Month: September 2022| thephoenixspirit.com
In January 2014, my son, David, 39, passed away following a 15-year addiction to heroin. We started out as an average suburban family: Father, mother, David, and Bill, an older brother. David’s father was a police officer, and I worked part-time as a secretary at the boys’ elementary school. Our lives centered on our community| The Phoenix Spirit
If you knew nothing else about her, you knew she was an addict. A self-proclaimed train wreck whose talent was too often overshadowed by a tabloid-fueled persona that turned her public life into a frustrating spectacle. Amy Winehouse's addiction had become a pop culture punch line. According to media accounts, I was in good company| The Phoenix Spirit
He and my mom never married, but they were together for 35 years, and he was a welcome sober soul at boozy family gatherings. At one point, he had to stop drinking to save his liver, and for a while, he went to meetings. We had sobriety in common until he started to drink socially| The Phoenix Spirit
Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be explained by those symbols called words. Their meaning can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart. —Martin Luther King, Jr. As I reflect on my life, I realize there are critical life lessons that make me into the person| The Phoenix Spirit
In seeking to address the topic of hope today, I feel especially challenged as there seems to be so much frustration, hopelessness and powerlessness swirling around these days. These feelings are related to the continuing effects of Covid and now the flu; the rising costs of everyday items such as food and gasoline along with| The Phoenix Spirit
Fill in the blanks: Where do/does ________ I/my partner/child/friend/relative go for help with _______ my/his/ her __________ addiction/mental health needs/co-occurring disorder? The options are ____________confusing/mind boggling/ daunting. A first step toward getting recovery and mental health services often begins with a phone call. From there, an intervention may be appropriate. Or a meeting with a| The Phoenix Spirit
I am Stan Popovich and I struggled with fear and anxiety for over 20 years. During these times, my anxieties and fears were so powerful that I had trouble getting through the week and there were times I felt like giving up. I learned numerous lessons from my struggles, which I will share in this| The Phoenix Spirit
The reward for living a good, clean, and sober life is…a good, clean, and sober life. I read that in a recent article in the Grapevine, AA’s monthly magazine, and it really resonated with me. Simple yet wise. I don’t give myself enough credit—and I suspect many of my fellow recovering alkies and addicts don’t| The Phoenix Spirit
This year marks the 25th anniversary of StepUP, Augsburg University’s Collegiate Recovery Program. Twenty-five years ago, it was 1997. It was a remarkable time in many ways. That year, Google.com became registered as a domain name, Princess Diana died, a gallon of gas was $1.22, Bill Clinton was President, and StepUP, one of the nation’s oldest| The Phoenix Spirit
Opera singer Bryan Garcia and tattoo artist SaraEmma Regalado have something rare in common. Both use their creative skills to foster self-healing in the recovery community. Coming from harsh beginnings and troubled histories of substance abuse, they are each bursting with enthusiasm as they ramp up their efforts to share the healing power and joy| The Phoenix Spirit
An on-going issue for all of us who are aware of our addictions is simply how to continue to live in recovery. This really is a life-long challenge, isn’t it? It is for me, as addictive triggers can burst upon my life at any moment. In this article, I am sharing the importance of expressing| The Phoenix Spirit