When I was ten years old, my mother gave birth to my youngest sister. Afterwards, she was dead for about eight minutes until the doctors brought her back to life. I was there for my sister’s birth and there afterwards, through all the pain and frantic decisions my parents made following that day. When I| The Phoenix Spirit
"Letting go of our ideas about how life should go is a choice that sets life’s magic free.” Melody Beattie Melody Beattie, the woman who brought the term codependency into normal conversation, died on February 27, 2025, at the age of 76. Her story is grounded in Minnesota. She was born in Ramsey, went to| The Phoenix Spirit
The word “service” doesn’t appear anywhere in the Twelve Steps. Yet, it is a highly respected hallmark of this widespread approach to recovery. Hang around where Twelve Steppers gather, and you’ll likely hear “Thank you for your service” buzzing in the air. Service looks different for each person in a Twelve Step program, ranging from| The Phoenix Spirit
At times, I have come to see recovery – both discovering and maintaining – as a kind of a 3-legged table. If we lose one of the legs, the table topples. In this article, I want to reflect on the 3 legs that I see as important elements of recovery. I am not saying that| The Phoenix Spirit
Treatment for addiction is only the beginning of recovery. Here are four stories of recovering addicts and how they meet their daily challenges while staying sober after treatment.| The Phoenix Spirit
The following testimonials are from Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge in Minneapolis. Some edits have been made for length. Tiffany's story I struggled with a 15-year addiction to meth, opiates and alcohol prior to coming into Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge (MnTC). My physical health was in shambles and my mental health was unstable. I| The Phoenix Spirit
The 12 steps are a spiritual program developed through Bill W and others’ experiences of being in the grip of alcoholism.| The Phoenix Spirit
"God speaks to us every day only we don’t know how to listen".— Gandhi Unfortunately, too many of us don’t believe in a Higher Power, let alone actually listen to that voice within ourselves. It’s the guidance that summons us to bring out the better part of ourself and connect to others in ways that| The Phoenix Spirit