AA Comics Or Are They Alanon’s?

Ethan Persoff has a wonderful site of old comic strips, including this one which he titled: A complete set of the 1968-1974 Alcoholics Anonymous comic strips.  The strips are a hoot. I was married, had kids, drank a ton. I don’t remember seeing them, but at that point I was good at ignoring anything that might cause [...]

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And Then There’s Solstice

Right in the middle of all the year end holidays comes the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere – summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. The official date is in the evening on December 21. I don’t remember when I first became aware that there was actually a date that signaled the days starting to get longer. [...]

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Big Book Or Off The Wall – How Addicts Really Recover

Most places Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and the other 12 Step organizations have meetings you’ll find the 12 Steps posted on the wall. It’s a good reminder. Even groups with problems other than alcoholism or drug addiction find the easy availability of the Steps an asset. Until, at least, someone insists they don’t need the Big Book to [...]

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The 12 Steps

Bill W., a co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, wrote the original 12 Steps 1938. He didn’t write them alone but he does deserve much of the credit. The original 12 Steps used ‘he’ as a generic, which was considered proper at the time. As I usually do, I’ve switched to a more neutral usage. For purposes of this [...]

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Yes, You Can 12 Step At Work – If You’re Careful

Sure, our 11th Tradition states Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and film. That doesn’t mean, as some would have you believe, that’ you’ve got to hide your membership in a 12 Step group from everyone and under [...]

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3 Steps Toward Money Recovery

As the fog of your addiction to a substance or a behavior you may find it has resulted in chaos and drama around money. It’s not unusual to hear at a 12 Step recovery meeting that someone is having trouble finding a job or making their current paycheck stretch to essentials like food and rent. [...]

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The Holidays Are Almost Here! A 12 Step Survival Guide

The end of the year holidays are often a source of, if not fear, at least some angst for many in 12 Step programs. Those addicted to substances, like AA, NA, and OA  fear slips, those with problems like CoDA or Gambling  behaviors worry about triggers, those with money issues, like Underearners Anonymous and Debtors Anonymous are [...]

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Now What Do I Do For Fun?

Years ago I wrote a pamphlet for Hazelden called What Do I Do For Fun? It’s a question people who get sober or clean or let go of some other addictive behavior often ask. That’s probably why the booklet is still available. The question reflects two ideas:the notion that our addiction was fun.  I sure thought I [...]

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10th Steps Can Be Done In A Flash

It’s easy to think Step 10,  Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it, is a formal process, and indeed it can be. Many people find it helpful to take a few moments at the end of their day and sum up what went well and what didn’t.  Out of that can [...]

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Recovered? You’ve Got To Be Kidding!

In 12 Step rooms when I dare to say “I’m a recovered alcoholic (or other addiction)” people often react exactly the way I did when I first heard Biker Ray introduce himself that way at a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. I was horrified, except his share not only made sense but seemed based in Program. He [...]

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