“Loving connection is the only safety nature ever offers us.” -Dr. Sue Johnson — We aren’t big mammals with sharp talons or teeth. We are social creatures and pack animals that rely on our connections and communities for survival. Even if we sometimes feel alone or isolated, there is a vast network of people who help us in small and big ways: making our…

“We believe, and so suggested a few years ago, that the action of alcohol on these chronic alcoholics is a manifestation of an allergy.” -Dr. William Silkworth, AA Big Book One of my frustrations with Alcoholics Anonymous has been the naming of alcohol use disorder as an allergy. I have…

“Wherever you go, there you are.” -Jon Kabat-Zinn “Always the dream was somewhere else, further off, and I took a series of geographical cures in search of myself.” -Alcoholic Anonymous, p.338 When I was around 25, I embarked on what my father would later dub my “Magical Mystery Tour.” I…

While the pandemic has been an enormous challenge for many, some silver linings exist. For those getting sober, the year of no parties, sporting events, or packed bars has been a welcome reprieve. Those getting newly sober often worry about how to manage socializing with friends and family. “I don’t…

“We admitted we were powerless over ______________ and that our lives had become unmanageable.” Step One in the Twelve Steps can be a tough pill to swallow. No one really likes to admit powerlessness, especially in our individualistic culture. The American way tends to value the kind of bootstrapping that…