Tim P Open Talk – Recovered 1063
http://recoveredcast.com/wp-content/themes/osmosis/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg 150 150 Mark S Mark S http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/ef9469e066cec98d7076ffb23120cf87?s=96&d=mm&r=gTim P Open Talk
Tim P Open Talk
Popsicle Sticks is not really a topic but rather a style of meeting here in Southeast Michigan. Tonight, this show will be presented in the form of a popsicle stick meeting.
A popsicle stick meeting is a meeting where we let our higher power determine what we need to share on. Here in the studio, we have a can full of popsicle sticks. Each stick has a recovery topic written on it. We will take turns, randomly picking a stick and then sharing on that topic that was chosen.
Tonight, we do popsicle sticks
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So, listeners, join us at The 2020 International Convention of AA in Detroit. If you are coming into town for the convention, the Recovered Podcast wants to meet you! If you would like to get all the information regarding the Recovered Podcast at the 2020 International Convention, just email me and we will get you on our google group. Just email me at mark@recoveredcast.com To get on our 2020 International Convention Google group
This google group will be notified with all the Recovered Podcast Plans for the convention and will have all the information about how to find our tailgate party. Right now, our google group has been provided with maps and general information about Detroit. Email me at mark@recoveredcast.com if you want these kinds of updates.
I first experienced “Popsicle Sticks” at the Thursday Midnight night meeting at the Northwest Alano Club in Wayne Michigan. At first I hated it, then I got used to it, then it became my favorite meeting.
Flash forward to 2008ish when the PC Alano club started in Canton, Michigan. On September 28, 2008, the Canton Candlelight meeting started at the PC Alano Club. Soon after that, this style of meeting started on Thursday nights. This style of meeting continues at Canton Candlelight every Thursday at 10:00 pm and in led by are own Matt O.
Here’s how it goes.
Pick a stick
Announce the topic to all
Share on the topic
Keep the stick
Pass the can
What would you say to the new person about Popsicle Sticks?
We have calls
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Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions. If you would like to join us, there are three ways.
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So, listeners, join us at The 2020 International Convention of AA in Detroit. If you are coming into town for the convention, the Recovered Podcast wants to meet you!
If you would like to get all the information regarding the Recovered Podcast at the 2020 International Convention, just email me and we will get you on our google group.
Just email me at mark@recoveredcast.com
To get on our 2020 International Convention Google group. This google group will be notified with all the Recovered Podcast Plans for the convention and will have all the information about how to find our tailgate party. Right now, our google group has been provided with maps and general information about Detroit. Email me at mark@recoveredcast.com if you want these kinds of updates.
For the latest 2020 IC information, click
In our program, it’s our responsibility to make plans. Making plans help us to achieve goals. Goals to improve our well being. Goals to help us be happy, joyous, and free. We are told, it is okay to plan, just that we should be careful not to plan the outcomes. We can make a plan, we should just be careful that our plan doesn’t turn into an expectation. An expectation that is unreasonably high can turn into a premeditated resentment. And resentments are dangerous for us alcoholics.
Tonight, we talk about Making Recovery Goals.
Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions. If you would like to join us, there are three ways.
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email mark@recoveredcast.com
So, listeners, join us at The 2020 International Convention of AA in Detroit. If you are coming into town for the convention, the Recovered Podcast wants to meet you! If you would like to get all the information regarding the Recovered Podcast at the 2020 International Convention, just email me and we will get you on our google group. Just email me at mark@recoveredcast.com To get on our 2020 International Convention Google group
This google group will be notified with all the Recovered Podcast Plans for the convention and will have all the information about how to find our tailgate party. Right now, our google group has been provided with maps and general information about Detroit. Email me at mark@recoveredcast.com if you want these kinds of updates.
So, we alcoholics need to be careful in this business of resolution making we need to be careful as we plan our recovery life for the next year. We need to be flexible as we plan. Our higher power may have a different idea of what the outcome will be. My experience, I need to be flexible or else I will be miserable.
