Just about every group you can think of has some jargon—words or phrases—that only make sense in the context of that group. If you are a basketball fan, for example, you likely know what a “logo three” is. If you are a Star Trek fan, you know the difference between TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, and...Read More

‘The weather started getting rough…’Have you ever watched the sitcom “Gilligan’s Island”? The show ran for three seasons in the mid-1960s and then had a long afterlife as a staple of afternoon reruns. There were even a couple of animated series and various made-for-TV movies related to the show—all of which were pretty odd.The premise...Read More

There are plenty of people who will tell you they love the last couple of months on each year’s calendar. Indeed, they might even lean into the idea that this is “the most wonderful time of the year.” And they might be baffled if you seem to disagree.  But for many other people, the end...Read More

Most of us have a pretty good idea of what an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting is like—at least in broad outline.People gather together in someplace like a church basement, share something from their lives and recovery journey (if they are so inclined), and enjoy some coffee and cookies. That much has been depicted in countless books,...Read More

Often, a big experience or accomplishment in our lives is followed by a moment of indecision or uncertainty. You might call it a “now what?” moment.You just graduated from high school or college, but you don’t have the next thing lined up yet. Now what?You just brought a brand new baby home from the hospital...Read More

Whether you get your information from Schoolhouse Rock or from Greek philosophy, an investigation of the number three will quickly lead you to the suggestion that there is something special or significant about the third digit.  We can neither deny nor confirm this hypothesis. But what we can confirm is that we have often used...Read More

Misinformation Misses the Mark When It Comes to Recovery — Part Two In a recent entry, we began the process of replacing some bad information about substance use disorders and recovery with good information.  As we noted last time out, there are little snippets of so-called “accepted wisdom” out in the world that everyone seems...Read More

Serving in the United States Armed Forces can be a great source of pride for many of the brave individuals who make up the ranks of the various branches of the military. A sense of fellow-feeling and mutual support—as well as a clear set of expectations and responsibilities—are hallmarks of military service.All too often, however,...Read More

Sometimes, even when you are surrounded by supportive friends and family, it can feel as though you are going through recovery all alone. After all, most of the people around you have no actual experience with a substance use disorder and the challenges that come with working to stay sober. (An important exception, of course,...Read More

When you hear the word “countdown,” what comes to mind?  Our guess is that you think of quite a number of things before you think about a way to manage anxiety. You might think of the countdown to a rocket launch. You might think of a weekly countdown of the most popular songs in the...Read More