Whats in your Recovery Toolbox?
Whats in your Recovery Toolbox?
I was thinking about this today, after reading other threads here on SR... my mind was taken to all the times I'd sober up, maybe for a few days or a few weeks.
And then relapse. All of a sudden. For no reason.
I started to assemble a "toolbox" of sorts.... stuff to always keep on hand to avoid a relapse:
Food (both snacks and healthy meals to heat up)
Seltzer water
Coffee K-cups
An encouraging DVD (endurance running or cycling do it for me!)
Good, clean reading material.
Pictures of my children
Feel free to add to the list...
And then relapse. All of a sudden. For no reason.
I started to assemble a "toolbox" of sorts.... stuff to always keep on hand to avoid a relapse:
Food (both snacks and healthy meals to heat up)
Seltzer water
Coffee K-cups
An encouraging DVD (endurance running or cycling do it for me!)
Good, clean reading material.
Pictures of my children
Feel free to add to the list...
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
Interesting.
Literal stuff?
Chapstick - always something I've used obsessively, and probably even more so now. Always, always with me.
Something to drink- water bottle in my purse, car, whatever- diet coke, SmartWater....
My "holy day planner" as I call it- always in my purse - combo of my master calendar (I am old school), inspirational/motivational/spiritual quotes, goals, to dos, AA mtg notes...always something I can turn to in order to occupy myself
Books - lots of books
My phone - sponsor, bf, mom, friends, always right there; devotional apps and SR too
Idea journal for my blog
Meds - have my routine of what I take when throughout the day; the one I take 3x, for example is always in the same place in my bag/pocket and my optional one is always on me, at least one dose.
Pretty much everything I do is tied to a life of recovery, whatever it is I am actually doing, so I see it as all connected.
Literal stuff?
Chapstick - always something I've used obsessively, and probably even more so now. Always, always with me.
Something to drink- water bottle in my purse, car, whatever- diet coke, SmartWater....
My "holy day planner" as I call it- always in my purse - combo of my master calendar (I am old school), inspirational/motivational/spiritual quotes, goals, to dos, AA mtg notes...always something I can turn to in order to occupy myself
Books - lots of books
My phone - sponsor, bf, mom, friends, always right there; devotional apps and SR too
Idea journal for my blog
Meds - have my routine of what I take when throughout the day; the one I take 3x, for example is always in the same place in my bag/pocket and my optional one is always on me, at least one dose.
Pretty much everything I do is tied to a life of recovery, whatever it is I am actually doing, so I see it as all connected.
Thoughts of how great my life is now, and the memories of how horrible I often felt (physically speaking), I never want to feel that way again.
There's more, but those two are my go-tos.
HEY, I'm a poet...
There's more, but those two are my go-tos.
HEY, I'm a poet...
I keep a list of these things in my purse (because I know how hard it is to think of / remember them when i most need them)...
Prayer
Meditation and breathing exercises
AA literature
Contacting people from AA (sponsor or other friends)
AA meetings
Recovery podcasts (downloaded onto a cheap little mp3 player and kept in my car)
HALT
Prayer
Meditation and breathing exercises
AA literature
Contacting people from AA (sponsor or other friends)
AA meetings
Recovery podcasts (downloaded onto a cheap little mp3 player and kept in my car)
HALT
I keep a list of these things in my purse (because I know how hard it is to think of / remember them when i most need them)...
Prayer
Meditation and breathing exercises
AA literature
Contacting people from AA (sponsor or other friends)
AA meetings
Recovery podcasts (downloaded onto a cheap little mp3 player and kept in my car)
HALT
Prayer
Meditation and breathing exercises
AA literature
Contacting people from AA (sponsor or other friends)
AA meetings
Recovery podcasts (downloaded onto a cheap little mp3 player and kept in my car)
HALT
reading and posting here
gratitude lists
helping others
A spiritual tool kit, a set of principles I have learned for successful living.
Early days I hung out with other alcoholics, went to meetings, work when I got a job, and went boating on the weekends. There is a lot of wisdom in HALT. I have found hunger the most destabilizing in me and others. This one lady AA member was having a really bad day. She called me, almost histerical. I cooked her a nice lunch, problem solved.
But looking back it was the serious effort I put into learning those principles that kept me sober.
Step ten was another biggie. I am not too bright but I could see the sense in not making a whole new mess, so I cleaned up as I went, fixing any mistakes as I made them. I am sure this was also key.
Early days I hung out with other alcoholics, went to meetings, work when I got a job, and went boating on the weekends. There is a lot of wisdom in HALT. I have found hunger the most destabilizing in me and others. This one lady AA member was having a really bad day. She called me, almost histerical. I cooked her a nice lunch, problem solved.
But looking back it was the serious effort I put into learning those principles that kept me sober.
Step ten was another biggie. I am not too bright but I could see the sense in not making a whole new mess, so I cleaned up as I went, fixing any mistakes as I made them. I am sure this was also key.
Several avenues of support that I can call on.
A good recovery plan that helps me deal with life, emotions, fear, anger, successes and failure without drinking.
A reminder of how bad things got...
and an enduring faith that things will continues to go well for me as long as I don;t drink or drug no matter what
D
A good recovery plan that helps me deal with life, emotions, fear, anger, successes and failure without drinking.
A reminder of how bad things got...
and an enduring faith that things will continues to go well for me as long as I don;t drink or drug no matter what
D
Guest
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 8,674
One visual: sitting in my liver doctor's office getting the talking to of my life, with a 1/2 full handle of vodka in my purse. I can still remember every detail and see every bit of that whole deal. Never, ever, ever again.
SR
Water
4 cans of seltzer water with a dash of sugar free cranberry juice rapidly consumed upon arriving home followed by more water
Tea/coffee
Bed/sleep
Running
Less TV, more reading
Daily selfie of my face, up close in the morning looking resolved, followed by an examination of previous selfies looking for improvements in my appearance (this is highly self-absorbed, I realize)
Reading/revising my recovery plan
Water
4 cans of seltzer water with a dash of sugar free cranberry juice rapidly consumed upon arriving home followed by more water
Tea/coffee
Bed/sleep
Running
Less TV, more reading
Daily selfie of my face, up close in the morning looking resolved, followed by an examination of previous selfies looking for improvements in my appearance (this is highly self-absorbed, I realize)
Reading/revising my recovery plan
1. Asking God for help every morning.
2. Remembering my last drunk.
3. AA meetings.
4. Counseling sessions.
5. An overall healthy diet allowing some junk food.
6. Getting in an intense workout once a week at LA Fitness.
2. Remembering my last drunk.
3. AA meetings.
4. Counseling sessions.
5. An overall healthy diet allowing some junk food.
6. Getting in an intense workout once a week at LA Fitness.
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