First thoughts?
What would make your recovery happier?
more time for friends
a hobby
more service work
work all steps
work a specific step
more prayer
What specific actions will you take to keep you on track?
How do we move from an idea of change to actual change?
calling sponsor on progress
journal
talk about it at meetings
prayer
What were some of your past recovery plans that you tried?
discuss failures
discuss successes
Do you have any Recovery Plans for 2020?
What are they?
How did you decide on those specific needs?
What tools, steps, prayers, what recovery methods
do you plan to use to achieve those goals?
How do you deal with plans not achieve, how do you deal with failure?
How do you make plans and manage expectations?
For the new guy, what tips would you suggest when making plans?
Some Goal Setting Tips
Be specific about personal recovery goals
Take small steps and ask for help along the way
Establishing a Routine
Exercise
Reduce stress
Eat healthy food
What advice would you give the new person who is making recovery plans for the first time?
We have Calls
______________________________________________________
We asked our listeners about this topic.
Now, listeners, If you would like to participate in these weekly surveys, just email me for an invite request. Email me at
mark@recoveredcast.com
And I will send you an invite to our Recoveredcast Google group. This group receives the show notes for the upcoming show. You will also receive an invite to participate in the weekly survey. You will also receive a link to call into the show so you can share you experience with the recovery topic. This group helps us prepare for each week’s topic.
Again, just email for your a google group invite. Just email me at
mark@recoveredcast.com
To get involved in each week’s show prep.
We asked our listeners,
Do you make New Year’s Resolutions?
Did you take the survey?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/analyze/UAFKZgXd3qIPvUET3_2FozA_2FgNzgONJJJ15WX2TFOmHL9Lk52rBLbrugU0DnwyaE7k?ut_source=my_surveys_list
What would be your answer?
________________________________________________________
We have calls –
Our phone call segment is brought to you by our
Recovered Podcast Sustaining Partners
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Our sustaining recovered podcast partners are a big part
in our self supporting movement.
This week Nobody
became a Sustaining Partners
Thank you Nobody
We have three ways in which you can partner
with us in this 12-step mission to spread the good news
all around the world and
keep us online.
You can become a sustaining partner
by giving on a monthly basis for one year.
As an expression of our gratitude for your donation,
we will send you Recovered podcast merch.
Merch Like Recovered Podcast Tee Shirts, mugs.
Just go to website at recoveredcast.com
And tap on the Sustaining Partners button
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Thank you again
Nobody
If you have experience with
Making Recovery Goals
you can call right now
PLAY THE JINGLE – file in google drive
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Now, Let’s take calls
Jade
Mike
Alex
Jennifer
Nicole
________________________________________________________
What would you say to the new guy about Making Recovery Goals?
So Remember; abandon yourself to God and admit your faults. Clear away the wreckage of your past and give freely. God bless and see you next time.
Feelings of alienation and loneliness are difficult, but they are also normal.
They are a part of the human experience shared by all, whether recovering or not. Many deep thinking philosophers have attempted to make meaning of it these emotions. We all try to find ways to bear what sometimes feels unbearable.
Spiritual traditions also describe these negative emotions. Some have talked about these feelings as a sense of disconnection from the divine. The fact that so many philosophers and spiritual figures have grappled with alienation and loneliness is an indication of how pervasive these experiences are, But really, it shows us how normal they are, how much alienation and loneliness are simply a part of life.
Tonight, we talk about Alienation and Loneliness
Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions. If you would like to join us, there are three ways.
Call Us Now http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe
email mark@recoveredcast.com
So, listeners, join us at The 2020 International Convention of AA in Detroit. If you are coming into town for the convention, the Recovered Podcast wants to meet you! If you would like to get all the information regarding the Recovered Podcast at the 2020 International Convention, just email me and we will get you on our google group. Just email me at mark@recoveredcast.com To get on our 2020 International Convention Google group
This google group will be notified with all the Recovered Podcast Plans for the convention and will have all the information about how to find our tailgate party. Right now, our google group has been provided with maps and general information about Detroit. Email me at mark@recoveredcast.com if you want these kinds of updates.
