Tag Archives: addiction

acceptance, addiction, love, mental illness

Relapse and Resurrection: The Fall and Rise of the Addicted and Mentally Ill

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How perfect for Easter Sunday: Please–if you have addiction or mental illness, if you have a friend or family member who suffers from addiction or mental illness, if you work in mental health or are just open to seeing the world through new eyes–READ THIS.

There is hope. Recovery is possible. Some of the most brilliant people I know have addictions and mental illness. It doesn’t change the fact that they are awesome people. Their behavior may be terrible; I am not discounting the distance that may be needed in loving them from afar, but they are people, and fall within the category of “one another” whom Christ commanded His followers to love.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” John 13:34

Eat Pray Exercise, Weight Loss Journey

Personal Power and Stumbling Blocks

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So I’ve been having a bit of problem with “The Program.” So much so that I’m thinking of not going to any more meetings.

The weird thing is that I don’t want to stop working it. I have no intention of stop working the steps. I just don’t want to go to meetings. And I haven’t run it past my sponsor yet, but I wonder how she’ll react.

I went to my first meeting back in November, and I won’t lie, I had this little voice in the back of my head saying, “It’s a cult.” I’m not sure where I got it from other than my brother who was forced to go to another version of The Program, but honestly, given his DUIs and his refusal to stop drinking, I took it with a really, really big grain of salt.

Now, I’ve seen people for whom it has transformed their lives. People from church. People I’ve watched over a period of months lose fantastic amounts of weight. So, there’s this, “But it works,” thing in my head, too.

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personal, semester break

Something about Mary

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One of the most memorable lessons in humility and compassion I’ve ever had was given through a woman named Mary. It was several years ago, and I was working in admissions at the local hospital.

She was an alcoholic and an addict, and was making noises from her room.

She was ignored. We were full of alcoholics and addicts that night; the ER was packed, and they were all making noises from their rooms.

When they’re going through detox, they’re all making noises from their room. And when they’re addicts and alcoholics, they’re so easily ignorable.

I remember the end part of that night like it was yesterday. It was busy; I was exhausted. I hated my job and was wondering why I was even there. I didn’t like my co-workers and I couldn’t stand the utterly superior nurses in Medical ER.

I was really, really unhappy.

But then I met Mary.

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