I Matter, I’m Whole, And I Am Never Alone
Living in the “if onlys” and “someday whens” I was always looking for something, someone, or someplace that would give me peace.Just as my alcoholic father and enabling mother, I was on a deadly continuum. I have primary addictive reactions that get me high or low,...
Taking Care Of My Inner Child
On a bad day, when I am triggered by something, it feels like I get sucked into the past. I become a small child, again. I bypass thought and get sucked into that dark room of abandonment and ‘aloneness’. There, I can hear my infant-self wailing.In one of these...
Milestones
The Big Red Book says that the return of feelings ushers in the second stage of recovery. This is an important milestone. When I entered recovery, I knew three words for feelings: happy, mad, and sad. I lacked the ability to experience or express the feelings that...
Boundaries and Boxes
On my first day volunteering at a non-profit food organization, I was given the task of moving heavy food boxes from the main floor to the basement.