To recovering alcoholics in early sobriety, alienation and loneliness need to be addressed right away. If they are not, the consequences could be dire. As our slogan warns, never get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired.
But we never promise that you’ll never be lonely. Just that you should be aware when you are lonely and that you have recovery options that can help. Feelings of loneliness, isolation, and alienation are part of ordinary human experience. Recovery isn’t about getting rid of uncomfortable or unwanted feelings –rather, it’s about learning how to deal with normal difficult daily life. Life on its own terms.
What are loneliness and alienation to you?
Have you ever experienced alienation and loneliness during the holidays?
How about this year, what has been your experience?
How do you help your sponsees with these emotions?
Have you ever talked with someone who told you they are lonely and that surprised you because they mask their loneliness so well?
The following bullets, for Anna
Our plans this year.
How did we feel about these plans?
How did these feelings change over time? Why?
Why do people isolate?
Why do you isolate?
What is loneliness to you?
How does loneliness and being alone differ?
Feeling alone in a crowd is uncomfortable and common, what can help?
Do you enjoy being alone?
How does isolation lead to depression?
How can therapy help?
How can service work help?
How can prayer help?
How can friends help?
WE HAVE CALLS
Final Thoughts?
______________________________________________________
We asked our listeners about this topic.
Now, listeners, If you would like to participate in these weekly surveys, just email me for an invite request. Email me at
mark@recoveredcast.com
And I will send you an invite to our Recoveredcast Google group. This group receives the show notes for the upcoming show. You will also receive an invite to participate in the weekly survey. You will also receive a link to call into the show so you can share you experience with the recovery topic. This group helps us prepare for each week’s topic.
Again, just email for your a google group invite. Just email me at
mark@recoveredcast.com
To get involved in each week’s show prep.
We asked our listeners,
How do you avoid being alone?
Did you take the survey?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/analyze/LtVFyshqMHK1xnMgC4tEJmbS4KieieUiX55cIL_2Fa0wKIfGFtT1yIz_2BBiHAg7EkWn?ut_source=my_surveys_list
What would be your answer?
________________________________________________________
We have calls –
Our phone call segment is brought to you by our
Recovered Podcast Sustaining Partners
____________________________________________________________
Our sustaining recovered podcast partners are a big part
in our self supporting movement.
This week Shelly
became a Sustaining Partners
Thank you Shelly
We have three ways in which you can partner
with us in this 12-step mission to spread the good news
all around the world and
keep us online.
You can become a sustaining partner
by giving on a monthly basis for one year.
As an expression of our gratitude for your donation,
we will send you Recovered podcast merch.
Merch Like Recovered Podcast Tee Shirts, mugs.
Just go to website at recoveredcast.com
And tap on the Sustaining Partners button
for more information
Thank you again
Shelly
If you have experience with
Alienation and Loneliness
you can call right now
PLAY THE JINGLE – file in google drive
________________________________________________________
Now, Let’s take calls
________________________________________________________
What would you say to the new guy about Alienation and Loneliness?
So Remember; abandon yourself to God and admit your faults. Clear away the wreckage of your past and give freely. God bless and see you next time.
These are the types of episodes published each weekend for Premium Subscribers. If you would like these and the other 1000 episodes available in our back catalog, please consider becoming a Premium Member.
The show would not be online without Premium Members
Premium Membership Premium members are the main reason why Recovered Podcast is still online. If you want to help us continue to help the new guy, watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium.
If you want Recovered Podcast to come to you so you can share your story with us, please reach out to mark@recoveredcast.com and let me know. We would love to come to your roundup, your conference, your event, your open talk….whatever, we want to carry your message to the person who still suffers.
Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions. If you would like to join us, there are three ways.
Call Us Now http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe
So, listeners, join us at The 2020 International Convention of AA in Detroit. If you are coming into town for the convention, the Recovered Podcast wants to meet you!
