I Get To by Blythe L.
I grew up close to my grandmother, she had always been my best friend. I knew growing up that she would go to these meetings and that is how she met my grandfather. I never knew what these meetings were, but I went with her sometimes and I thought it was just old people sitting […]
My Recovery, My Responsibility by Sarah C.
I survived my addiction to opiates and today I am grateful to know that total abstinence from all mind/mood altering substances is possible by working a 12-step program of recovery. I hear a lot of medical professionals tell addicts that the solution for staying off opioids is an opioid agonist like methadone or suboxone. That’s […]
My Self-Loathing By John B.
October 16, 1984 – I was released from the Psych Ward at Harbor General hospital in Torrance Ca., at the tender age of 34. Thankfully, the experience turned out to be the very end of my drinking career. The reason I was there was because I had experienced a psychotic break due to drinking alcohol […]
8 Perfectly Imperfect Years by Evelyn T.
Walking into this anniversary, I had to take a hard look at my program. Was I doing enough? Was I allowing the many blessings of recovery, like having a baby, graduate school, and a good career to harbor excuses for not staying in the middle of the boat? The answer to the first question was […]
Sweet Sixteen by Ashley N.
Recently, someone who has 18 years in recovery asked me to be their sponsor. I remember saying to a close friend, “It seems weird that someone with that much time clean would ask ME to sponsor them” to which he replied, “well, you have almost been clean 16 years yourself”. Wow! Admittedly, I had felt […]
Page 62. By Hans L.
One of my favorite lines from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is on page 62 – “Selfishness – self-centeredness! That, we think is the root of our troubles.” One thing I notice about this passage is that it does not specify that this applies to me only in my active addiction. It does not […]
New Year, Same Sober Me by Josh C.
Read more books. Watch fewer Tik Toks. Eat healthier. With every new calendar comes the same old resolutions. Get back to the gym. Start journaling. Year in and year out we set our sights on a new and improved version of ourselves. And why not? Why shouldn’t we try to “better” ourselves? Well, as you can […]
Gratitude by Sean L
Gratitude: The number one quality I must keep in check these days. It’s really very simple. When feeling low or down on yourself, do a quick check in. Ask yourself, “What people, places, or things have brought joy into my life recently?” Meditate on what that thought was, even if just briefly. It can bring […]
Grateful for a Sober Holiday Season By Landon L.
Staying sober during the holidays is hard. I was never sober during the holidays until I was in recovery. I spent a Thanksgiving in jail. I will never forget that experience. I remember sitting in the pod, thinking how much I took my family for granted. The food was terrible, and I was in terrible […]
Family Recovery Interview w/ Tiffany B.
What crisis brought you to recovery? My son has been living life in the fast lane since high school. Progressively things got worse as time went by with alcohol, drugs, and gambling. On Labor Day he had a panic attack that ended him up in the ER and from there he was taken to a […]
Family Interview with Kathy R
What crisis brought you to recovery? We knew our daughter was struggling while away at college, but we weren’t sure what was happening. In May of 2019, she booked herself into a detox program and told us she was addicted to Xanax and needed help. I was so afraid, but I knew in my heart […]
Family Interview with Mary Ellen K.
What crisis brought you to recovery? When the puzzle pieces of mental health, lost jobs, changes in behavior, housing instability and anger started to fit together for our son (and us) we searched for help. Like most parents new to the reality of addiction, we didn’t know where to turn. What facility options were there? […]
The Power of Not Being Self-Reliant, by Jon J.
Recently at a meeting, the 2nd step came up as a topic. The wording of the step, “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity,” came up as a point of discussion. The tense of the phrase, “came to believe,” was compared to the direct nature of the past […]
Finding My Place in the World
by Mindi V. Growing up I always felt like an outsider. If only I was prettier, if my parents had more money, if I had nicer clothes, then everyone would like me. I craved to be liked, to be seen. But I never got that recognition I was looking for. I never quite fit in. […]
Deciding on Recovery
by Jaclyn B. I am a mother to a bright, beautiful 4-year-old girl. I wake up with her every morning, I get her dressed for school, feed her, teach her, love her, tuck her in at night, and do it all over again the next morning. The amount of gratitude it brings me is insurmountable, […]
I Am Not Defined by My Past
When I first came into recovery, I heard people in meetings share about all the “gifts” they received by staying clean and working the steps. I didn’t think that I would receive any of those “gifts” because I didn’t think I was worthy. Little did I know, my Higher Power had big plans for me […]
Family Interview with Donna C
What crisis brought you to recovery? It was a few years of one crisis after another after my son turned 18. He actually went for 30-day inpatient treatment at Turning Point when he was in his early 20s, which of course I pushed for and paid for. I remember going to a group family counseling […]
A Neutral Approach to Body Image by Jon J.
Much is being made of the body positivity movement today. It’s being used by manufacturers to sell products through the guise of “self love.” It’s being promoted as the solution to poor self-image. It’s seen in advertisements, commercials, books, YouTube videos, self-help gurus, music, and in any media where a message of body positivity can […]
Mind Body Spirit
Addiction is a disease that affects the mind, body and spirit. Conversely, recovery can affect these as well. Although they are all entwined, I believe that we cannot treat one without treating the others. Once the “fog” of active addiction dissipated, I began to think a LITTLE more clearly. I was eventually able to read […]
Family Recovery Interview Questions with Sheryl H
What crisis brought you to recovery? My only child admitted to me she had an addiction. It was only weeks later I realized it was an actual crisis. Had you ever heard of a Family Recovery Programs like Al-anon or Nar-anon before this crisis? I had heard about Al-Anon because of a past relationship but […]
Family Interview w/ Mary A.
What crisis brought you to recovery? This past June our 23-year-old son came to live with us for a time. He was with us for about a month and decided to hit the road and take a vacation during the pandemic! When he returned a week late from his vacation, he was high. We knew […]
Following Through with Pride, by Landon L.
Growing up I always knew I was different from the kids around me. The kids around me knew I was different too. They bullied me for it. The endless pranks, vicious name calling, and even sometimes violence was something I became familiar with at a young age. Once I grew up a bit and became […]
Grateful by Allison T.
For the longest time I thought I was somehow made wrong-I felt different from my family and everyone else I knew. I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere, a misfit. Since I was small, I have felt awkward, insecure and uncomfortable in my own skin. I am a twin and I use to always wonder […]
Sober & Grateful Dad by Riley B.
First, I would like to mention how honored I am to get the opportunity to share my experience of being a grateful sober dad. Turning Point of Tampa will always have a special place in my heart, as I am a double Alumni. However, that was not my last stop before being able to put […]
