John Bradshaw was one of the most influential writers on emotional health in the twentieth century as selected by his fellow mental health professionals. He was also an alcoholic in recovery. His areas of expertise include addiction, co-dependency , trauma, emotional instability , and abuse. This extract is the preface to the original edition ofContinue reading “What Is Toxic Shame – Healing The Shame That Binds You By John Bradshaw”
Category Archives: Awareness
An Alcoholic and a Child of God – Grapevine Article July 1995 By Rick D.
STEP 7: Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.” This would have been a perfect epitaph for my headstone if my drinking had killed me before I got to AA. It was something I was constantly told; it was a feeling about myself that, although I didn’t likeContinue reading “An Alcoholic and a Child of God – Grapevine Article July 1995 By Rick D.”
The Twelve Steps And Shame – Steps 1 -3 Booklet By Mic Hunter
What Is Shame? Shame is that burning in our faces when we think those around us have finally figured out how worthless we are. We think we’re inadequate or worthless. It’s when we hate to look anyone in the eye; when time seems to crawl and we wish we could disappear. It makes us feelContinue reading “The Twelve Steps And Shame – Steps 1 -3 Booklet By Mic Hunter”
Forgiving Others, Forgiving Ourselves – Spiritual Principle A Day – September 21st
“Sometimes the path to forgiving ourselves begins with forgiving another for their lack of forgiveness.” Living Clean, Chapter 5, “Amends and Reconciliation” At first glance, this quote may sound like a riddle, but our experience validates its wisdom. Hoping to be forgiven is only human. Despite advice to the contrary, we sometimes harbor expectations aboutContinue reading “Forgiving Others, Forgiving Ourselves – Spiritual Principle A Day – September 21st”
Inside Out – Grapevine Article June 1995 By Fred H
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character If Alcoholics Anonymous were a self-help program, Step Six might read something like this: “Became determined in our minds to overcome all our character defects.” Mercifully, this is not what we are asked to do in AA. In fact, no action at allContinue reading “Inside Out – Grapevine Article June 1995 By Fred H”
By Defiance – Grapevine Article August 1948 By Anonymous
I love this brief article’s insight into learning to use our defiance for the greater good consistent with our 3rd step decision and prayer. It may be a great way of helping us internalize what can happen when we learn, with God, to love our internal enemies – those parts of us that seem toContinue reading “By Defiance – Grapevine Article August 1948 By Anonymous”
Who Do You Think You Are? – Grapevine Article July 1962 By L.C.
Through practicing the Steps we learn that our ego-image is not fixed or static I WILL never forget Karl. A buddy of mine, Mac, and I had received a call through a physician friend of AA. We were put on the trail of this character who, we were told, wanted to sign himself into aContinue reading “Who Do You Think You Are? – Grapevine Article July 1962 By L.C.”
Where’s My Reward ? – Grapevine Article September 2005 By Christine P.
Sober twelve years, an AA wonders when she’ll get the big pay-off This coming October will mark my twelfth year of sobriety, but even with the passage of time, the inner demons of the alcoholic mind don’t roll over and die that easily. As my AA birthday draws near, a lot of old stuff hasContinue reading “Where’s My Reward ? – Grapevine Article September 2005 By Christine P.”
We Are All Beginners To Our Next Step – Tommy Rosen Author of Recovery 2.0
We are all beginners to our next step.” – Guruprem No matter where we fall on the spectrum of experience in life, we share something with every other human being. We are all beginners to our next step. We cannot know what it is to be at our next step because we have not beenContinue reading “We Are All Beginners To Our Next Step – Tommy Rosen Author of Recovery 2.0”
Cluttered Spirits – Just For Today Reflection September 4th
As long as we still owe amends, our spirits are cluttered with things we don’t need. We’re carrying the extra load of an apology owed, a resentment held, or unexpressed remorse. It’s like having a messy house. We could leave so we don’t have to see the mess, or maybe just step over the pilesContinue reading “Cluttered Spirits – Just For Today Reflection September 4th”