Romance in the first year of recovery — a NO-NO?

My first sponsor announced it loudly to every new young guy in recovery who talked to girls after the meetings: “The cheese in the trap is always free.” Everyone would laugh, and most of the guys would go right on hitting on their recovery sisters. Some old-timers...

Gratitude-filled Thanksgiving edition

So I used to roll my eyes around Thanksgiving when teachers used to ask “What are you thankful for?” My first thought was: “I’m thankful I’m getting a break from school and these inane, regurgitated holiday questions for a few days.” Wasn’t I a charming kid? Recovery...

Jersey Boy Comes Here To Get Clean

As part of the Nashville Recovers efforts, I want to share stories of people recovering from substance abuse in Nashville. In his words, here’s Nick S., 24, a college student and restaurant server with 20 months clean. Nick is one of hundreds from outside of Tennessee...

Will you please SHUT UP? I’m MEDITATING, people!

In early recovery, I couldn’t really sit still for five minutes, let alone an hour. My mind is always whirring, often with negative thoughts. Sitting still just lets those thoughts wash over me and put me in a nasty funk. But I kept hearing about the importance of...

Sober living where inmates run the asylum

Many alcoholics and addicts finally surrender and go get treatment — at Bradford, at Cumberland Heights, at Meharry and other places around town – and then what? Lots of folks in early recovery go to sober living houses, sometimes (mistakenly) called halfway houses....