I realized today that what I hate the most about sobriety is that you see everyone for who they really are, including yourself. You see every flaw and it can be tough to handle. So much of my life was spent trying to ignore many things going on around me. Maybe ignore is the wrong word. I guess what I am talking about is avoidance. Trying not to process anything that was too upsetting or that I couldn't handle emotionally. Now, it seems... »

I just came across this. What an inspiration to all of us who are overcoming alcohol and drug addictions. The 20th anniversary of National Alcohol and Drug addiction month is coming up in September 2009 and you can join in by participating in the Recovery Rally. See below for details: On Saturday, September 12th join thousands in NYC to celebrate the 20th anniversary of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Together, we can raise national awareness that addiction is a treatable... »

You can never take your sobriety for granted as this one Mom so eloquently writes her powerful story about overcoming addiction, plunging headlong back into it after 10 years and having to relearn how to overcome it again. Source: Momlogic.com Recovering Alcoholic-Addict Mommy: There is so much on the blogosphere lately about moms and their wine intake. One popular mom writer published an article about how she made the decision to quit drinking wine, after spending years defending her right to drink in such... »

Since I quit drinking alcohol and began living a sober life, I have done a lot of reading. I started this post thinking that I would share some of the interesting reads that I have come across this week. Then it struck me just how much of this past year I have devoted to reading material mainly about sobriety, alcoholism, recovery, addiction, mental health, self growth, personal development, achievement and success. Most of what I have absorbed this past year has... »

I am looking for some writers to contribute to Recovery Princess. The type of writing should be inspirational and motivational and of course unique. I think that anyone contemplating sobriety or anyone who has had some success with sobriety after abusing alcohol for a prolonged period of time would fit nicely with Recovery Princess. Recovery Princess is primarily my sharing of the sobriety journey that I am on. I now include relevant articles that I come across in the press and I... »

Life really is good without alcohol. Life is good. I feel like I am waking up from a really long dream. It seems unreal that I actually lived that way for so long. It is a strange but liberating feeling. I am finally free from the crap of alcoholism. Sobriety will have its challenging days, I know that for sure but I will take sobriety over using alcohol to numb my every feeling any day. I never thought I would see the day that I... »

"Every time you don't follow your inner guidance, you feel a loss of energy, loss of power, a sense of spiritual deadness"By Shakti... »

An article in The Los Angeles Times discusses the importance of a parents role when it comes to enforcing rules about drug and alcohol use. I believe it is detrimental, especially so because of the fact that " A child who starts drinking before age 15 has a 50% chance of becoming alcoholic; the risk falls to 9% for those who wait until they're 21". I began drinking as a teen and so did many of the people I associated with. I can... »

Doctor's Diary: Alcohol Binge Drinking Video is from the BBC News website. The doctor speaks of the health issues he sees on a daily basis caused by alcohol binge drinking. What is interesting is how he talks of the change in the type of person he sees in today's world. It used to be mainly men in their fifties coming in with alcohol related health issues, now he is seeing an increase in younger adults, in particular a young woman who is only 27 years... »

Source; CNN by Madison Park When rehab and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings didn't work for Eddie Freas, he sought another way to kick his 20-year drug and alcohol addiction. He swam 2.4 miles. He biked 112 miles. He ran 26.2 miles. The Pennsville, New Jersey, resident found relief in triathlons. "I feel better when I'm working out," said Freas, 33. "It does wonders for the mind. The reason I started running -- it was a switch that went off in my head. I started feeling... »

I have had the worst day in a long time. I have been thinking about alcohol intensely. This time round, it hasn't just been negative thoughts or anxiety, it has been full blown memories of every single good time I had with alcohol. I have thought about the sweet release I used to feel when I had the first few sips of chilled wine. It was like heaven. My thoughts have been about the past and every positive aspect I ever... »

I came across the 'One Sober Alcoholic' blog a while ago, then again today, it must be a sign! Either way, I enjoy the writings of this author. Today's post is about her first year of sobriety which is an interesting read. You can read the post titled "What it was like: Year One" at One Sober... »

" Change your behaviors and your feelings will follow" Susanna McMahon - Author of 'The Portable... »

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on" Theodore... »

Another reason to quit drinking alcohol! Source; The George Institute A new global study has found that lifestyle risk factors such as alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking are important risk factors for bowel cancer. Researchers have shown that people who consume the largest quantities of alcohol (equivalent to > 7 drinks per week) have 60% greater risk of developing the cancer, compared with non-drinkers. Smoking, obesity and diabetes were also associated with a 20% greater risk of developing bowel cancer - the same... »

"You can have anything you want, if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, if you hold that desire with singleness of purpose" Abraham Lincoln Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner... »

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary". Steve... »