If you would like to get all the information regarding the Recovered Podcast at the 2020 International Convention, just email me and we will get you on our google group.
Just email me at mark@recoveredcast.com
To get on our 2020 International Convention Google group. This google group will be notified with all the Recovered Podcast Plans for the convention and will have all the information about how to find our tailgate party. Right now, our google group has been provided with maps and general information about Detroit. Email me at mark@recoveredcast.com if you want these kinds of updates.
For the latest 2020 IC information, click
For most people, the holidays are about spending time with family, being loved, and having fun. But, if you’re a recovering alcoholic, facing the holiday season can be significantly more challenging. If you’re alone and preparing to face Christmas and New Year’s without your family and friends, it can be even more daunting.
But, just because you’re on your own doesn’t mean you have to relapse. You should expect to be tempted or even triggered, nearly everyone will be drinking, but you’re still in control of what you do. With a little planning and preparation, you can ensure that you’re ready to face the holidays alone, stay sober, and hopefully have a little fun at the same time.
Most of us grow up with the kind of insinuation that alcohol is a necessary part of a party. Most of us have childhood memories of watching parents drink, often too much and grew up waiting to sneak alcohol into teen parties. It’s just ‘what you do’. But, while it’s socially normal to drink to have fun, it’s not a necessary part of it.
In fact, there are plenty of ways to have fun over the holidays without ever touching a drop of alcohol:
Attend a Sober Party – Most AA and sobriety groups host some form of sober party over Christmas and New Year’s. If you’re out of town, you can ask to join one as a guest and explain your situation. If you’re at home, you can ask around and attend one thrown by your local group, or throw one yourself. If you plan a sober party yourself, you do have to plan activities like games or TV, plan food, and, of course, non-alcoholic beverages.
Go for a Hike or Walk – Exercise and activity not only help you to pass time, they can also be fun and they can help you to feel better. Exercise releases serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which can make you happier, reduce cravings, and boost your energy. If it’s too cold out for a walk or hike, you can do plenty of things indoors like yoga, roller skating, ice skating, indoor skiing, and much more. Try to bring a friend if you can.
Find Something You Like to Do – If you can’t spend time with people you know and love around the holidays, you can entertain yourself with things you like to do. Just be cautious of spending too much time alone or tiring yourself out, which can trigger HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) which act as triggers for addiction.
Going to AA or another sobriety meeting might not sound like your idea of a good time, but it does get you out, around people who are going through the same things as you, and into a situation where you can talk about your feelings without judgement. Going to AA on Christmas and New Year’s will also put you in the right frame of mind, so you remember why you’re staying sober and have something to hold yourself accountable to.
If you’re away from friends and family for business or travel reasons, find a group in your area before you travel, try to contact or email them in advance, and attend as a guest.
Most of us like the holidays because we get to give to others, you can still do that even if your family and friends are gone. Volunteering your time is a rewarding and positive thing to do, even if it’s just for a few hours. Some of the Christmas and New Year’s volunteering opportunities involve soup kitchens, working in domestic shelters, handing out food and blankets, or donating your specific skills and time to the needy. You should not typically volunteer around recovering addicts who might still have alcohol, primarily because you might slip up if tempted.
Volunteering actually releases serotonin and dopamine in the brain, giving you a rush of happiness, and reducing cravings. Plus, you’ll be doing something good with your time, and you can be proud of yourself and what you’re doing. If you’re attending an afterparty or are in an area where alcohol might be served, you should discuss your history with the manager or the group before starting, and ask them to be courteous and not offer you alcohol.
Guest Article
Christmas, 1986. I was at my aunt’s house in New Jersey. As always, she had prepared a huge feast and had invited family, friends, and neighbors. (I’m Jewish. My aunt and her family celebrate Christmas. But that’s a whole other story.) I had been in New Jersey for a couple of days, and had brought with me what should have been enough heroin for the duration, but true to form I’d done it all on the first night, and by Christmas was in my second day of withdrawal. I hid out on the couch in the basement all day, dopesick, listening to the goings-on upstairs, wishing I was somewhere, someone else –wishing I could hold down solid food. I felt horrible, physically and emotionally. I was isolated, lonely, miserable, and full of self-loathing. I told everyone I had the flu, but my mother knew what was really going on, and gave me some of her valium. It helped –a little.
