Comments on: What I Hate about Recovery Blogs

By: mamampj

mamampj — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:03:53 +0000

L, in this case, I was being tongue in cheek, which doesn't always come across well on the Internet, but the short answer to your question is "yes, in my experience, it can be." And that's an excellent idea for a future post.

By: L

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:18:48 +0000

If someone asks for help nicely and you say yes, that's a codependent behavior? I don't think so.

By: Norman Savage

Norman Savage — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:18:49 +0000

A very famous writer, Gertrude Stein, once said, "Since everything we do in this life is dangerous, we have every reason to be afraid." And so I can well understand your fear as well as most others. But I do not like the words, "recovering," or "recovery." For what are we "recovering" from? Booze? Dope? Sex? All those are "desires." And how the hell does on "recover" from "desire." And why would one even want to? After being a diabetic for over 50 years and a junkie/boozehound for the past 45 of those years I know a little bit about those conditions. At one time, I did go to AA/NA meetings, but never much liked all the hand-holding, god, and sharing approach, but instead needed the kind of social lubricant that those meetings provided. But the crowd always frightened me. I was always leery of too many people, especially those people who frequented those meetings who only called themselves boozers and/or junkies to meet those of the opposite sex and eat up time. However, I certainly am not against those, who, for whatever reason, finds a degree of solace and/or peace in this little of acre of hell we call our lives, in participating in anything that's organized. I've written a memoir, JUNK SICK: CONFESSIONS OF AN UNCONTROLLED DIABETIC that was supposed to be published by a major New York house until the bottom fell out of that industry--as it has all across this country and other industries--and so, because Mrs. Death is nipping at my heels, decided to put it up on line before I come to the end of my own. You, as well as others who have lived "the life" and are still alive to tell the tale, might want to sample it. I'll leave you with another quote, this one by Harry Crews, a terrific writer, x-everything, who I knew at one time, "ONLY THE DEAD HAVE NO FEAR." So as long as there's that little knot in the pit of your stomach, that's a good thing--you're above ground.

By: Sophie in the Moonlight

Sophie in the Moonlight — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:36:56 +0000

huh, I read your guest post and I feel a bit sad that you don't always feel safe when you read other recovery blogs. I've not felt that way myself re: other blogs, BUT I do know, on a very intimate basis, what it feels like to be Unsafe. It's a terrible feeling, a vulnerable feeling. I'm sending retroactive (((((hugs))))) and an bit of unsolicited advice from my Bottomless Well of Codie Helpfulness. Whenever I feel unsafe, I make myself mindful of my Here and Now - the chair supporting me, the floor supporting my chair, the smell of spring vegetable soup from the kitchen, and i let myself sit there in the arms of Mother Earth who holds me and sustains me no matter where I am and let the vulnerable unsafe feelings go back to the place from whence they came - a place of Not here and Not now. Sometimes I need to cry to release the feelings, sometimes I just need to be mindful that Nobody else can follow the rules I have established for my own safety and expectations, probably b/c I didn't hand out the memo. I've had to learn over and again that I am safe in my own skin and no one can get inside of that, especially when I'm pretending I'm an armadillo. Armadillo skin is particularly impervious. Not sure if I followed "I" terms there, nor if I stuck my head too far in your business, if I did, I apologize. I love you very much and so do many many other people who have seen a glimpse of your Inner Light.

By: Cat

Cat — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:47:39 +0000

Heading over there now!