What We Resist Persists; Acceptance And Willingness – Get Out Of Your Mind & Into Your Life (Chapter4) By Stephen Hayes

This article focuses us on the pragmatic idea that we must be willing to accept our pain to begin to heal as we move from a life of being a pain killer to become a pain healer. Experience avoidance and denial do not work. What we resist persists. The truth can set us free butContinue reading “What We Resist Persists; Acceptance And Willingness – Get Out Of Your Mind & Into Your Life (Chapter4) By Stephen Hayes”

Serenity Circle – Grapevine Article August 1986 By S.F.

I am an alcoholic. I live on an Indian reservation. My home sits perched on a desert mountain overlooking the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world, and I remember wishing Grand Coulee Dam could be filled with Canadian whiskey. Boy, then we could party! I was forty when “Frank” and I found each other.Continue reading “Serenity Circle – Grapevine Article August 1986 By S.F.”

Emotional Sobriety, Humility, and Radical Response Ability – Video By Dr. Allen Berger

As many of you know, Dr. Berger is a leader in Emotional Sobriety. His book 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety is featured prominently in the Emotional Sobriety section of the gugogs.org website. He is a Gestalt therapist with over 50 years of sobriety. I found this video very helpful in setting a firm foundationContinue reading “Emotional Sobriety, Humility, and Radical Response Ability – Video By Dr. Allen Berger”

Self Acceptance And The Twelve Steps

THE PROBLEM The lack of self-acceptance is a problem for many in recovery . This subtle defect is difficult to identify and often goes unrecognized. Many of us believed that our using was our only problem, denying the fact that our lives had become unmanageable. Even after we stop using, this denial can continue toContinue reading “Self Acceptance And The Twelve Steps”

Holding Our Stories Lightly – The Wisdom To Know The Difference By Kelly Wilson

I love the Mark Twain quote “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”. This article can be very helpful in developing humility which is described as the “foundation principles of each of AA’s Twelve Steps”(12&12p.70) – Bruce M. Here’s a conceptContinue reading “Holding Our Stories Lightly – The Wisdom To Know The Difference By Kelly Wilson”

The Untold Story Of Your Inner Critic By Jordin James

This article does a very good job of helping us understand the possibility of healing the inner voice you may hear which seems unrelenting in its criticisms and condemnations … what many call your inner critic. The section of the website entitled ‘Healing Our Jekyll/Hyde Divided Self’ begins to explore this area and help usContinue reading “The Untold Story Of Your Inner Critic By Jordin James”

4th Step/10th Step Emotional Sobriety Worksheet By Dr. Allen Berger

Introduction – Bruce M. This post introduces a worksheet that Dr. Allen Berger uses in his book 12 Essential Insights For Emotional Sobriety. As you may know, Dr. Berger has over 50 years of sobriety and is a Gestalt therapist specializing in addiction and recovery. You can find other articles from Dr. Berger in theContinue reading “4th Step/10th Step Emotional Sobriety Worksheet By Dr. Allen Berger”

Will A.A. Ever Have A Personal Government – Grapevine Article January 1947 By Bill W.

The answer to this question is almost surely “no.” That is the clear verdict of our experience. To begin with, each A.A. has been an individual who, because of his alcoholism, could seldom govern himself. Nor could any other human being govern the alcoholic’s obsession to drink, his drive to have things his own way.Continue reading “Will A.A. Ever Have A Personal Government – Grapevine Article January 1947 By Bill W.”

Rationalizing Away Our Recovery – Just For Today March 6th p.68

“As a result of the Twelve Steps, I’m not able to hold on to old ways of deceiving myself.”  ❖ We all rationalize. Sometimes we know we are rationalizing, admit we are rationalizing, yet continue to behave according to our rationalizations! Recovery can become very painful when we decide that, for one reason or another,Continue reading “Rationalizing Away Our Recovery – Just For Today March 6th p.68”

Anxiety/Tension—All Bad? – Grapevine Article March 1969 By J.C.

An AA suggests that stress reminds us to plunge deeper into the program NO, SERENITY doesn’t mean a lack of any stress or tension. It means, instead, the inner security that enables us to bear these stresses and to use them as occasions for growth. I need not fear or shun anxiety, because there isContinue reading “Anxiety/Tension—All Bad? – Grapevine Article March 1969 By J.C.”