Many recovering addicts and alcoholics have these kinds of memories, or some version of them –feelings of isolation, shame, disconnection from others during the holiday season. And often, especially in early recovery, the experience of holidays and family isn’t so different from what it was during active addiction. Dark, short days, in and of themselves, can make for funky moods. Family dynamics –and intoxicated family members –may not have changed, and being in the midst of these familiar patterns can trigger cravings, or bring up other old feelings. Then there’s the ubiquitous, “Don’t you want some egg nog? There’s only a little splash of rum in it,” and, “C’mon, it’s New Year’s Eve, not even just a sip?” And when, as is often necessary and healthy, recovering people make the decision not to attend toxic family events and drunken parties, there’s a sense of being defective, as if, somehow, this feeling of being different, of being alienated during the holidays is one’s own damned fault.
Traditional recovery wisdom suggests avoiding the pitfalls of isolation. During holiday season many recovery fellowships hold “marathon” events that can be tremendously helpful in combating feelings of loneliness, shame, and alienation –the sense that one is not like everyone else, all of whom seem to be happy and enjoying their holidays. The thing is, many people, recovering or not, really don’t enjoy their holidays. Many “normies” struggle with feelings of isolation and loneliness, whether they’re alone or with others. And like people in recovery, they may not give themselves “permission” to be honest about their holiday unhappiness –they may feel obligated to simply show up and smile. As painful as these feelings of loneliness and isolation may be, even more suffering arises from not being “allowed” to experience them; whether individually or in group settings. It can be a tremendous relief to share these feelings with others, not just for the support and connection that it offers, but also for the relief that derives from allowing oneself to have uncomfortable feelings, from simply allowing oneself to be present with them.
Feelings of alienation and loneliness are natural –a part of the human experience shared by all, whether recovering or not. Many philosophical frameworks have arisen in response to this, in an attempt to make meaning of it, to find ways to bear what sometimes feels unbearable. Spiritual traditions also describe this experience, sometimes as a sense of disconnection from the divine, sometimes in the form of being disconnected from the present moment. The fact that so many philosophers and spiritual figures have grappled with this phenomenon is yet another indication not only of how pervasive this experience is, but of how normal it is, how much it is simply a part of life.
In the recovery world, a great deal of attention is given to the dangers of the addictive tendency to isolate and this is, of course, important, especially during the vulnerability of early recovery. This kind of isolationism is a behavior, not a feeling, and the distinction is, I think, an important one. It is indeed essential not to overindulge in isolative behavior; however, that doesn’t mean one won’t –nor that one shouldn’t –experience feelings of isolation and loneliness. (And, as is often the case, feelings of loneliness may have nothing to do with whether or not one is physically isolated –for example, feeling alone in a crowd is an experience of which many have spoken.)
Yes, there are concerns specific to people in recovery –potentially dire consequences if, as traditional wisdom suggests, one becomes too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. But by no means is it suggested that one should never be lonely; in fact, quite the contrary. Although perhaps even more intense at holiday time, feelings of loneliness, isolation, and alienation are part of ordinary human experience from which people in recovery are by no means exempt. Recovery isn’t about getting rid of uncomfortable or unwanted feelings –rather, it’s about learning to be in daily life, on its own terms; it’s about becoming, over time, ever more human, with all the vulnerability that entails; it’s about simply feeling what and how one feels, without the suffering that arises from believing it should be otherwise.
Dr. Michael Aanavi is a Clinical Psychologist, licensed acupuncturist, and recovering
heroin addict in private practice of Psychotherapy in Berkeley, California (www.michaelaanavi.com). He is the author of The Trusting Heart: Addiction, