The Recovery Show » Finding serenity through 12 step recovery in Al-Anon – a podcast

We say “changed attitudes can aid recovery”. But how do we change our attitudes? How does it help? Spencer and Rachel talk about changed attitudes. at·ti·tude a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behavior. the orientation of an aircraft or spacecraft, relative to... The post Changed Attitudes – Episode 62 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

How do I know my Higher Power’s will, which I am told to pray for in Step 11? Is Intuition the same thing? Spencer does this one solo, with written participation by Ruth and Adrienne. He starts from this outline: What is intuition? in·tu·i·tion 1. the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for... The post Intuition or God’s Will? – Episode 61 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Spencer and Adrienne discuss Tradition 2, which says “For our group purpose, there is but one authority – a loving god as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants – they do not govern.” Which, when you think about it, is a pretty radical statement. Have you been... The post Tradition 2 – Episode 60 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Has your loved one relapsed? Did you expect it? How did you react? Today, Spencer and Jessyca talk about Relapse. We structured our discussion around these points and questions: The disease of alcoholism and addiction is chronic, progressive, and eventually fatal. Relapse does not have to be part of the disease, but it is frequently... The post Relapse – Episode 59 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Michele wrote to us last week suggesting that we talk about relapse. She also offered to share her experience with us. I called her to interview her, and realized that her story was powerful and compelling. So, I changed the plan and this episode is our interview with Michele, talking about her 8 year journey... The post Interview with Michele – Relapse preview – Episode 58 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Have you ever wondered, “Why do I need to go to meetings? Can’t I just read the literature?” Today, Spencer and Wendy talk about Face to Face meetings and why they are important. Our discussion was guided by these questions: What resources have you used / do you use in your program? Meetings Reading Al-Anon... The post Face to face meetings, why are they important? – Episode 57 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Do you have trouble communicating your needs and feelings to your loved ones? Do your attempts to ask for what you want always degenerate into an argument? How have you learned to communicate better in this program? Today, Spencer, Maria and guest host Meishia talk about Communication. We started with this list of questions. How... The post Communication – Episode 56 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Spencer and Maria are joined by special guest Ruth to discuss Tradition 1, which says “Our common welfare should come first; personal progress for the greatest number depends upon unity.” We are guided by these questions: What does “common welfare” mean to you? What does “unity” mean to / for you? How do you think that... The post Tradition 1 – Episode 55 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

In the book, How Al-Anon Works, in the discussion of Step 1, it says, “We may never have the family of our dreams…” What is the family of your dreams? How does your family fall short of your dreams? What have you tried to do about it? How has recovery helped you to relate to... The post Family of our Dreams – Episode 54 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Are you wondering whether you’ve had a spiritual awakening, or even what a spiritual awakening might be? How can you practice these principles in all your affairs? And what are “these principles” anyway? Are you not sure how to carry the message? Today, Linda and Spencer talk about Step 12, which states “Having had a spiritual... The post Step 12 – Episode 53 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

For our 1 year anniversary podcast, we asked you, our listeners, to send us your story. Several of you did, and two are featured in this episode. Unfortunately, a third suffered damage that made it unplayable, so we weren't able to use it. We hear from listeners Julia and Emily, as well as host Spencer.... The post My Story – Episode 52 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Are you often unsure what to do next? Do you struggle with indecision? Do you have too many choices? Do you feel you have no choices? Today, we talk about the slogan “First Things First.” Spencer, Maria and special guest Adrienne discuss this slogan, guided by these questions: How did you make decisions / set... The post First Things First – Episode 51 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Have you established a routine of prayer and meditation? Do you struggle with them? Are you not sure how to know God’s will? Yes! Today, we’re going to talk about Step 11, which says “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of... The post Step 11 – Episode 50 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Are you new to Al-Anon? Do you wonder what to expect? What you should do immediately? What are the challenges we face early on? Does Al-Anon have its own “culture”? Then you’ve come to the right place, because today, we’re going to talk about getting started in Al-Anon. Spencer and guest host Wendy talk about... The post Getting Started in Al-Anon – Episode 49 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Do you struggle to admit that you are “wrong” in the moment? Have you found an effective way to take a daily inventory? How do you feel about admitting your wrongs? What exactly does this step mean by “promptly”? Do you feel better when you make a 10th step amends? Then stick around, because today,... The post Step 10 – Inventory – Episode 48 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Do you wish that things would just stay the same? Does change freak you out? Maybe you get depressed when live today isn’t the same as yesterday. If you identify with these feelings, stick around. Today, I’m going to talk about changes. There is a big change for the Recovery Show: Kelli and Swetha have... The post Changes – Episode 47 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

