Some of us insist that it was never the availability of the beverage that led us to drink, any more than the immediate unavailability kept us from that drink we really wanted. We live in a drinking society and we cannot avoid the presence of alcoholic beverages forever.

We have found many kinds of activity useful and profitable, some more than others. Here are two kinds, in the order of their effectiveness as we experienced it.

Activity in and around A.A

Activity outside of AA

Then we can figure out how to live comfortably—not bitterly—with that knowledge as long as we start out by simply avoiding that first drink (remember?) just for today.

Many of us began our recovery in just this way. In fact, every recovery from alcoholism began with one sober hour.

It is the first drink which triggers, immediately or some time later, the compulsion to drink more and more until we are in drinking trouble again.

There are many positive things that you can focus on now that you’re recovering from Substance Addiction. You just need to learn how to find balance so you can fully partake in everything your life has to offer.

Each stick has a recovery topic written on it. We will take turns, randomly picking a stick and then sharing on that topic that was chosen.

Studies have shown that addicts who help others can significantly improve their chances of staying sober and avoiding relapse.

Despite these challenges, we can all improve our self-awareness and reap the benefits in addiction recovery and in life.

The first key to persistence is to create for yourself a compelling vision for your recovery. Too often, people focus on what they don’t want to happen.