to begin…
When many picture groups like AA or NA, they picture middle-aged men and women who have reached the end of their ropes. They picture people who have been beaten down by life for decades, losings jobs and families along the way. Sadly, however, there is no shortage of young people among our ranks. There are…