12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous: Step 9

This series of articles is a PERSONAL perspective/interpretation of The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous began on June 10, 1935 and has helped scores of people around the world obtain and maintain sobriety from drugs and alcohol. STEP NINE—Make direct amends to such people except when to do…

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12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous: Step 4

This series of articles is a PERSONAL perspective/interpretation of The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous began on June 10, 1935 and has helped scores of people around the world obtain and maintain sobriety from drugs and alcohol. STEP FOUR—Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. This…

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12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous: Step 3

This series of articles is a PERSONAL perspective/interpretation of The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous began on June 10, 1935 and has helped scores of people around the world obtain and maintain sobriety from drugs and alcohol. STEP THREE—Made a decision to turn our will and our lives…

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12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous: Step 2

This series of articles is a PERSONAL perspective/interpretation of The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous began on June 10, 1935 and has helped scores of people around the world obtain and maintain sobriety from drugs and alcohol. STEP TWO—Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could…

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12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous: Step 1

This series of articles is a PERSONAL perspective/interpretation of The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous began on June 10, 1935 and has helped scores of people around the world obtain and maintain sobriety from drugs and alcohol. STEP ONE—We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had…

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The Twelve Steps Of Alcoholics Anonymous – Part 1

This series of articles is a PERSONAL perspective/interpretation of The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The 12 Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous began on June 10, 1935 and has helped scores of people around the world obtain and maintain sobriety from drugs and alcohol. STEP ONE—We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had…

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Dysfunctional Defined

Life Tree Counseling Kathleen Mills

Dysfunctional is usually defined as “Impaired or abnormal functioning,” and can apply to anything that simply does not work.  However, it is usually applied to relationships within a system and not to purely mechanical processes.  This is because particular structure defined as dysfunctional is not inoperative, but is simply badly adjusted to perform its function.…

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Journey to Recovery – Segment Three: Getting Support You Need

Getting the Support You Need for Recovery Before your start to recovery, You’ve realized you’re in trouble. You seem to be completely consumed–by alcohol. Or cocaine, or crystal meth, or heroin, or marijuana, or compulsive sex, or gambling, or compulsive overeating. And your life is a mess. Welcome to reality. This is where the rubber…

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Journey Into Recovery – Segment Two: Getting Professional Help

Getting Professional Help on Your Journey to Recovery In my first segment of “Your Journey Into Recovery”, I provided a brief description of the addictive process and encouraged you to remain steadfast in your recovery efforts. It takes a great deal of courage to admit that your life is out of control because of an…

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Journey Into Recovery – Segment One: The Hope of Recovery

The process of recovery from addiction—whether it is addiction to substances, sex, work, food, spending, relationships, gambling—can feel quite overwhelming at times.  The initial stage of realizing you have a problem with any kind of addiction can be frightening and disorienting. But, that stage of realizing there is a problem is a sign that you…

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