Jul 25, 2017 / By BRC Recovery / In Alcoholism, Alumni Personal Stories, Blog, womens program

Fear and Acceptance

fear-and-acceptance

Fear of accepting Many fears kept me on the fence with sobriety for a long time. Fear of accepting I had a problem, fear of the label of alcoholic and the fear of a new way of life I heard about in recovery. When I drank, I felt free of my overwhelming emotions and problems. Drinking was my solution to dealing with fear and how could I handle life without it? What would life look like without alcohol? How would I manage to handle things? I was afraid. Today I know exactly what life looks like without alcohol. The fear […]

Jul 18, 2017 / By BRC Recovery / In Blog, chronic relapse

Bye Bye Comfort Zone

bye-bye-comfort-zone

2017 Opioid & Heroin Mississippi Drug Summit Last week I had the honor of attending the 2017 Opioid & Heroin Mississippi Drug Summit. What a groundbreaking time. From police officers to child protective service workers to church and treatment center counselors to narcotics bureau agents to professional baseball players in recovery to media reporters from Mississippi Today – the event was packed with people from all walks of life. The common denominator was their interest in addressing the addiction epidemic sweeping this country. I have never been a part of such a collaborative and impactful event. Some months ago my […]

Jul 4, 2017 / By BRC Recovery / In Addiction, Alumni Personal Stories, Blog, drug addiction, Family, God, mens program

Anything is Possible

anything-is-possible

BRC Recovery I had a dream once of going to Penn State and getting a Ph.D. Instead, I ended up at the State Pen getting a GED. After dropping out of high school in the 12th grade, because I thought I knew it all, I started to follow my feet wherever my self-will led me. At this time in my life, drugs and alcohol played an important role, and it seemed the world was out to get me. My family was always there to offer support and advice, and I would nod my head in agreement but I never followed […]

Jun 27, 2017 / By BRC Recovery / In Blog, Family, Recovery

Beautiful Bumpy Roads

bad-roads-bring-good-people

BRC Recovery Recently, my family and I went on vacation to Nosara, Costa Rica. What a glorious week of sun and fun mixed with the rains and mud of the “green season”. Swimming, surfing, ATV tour, horseback riding, and lots of good food and fellowship with our family and the local recovery community all made for a wondrously eventful and action packed week. On our last morning there, on the way to the airport, we decided to have a final breakfast at a beautiful, boutique hotel called La Garta Lodge. Outside the restaurant was a sign that read, “Bad roads […]

Jun 20, 2017 / By BRC Recovery / In Alcoholism, Blog, Family, God

What Good Are Those Slogans, Anyway? (Part 4)

what-good-are-those-slogans-anyway

If you’ve spent any time around Al-Anon, Alcoholics Anonymous, or other recovery-oriented groups, you’ve heard at least a few slogans and acronyms. Most of them seem to fall into one of three categories, and they include our relationship with: Our addicted loved one. Ourselves. Our Higher Power. This month, we’ll look at a few of my favorites that can help us stop living in fear and resentment and change our lives for the better.  FEAR: Forgetting Everything is All Right. The first time I heard this spoken was by Al-Anon speaker, Ellen Cassidy, she said she talked to her sponsor […]

Jun 13, 2017 / By BRC Recovery / In Addiction, Alumni Personal Stories, Blog, God

Change

inevitable-aspects-of-life-change

one of the most inevitable aspects of life Change – one of the most inevitable aspects of life. We grow up, we make friends, we lose friends, we move, WE CHANGE. Despite the amount of “growing opportunities” that my Higher Power has presented in my path, it seems as though the process of walking through change remains just as uncomfortable! And as people say, we, as alcoholics and addicts, don’t accept change very well. The past few years of my life have been constant change. Surrendering to the fact that I would never be capable of “drinking like a lady” […]

Jun 6, 2017 / By BRC Recovery / In Alumni Personal Stories, Blog, More News, womens program

A Call to Action

keep-boston-sober

BRC Recovery I recently met with a photographer at Bayside Park here in my hometown of Colchester, Vermont. He was taking a picture that was to be used for the upcoming article for the local newspaper. I was asked to share my story and give my experience on what pathway to recovery worked for me. As I stated to the reporter time and time again, my experience showed me the only way to recover was to abstain from all mind-altering substances and to experience an entire psychic change.  Then it hit me like a Mack truck. So many people out […]

May 23, 2017 / By BRC Recovery / In Blog, God, More News, Personal Stories

Righteousness is Real Scary

self-righteousness-is-real-scary

REAL SCARY I received a text from a friend recently that stated “it’s jealousy and spite masked as righteousness.” He was referring to a Facebook post we had both seen, and were disturbed by. His words struck me and I have mulled them over for some time. In this modern world of social media and advanced technology it is easy to open your phone or computer and “vent”, whether to a friend in private, or for the whole world (or at least your virtual friends) to see and digest. I admit I have been guilty, and on more than one […]