Keeping It Simple In The New Year

"Keep It Simple" is a phrase we hear often in recovery, but what does that really mean? On this episode of The Bubble Hour we talk about how we plan to keep it simple in the New Year. We will share some tips and suggestions that have worked for us in recovery, as well as some things that didn't work that we plan to avoid doing this coming year. This show is not about high expectations or extreme New Year's resolutions. In fact, it's really the opposite of that. We will focus on ways we plan to be kind to ourselves and let go of trying to do everything perfectly in the New Year. So much pressure goes into the resolutions we make for ourselves. Let's talk about how we can be more gentle on ourselves. 

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Grief in Recovery

In recovery, we are promised a safe landing, not a calm passage. We will have to experience grief like anyone in this life. Grief can arise from many of life’s challenging situations such as the ending of a relationship, the death of a loved one, the loss or change of jobs, a serious illness or operation. Even getting sober - giving up our addictions - can give rise to grief.

Now that we are sober, we will sit with many strong emotions - anger, frustration, fear, sadness, guilt, hopelessness, relief, loneliness. And although grief can be a major trigger for relapse (that old impulse to numb our feelings), we find that in sobriety we can handle hard things. We seek fellowship with others in recovery, we use our tools, and we have compassion for our grieving hearts. Join us as we meet some people who are healing their grieving hearts in recovery. With loving kindness, we share this journey and find that our hearts are capable of holding the sacredness of grief.

Click on the link below to listen to this episode. 

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Other Addictions

We here at The Bubble Hour recognize that our friends and family members may be suffering from a more diverse array of addictions than alcoholism and drug addiction.

The Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health offers this definition of addiction:

“A primary, chronic, neurobiologic disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors. . . . It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control... compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving” (Savage et al., 2003)

And every addict knows the pain of being separated from his or her ideal self by this complex web.

Join us as our guests share how the compulsive use of gambling and food can lead into darkness followed by recovery. We will discuss how these addictions share roots, characteristics, triggers, and recovery methods. As complicated an issue as addiction is, the faith and hope of recovery exists for everyone.

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Re-Broadcast: The Importance of Boundaries

Healthy boundaries create healthy relationships.  Unhealthy boundaries create dysfunctional ones.  

By establishing clear boundaries, we define ourselves in relation to others.  To do this, however, we must be able to identify and respect our needs, feelings, opinions, and rights.  Otherwise our efforts would be like putting a fence around a yard without knowing the property lines.

On this show, we will discuss boundaries - how we establish them, how we know when they are (or aren't) healthy, and why boundaries are important to sobriety.

Please join us for this important conversation!

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As they say..."A Grateful Heart Will Never Drink"

Google the phrase 'the power of gratitude' and you'll find many links to articles and research that show how living a life in gratitude can increase our sense of well-being and optimism and can decrease our levels of stress, anxiety and depression. 

Those benefits alone would make this a worthy topic - who doesn't want to feel happier? - but for the alcoholic and addict, an active gratitude practice can be a game changer. Alcoholism and addiction are characterized by a mental obsession. Our behaviors and thought patterns can defy logic, such as when we drink or use despite consequences or vows to stop. We may feel justified in our drinking or using by anxiety, worry, anger, depression. We may get stuck in this thinking with self-pity, shame, and blame, and the painful cycle continues. 

Gratitude is the fastest way out of the despair caused by this cycle! This is why many people in long term recovery subscribe to the notion that an active gratitude practice is an essential part of their sobriety. Join us as we discuss with our guests the ins and outs of a gratitude practice - the ways it helps them stay sober, examples of its benefits, and how to build a practice. In sobriety, we can have Thanksgiving every day!"

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