Serenity Is Forever

Suicide Survivor

May 16, 2011 stephaniep12 step, 12step, aa, addiction, alcoholism, na, recovery, Serenity, suicide survivor0 comment

I’m a survivor of many events in my life. I’ve survived addiction, I’ve survived parental alcoholism and I’ve survived a suicide. My brother, may he rest in peace, took his own life 13 years ago this week. I remember the day I got the phone call as clearly as it was yesterday. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I was sorting through the laundry when the phone rang. My cousin who rarely called me was on the other line. She told me he committed suicide and then everything changed…

12step

Dear Friend

December 30, 2010 stephaniep12 step, 12step, aa, addiction, alcoholism, christmas and alcoholism, holidays and addiction, just for today, na, one day at a time, recovery, Serenity, serenityprayer0 comment

I may be clean and sober for nine years now, but alcoholism and addiction is alive and well in my family. I’m sick of it and I want it to go away, but I have to deal with it AGAIN and AGAIN. I want to share a letter I wrote a friend one today: My friend, I know you are angry, confused and hurt right now. I know because I’ve been there. About 10 years ago, my life was a shambles, my marriage was falling apart, I hated everybody and…

12step

Hometown Blues

October 18, 2010 stephaniep12 step, 12step, aa, addiction, alcoholism, isolation and addiction, just for today, na, recovery, Serenity, serenity prayer, sober birthdays0 comment

I went back home to my hometown recently after quite some time to visit my aging mom. Going back home is always an emotional journey for me and although I look forward to visiting, I still can’t help but be filled with some dread about revisiting the place where I grew up and remembering what it was like growing up with alcoholism. It was only a decade ago that I used to visit my parents with plenty of drugs in tow that I managed so foolishly to hide in my…

12step

Marijuana – Teenage Friend or Foe

June 16, 2010 stephaniep12 step, 12step, aa, addiction, ALANON, just for today, ma, marijuana addiction, marijuana anonymous, one day at a time, recovery0 comment

Marijuana has become the most widely consumed illegal drug in the world. Since 1990, marijuana usage has doubled in the US and Canada. Today’s marijuana is so potent that the United Nations has considered reclassifying it as a different drug from the 1960’s counterpart. Although there is still a perceived notion that pot it is relatively benign, it is far from being a soft drug. The main reason is that today’s marijuana has been re-engineered to produce a high level of Tetra Hydro-Cannabinol or THC, its active ingredient. The levels…

12step

Dear Laura

April 1, 2010 stephaniep12 step, 12step, aa, ACOA, Al-anon, ALANON, how to help your alcoholic sibling, na, recovery0 comment

I came across this website I would like share with you. The site belongs to musician Brad Mersereau. He has devoted it to his sister Laura’s memory who sadly did not find her way to recovery and died at 46 from alcoholism. It is a very powerful reminder that addiction in itself is a form of insanity, it affects our loved ones profoundly, destroys lives and that some of us won’t make it to sobriety. The following is an excerpt from his site, one of a series of very poignant…

12step

Who’s a sex addict?

March 1, 2010 stephaniep12 step, 12step, addiction, recovery, sex addict, sex addiction, sex and addiction, sexting0 comment

It seems like everyone is talking about sex addiction these days. This whole Tiger Woods scandal has put sex addition into the spotlight recently. I recently read an article in the Los Angeles Times about whether sex addiction is a real disorder or disease like drug or alcohol addiction. The article argues whether extreme sexual acting out is an obsessive-compulsive disorder, a sign of depression or simply nasty behavior. I’m sure the same thing was said at one time in history about gambling addiction and for that matter drug or…

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Thanks for giving me sobriety

November 25, 2009 stephaniep12 step, 12step, aa, addiction, alcoholism, christmas and alcoholism, na, recovery, Serenity, serenity prayer, sober birthdays0 comment

Thanksgiving is a special time but for me, it marks another year of sobriety. I now have eight years of continued sobriety. During those years, I have experienced the same disappointments and achievements in life as I always have but the difference is that I was able to handle life on life’s terms– just using my instincts, some common sense and I hope, good judgment. It’s been a tough yet wonderfully liberating experience. One thing that I found a bit of challenge is dealing with friends and family regarding sobriety. …

12step

Public Enemy

June 10, 2009 stephaniep12 step, 12step, act as if, addiction, alcoholism, benzo addiction, benzodiazepines addiction, benzodiazepines withdrawl, insomnia and addiction, just for today, na, recovery, xanaz withdrawl0 comment

We are a prescription drug society. Not a day will pass when we will see an advertisement describing some medical condition and the pill that will help it. An astonishing amount of advertising about insomnia has surfaced within the last few years. It is estimated that one of out of six people over the age of 15 has problems falling or staying asleep. My co-worker has been taking as he describes a “tiny dose” of Clonazepam because he experiences “middle-of-the-night” insomnia. He wakes up every morning at 2 am and…

12step

I’m only happy when it rains

February 6, 2009 stephaniep12 step, 12step, boredom, christmas and alcoholism, holidays and addiction, na, one day at a time, recovery, Serenity0 comment

It’s a rainy, foggy day and although I like the rain, today’s rain is reflecting my dark and somber mood. I had all these plans to be productive today but somehow I let my mood take over, simply relenting to the dark side. The problems in life overshadowing my plans, poor me. In my using days, these kinds of days really lent themselves to being stoned. I felt crappy so I got high. It would make me feel better, an instant bliss until it wore off and I’d get high…

12step

Hellidays II

December 31, 2008 stephaniep12 step, aa, ACOA, Al-anon, christmas and alcoholism, hellidays, holidays and addiction, live and let live, na, one day at a time, recovery0 comment

We’ve heard it before that people in recovery have it especially hard during the holidays. Everything from bad memories associated with drinking/using, to seeing loved ones out of control, to having to resist those urges to partake in a little holiday cheer like the rest of society. The holidays are the ultimate test of the addict/alcoholic’s commitment to sobriety. I personally don’t like the holidays much. I’m not a very christmasy person, not being traditional makes me feel bad, not giving in to the mass-consumerism makes me feel guilty and not…

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Tag: recovery

Suicide Survivor

Dear Friend

Hometown Blues

Marijuana – Teenage Friend or Foe

Dear Laura

Who’s a sex addict?

Thanks for giving me sobriety

Public Enemy

I’m only happy when it rains

Hellidays II