We watched the movie Days of Wine and Roses with our friends Mark and Anna from the Recovered podcast. And then we sat down around a table and talked about it. If you have not seen the movie, you may want to read the plot summaries at IMDB. You can also rent it from Amazon Instant Video... The post Days of Wine and Roses roundtable – Episode 46 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Why do we (codependents) create chaos? Why do addicts create chaos? How do we find islands of serenity within chaos? You guessed it — today, we’re going to talk about chaos. Spencer, Kelli and our guest Wendy share our experience, strength and hope as prompted by these questions. What do we mean by “chaos”? How... The post Chaos – Episode 45 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Do you struggle with setting boundaries? Does it feel like you are trying to control someone else when you set a boundary? Does your loved one accuse you of trying to control them? Do you have trouble following through with appropriate consequences when your boundaries are violated? Then today’s show is for you. We’re going... The post Setting Boundaries without Controlling – Episode 44 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Do you think you have to fix something as soon as you become aware of it? Do you find yourself springing into action even before you know what the problem is? Is it difficult to know if you've fully accepted something as a cue to take action? Join Spencer, Swetha, and Kelli as we talk... The post The 3 A’s – Awareness, Acceptance, Action – Episode 43 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Does a life in recovery sound limiting? Are you unsure what activities, events, etc from your previous life will fit into your new life of recovery? Does living a rich full life sound selfish when your loved ones are still suffering from addiction? What tools have your learned that allow you to fully live your... The post Living Rich, Full Lives in Recovery – Episode 42 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Do you fear that being vulnerable with your loved ones will be perceived as a sign of weakness? Do you tend to avoid discussing your own feelings? Do you try to cover up your flaws? Do you often take other people's inventory? Brené Brown says “vulnerability is our most accurate measure of courage”. What do... The post Vulnerability – Episode 41 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Join us as we discuss the power and potential of Step 9, which states “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” Spencer, Kelli, and Swetha share their experience, strength, and hope with Step 9, guided and inspired by questions such as these: Have you... The post Step 9, Amends – Episode 40 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Do you find yourself often running low on sleep? Do you miss meals because you’re too busy? Do you ever neglect your own basic needs in order to take care of someone else? Well, then this is the episode for you because today’s topic is “Self Care”! Kelli, Spencer and special guest host Jonah talk... The post Self Care – Episode 39 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Today, we’re doing another roundtable episode with siblings of alcoholics and addicts. Jane and Rick share their experience growing up with alcoholic brothers. We ask them questions such as the following:   If your sibling started drinking in the home when you were a minor, how did that affect your relationship with them growing up?... The post Sibling round table – Episode 38 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Do you sometimes feel that you’re trying to keep too many balls in the air at once? Do you hear people talk about a balanced life and wonder what they mean? Do you struggle with too much to do and not enough time to do it all? Then this episode is for you, as we... The post Juggling vs. Balance – Episode 37 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Do you often judge yourself? Do you internalize the criticism of others? Are you afraid they are right? Are you unable to like yourself? Then listen as Swetha, Spencer, and special guest host Erika talk about self acceptance and self esteem. We share our experience, strength, and hope around questions such as these: What is... The post Self Acceptance and Self Esteem – Episode 36 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

If you are struggling with guilt and resentment over your actions in the past… If you aren’t ready to make amends to someone… If you think that you deserve an amends before you make one… You’ve come to the right place. Keep listening as we discuss STEP 8. Kelli, Spencer, and Swetha share our own... The post Step 8 – Episode 35 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Do you find yourself spending too much time worrying? Do you fear the future or resent the past? How can you take care of yourself by living “One Day at a Time”? How do we understand this slogan as a tool for caring for ourselves? What does “one day at a time” mean? We find... The post One Day at a Time – Episode 34 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Do you find yourself getting easily impatient with others? Do you feel judgemental towards someone no matter how hard you try to let go? Having trouble finding compassion for the alcoholics and addicts in your life? Are you having trouble finding compassion for yourself? Listen as Swetha, Kelli, and Spencer talk about their understanding of... The post Compassion – Episode 33 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

If you just want to do recovery all by yourself… If having a sponsor sounds frightening… If you’d like to have a sponsor, but you don’t know how to get one… Then keep listening as hosts Mark, of Recovered, and Kelli, of The Recovery Show, lead a joint round table about sponsorship. In this conversation... The post Sponsorship Round Table – Episode 32 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

What is humility? How do we ask God to remove our shortcomings? Are they really defects? Listen as Spencer, Swetha, and Kelli, back together at last, talk about Step 7, Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. We explore our understandings of the word “humbly”. It can mean that we accept ourselves as we are,... The post Step 7 – Episode 31 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

How do you use your program in the workplace? Do you have a hard time setting boundaries at work? Do you find yourself staying late even though it affects your self-care? Can you deal effectively with your difficult co-workers? Swetha, Kelli, and Mary share their experiences with these questions and others. Anne H. and Spencer... The post Program in the workplace – Episode 30 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Today, we’re going to talk about progress, not perfection. Ever feel like no matter how much you try, you fall short? Ever just want to give up because perfection just seems too hard to achieve, so why bother? Ever feel like the strides you do take forward just aren’t good enough? Join Kelli, Swetha, and... The post Progress, not Perfection – Episode 29 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Step 6 says “[We] were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.” What are “defects of character.” What does “entirely ready” mean? How do we become entirely ready? What if we like some of our defects? How can we become ready to have them removed? Spencer, Kelli, and special guest host... The post Step 6 – Episode 28 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Our 12th Tradition says “Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions…” Why is anonymity important? What does it mean to be anonymous? Does it mean that we actively hide our identity? Is it about only sharing our first name (and initial?) Or is there something deeper here? What can we share about ourselves?... The post Anonymity – Episode 27 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

What it was like when we first came to Al-Anon? What do we remember about our first meeting? Did it “click” right away or did it take some time? When did we realize that the program was right for us? How did that happen? Spencer, Kelli, and Swetha, along with 7 other Al-Anon members talk... The post Our First Meetings – Episode 26 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

At my Home group meeting, we say “in this program, we encourage sponsorship.” What does that mean? What is a sponsor? Why would you want one? How can a sponsor help you? How do you get a sponsor? What is it like to be a sponsor? How does being a sponsor help your program? Spencer,... The post Sponsorship – Episode 25 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Have you ever been caught up in a situation? Have you ever found yourself easily dismissing happy situations? Have you ever found yourself feeling hopeless about a difficult situation? Do you find yourself wondering if this too shall pass? Kelli, Swetha and guest host Patrick talk about it. We often think of “this too shall... The post This Too Shall Pass – Episode 24 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Step 5 says that we “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs”. Why is this important? What were our fears and concerns? What was our experience? Join Spencer, Kelli and Swetha for a discussion of this step. A common reaction to approaching Step 5 for the... The post Step 5 – Confession? – Episode 23 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

In this episode, we are talking with parents who have found support and recovery. Some have children who are still actively drinking or drugging, while some of their children have found recovery, and some struggle with mental illness. Their children may be teens or adults. They will share their experience, strength, and hope with us... The post Parents roundtable – Episode 22 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

“Easy does it.” What does this slogan say to you? Can you use it to make your life easier? Swetha, Spencer, and special guest Dayana talk about this slogan. This slogan can remind us that complicated solutions are often forced, or that it’s time to pause and take it easy for a moment, to wait... The post Easy Does It – Episode 21 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

“… our thinking becomes distorted by trying to force solutions.” What does it mean to force a solution? When do we try to force solutions? How do we try to force solutions? We discuss these questions and others, sharing our experience, strength and hope. The post Forcing Solutions – Episode 20 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

How do we feel gratitude? Can gratitude help get you through a hard time? Is it something you can choose? Does finding gratitude make your problems go away? What is an “Attitude of Gratitude”? Special guest hosts Kate and Patrick join Swetha and Spencer to talk about these questions, and about their experience finding gratitude,... The post Gratitude – Episode 19 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Step 4 states “[We] took a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.” What were our first impressions? What did we fear? What did we find? What was our experience of working Step 4? How has it enhanced our lives? Kelli, Erika, and Spencer talk about our experience, strength, and hope around Step 4. Kelli... The post Step 4 – doing the inventory – Episode 18 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

What does it mean to “trust the process?” What is “the process?” Is it meetings? The Steps? Working with a sponsor? Reading the literature? Swetha, Spencer, and special guest Anne H share our experience, strength, and hope on these questions and others. We welcome special guest Anne H to the podcast. At the beginning, the... The post Trusting the process – Episode 17 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

We talk about blame — how we blame others, how we take blame on ourselves and how we can move past blaming. We have learned that blaming is often a result of black and white thinking, and that we can have healthier relationships when we can look at our part in a conflict realistically, rather... The post Blame – Episode 16 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

We talk about asking for help. When we came in, we did not have experience asking for help in a healthy way. We didn’t want to impose on people we barely knew, we still thought we could do it ourselves. How did we come to understand that reaching out was not weakness, that others gained... The post Asking for Help – Episode 15 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Step 3, Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God. How do we understand and use it in our lives? The post Step 3: turning it over – Episode 14 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Spencer, Swetha, and guest host Nic talk about shame – what it is, how we feel it, how we used to deal with it, and how we deal with it in recovery. We start by looking at the difference between shame and guilt. When we do something wrong, we feel guilt, and we can deal... The post Shame – Episode 13 appeared first on The Recovery Show.