Maybe you’re familiar with the Cycle of Addiction, a repeating set of stages (and downward spiral) that many of us have experienced to one degree or another. Host John Sheldon’s guest on this episode of The Beyond Belief Sobriety Podcast invites us to look at a mirror image – a Cycle of Recovery tracing a replicable process for moving towards healing. Author Joi Andreoli has designed a highly visual – and positive – framework for recovery that will inspire you with its openness and emphasis on the power of connection. Her new book also offers two different tracks – one an easy-to-follow manual for recovering individuals and the other sound clinical instruction geared towards mental health professionals and drug counselors.

A licensed marriage and family therapist who is herself a longtime member of the recovery community, Joi’s approach is supported by Four Cornerstones that meet you wherever you are. The cycle’s stages highlighted in her book, “The Recovery Cycle: A Practical Guide to Loving Your Sober Life,” invite readers to participate in their own vision of recovery:

You’ll enjoy this exchange of stories and reflections on everything from the important role that connecting with others plays in recovery to how our families of origin shape behaviors and expectations that impact our lives well beyond childhood experience. John and Joi also explore an expansive definition of spirituality – a dogma-free but no less sacred expression of what it feels like to be human and share with others. Retrieving our truest selves isn’t easy, says Joi: “It’s hard work, a cycle, a process. It’s never over-and-done. It’s a continuous process.” The good news? The process can be joyful and – wherever you are in your cycle of addiction or recovery – you’ve got access to a tremendous community of support and variety of paths to pursue in finding the right fit!

Just click here if you’d like to learn more about Joi’s thought-provoking book, “The Recovery Cycle: A Practical Guide to Loving Your Sober Life.”

“If you’re thinking that there’s a problem, there probably is a problem.” (Joi)

“If I want to progress and have my behavior align with my ideals for myself, my inner most self, I need to do that sober.” (Joi)

“I believe recovery rituals need to include other sober people that I like and that have the same values.” (Joi)

“If we live (the cycle) fully and engage in it, insert ourselves into the whole thing, we can drop down into feeling a greater connection to ourselves, others and maybe something greater – if you believe in that.” (Joi)

“We have a common shared experience in our pain and in our joys and I think it’s vital to have healthy, caring relationships.” (Joi)

“Relationships require work. There’s no way around it, which I think is good. It helps us as human beings.” (John)

“We get sober but are still bringing that (childhood) conditioning to our relationships.” (Joi)

“Impulse control is really a hallmark of sobriety … but it’s hard work, a cycle, a process. It’s never over-and-done. It’s a continuous process.” (Joi)

“People use the word God, but it’s almost a shared spirit … Developing this relationship with myself and my values is all mixed into it, connecting with myself and other people.” (Joi)

“Connection with other people is that feeling of being safe and feeling like you’re loved and with people who understand you.” (John)

“(My book) is a visual representation of this emotional journey that we’re all going to do. We’ve just got to stay sober!” (Joi)

Joi earned her Master’s in Psychology from Antioch University, Los Angeles. She spent three years studying communication strategies and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy at the WANT® Institute, becoming a Certified WANT® Educator and Transactional Analysis Practitioner.

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Show Notes Written by knwhelmick at Fiverr