This is a great alcohol Recovery Success Story titled 'Back From The Bottle'. Very encouraging and inspiring. Source: (AbbyNews) By Vikki Hopes Roger Hoekstra gazed out the window on a dark snowy night, grabbed his beer from the table next to him and made the decision to leave his family. “Their life will get better without me. At least they’ll have a chance,” he thought. He held the beer in his hand, but didn’t drink it. He thought about the pain in his wife’s... »

Have the will to be successfully sober! "The difference between the successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will" Vince Lombardi Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner... »

When I was growing up, I don't ever remember being told of the risk of alcoholism. It was just an accepted fact that people drank and some could handle it while others could not. I find it encouraging that we see headlines such as these in today's world. Here is an article from Health Day about sensitivity to alcohol. Source; HealthDay.com Study in rats finds that even one injection leads to dependent behavior THURSDAY, May 28 (HealthDay News) -- A naturally occurring protein plays... »

After giving up drinking alcohol and approaching my first year of sobriety, I often wonder if it has been worth it and if I have really changed for the better. For the most part, sobriety has been a real eye opener and an amazing journey of self discovery. It has felt so good not to experience the many negative thoughts, feelings and consequences associated with abusing alcohol. But, there have also been many extremely difficult times when I have felt so depressed,... »

Get sober today! "Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done for today" Abraham Lincoln Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner... »

Everyone in addiction recovery needs some kind of support. Luckily for Eminem he had the master of celebrity recovery to turn to for advice... Source; (Vibe.com) While battling his addiction to pills, Eminem turned to another celebrity who’d been down the same road—62-year-old singer-songwriter Sir Elton John. In an out-take from his first-person cover story in VIBE’s June 2009 Real Rap Issue, Eminem reveals that he and Elton have been close friends since their surprise performance of “Stan” at the 2001 Grammys. “When... »

This quote applies nicely to alcohol recovery and sobriety; "All the adversity I've had in my life has strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you"  Walt Disney... »

Ever since I quit drinking alcohol, I have really enjoyed sobriety quotes and affirmations. I wouldn't say that they change everything in your world but they sure can help to give you perspective, pick you up when you feel down or challenge you to try and live a little differently and for the better. I have many quotes that I look at from time to time and I collect them as I find them. Today I came across this one from Zig... »

  I love reading alcohol and addiction recovery stories like this one, it helps to know that there are others out there making enormous changes in their lives and beating alcoholism and other addictions. The Sophia Recovery Center is in Canada; Source; Telegraph Journal Canada East In February 2008, the Sophia Recovery Centre opened its doors at 83 Hazen Street in Saint John. This is the story of its first year. The Sophia Recovery Centre is a non-residential facility for female youth and women recovering... »

The mega star Eminem has made a comeback with a new album titled 'Relapse'. He has been sober since April 20th 2008. Although Eminem does not specifically talk about alcohol abuse in his interview with The New York Times, he does speak of sobriety. He speaks openly in both his interview and his album about his battle with addiction. Since Eminem's decision to get sober, he has been through rehab and a full 12 Step recovery program, he has done this... »

Alcohol problems are everywhere; I came across this article about alcohol related hospital admissions in the United Kingdom. Scary stuff! Source; (healthcarerepublic)  Alcohol-related hospital admissions up 70% The annual number of alcohol-related admissions to hospital in England rose by nearly 70% in five years to 863,000 in 2007/8, according to NHS Information Centre figures. One in three men and one in six women are estimated to be hazardous drinkers in report ‘Statistics on Alcohol: England, 2009’. 6% of men and 2% of women were estimated... »

Interesting article about alcohol use among pregnant and non pregnant women, United States 1991 - 2005; Source; (cdc.gov) Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a risk factor for poor birth outcomes, including fetal alcohol syndrome, birth defects, and low birth weight (1). In the United States, the prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome is estimated at 0.5--2.0 cases per 1,000 births, but other fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs)* are believed to occur approximately three times as often as fetal alcohol syndrome (2). The 2005... »

I am so excited to announce that I have a free eBook about Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Creative Recovery for you to download. This book was written by a friend of mine, Patrick Meninga who authors the Spiritual River website about Overcoming Alcohol and Drug Addiction. This book covers; * The 2 stages of recovery and how your strategy should differ for each stage * The transition to long term sobriety * Typical mistakes that are made in early recovery * Going beyond group therapy as a solution *... »

If you are a regular reader of Recovery Princess - "Stop Drinking Alcohol" then you may have noticed some changes in the style of posts lately. Recovery Princess is a lot like sobriety, full of ups, downs, twists and turns. I am in a new phase of sobriety, one that I find hard to believe is real. I feel good, I feel really good. I feel confident, my social anxiety is at an all time low, I feel like I am... »

It hit me today, that I have really stopped drinking. I have quit drinking alcohol for good. I have completely given up my entire way of life. The life I was used to living for the past seventeen years is over. It is a very strange feeling. It leaves me wondering why on earth I had to go through all that pain for so long. I have to admit that there were some good times, but on the whole I... »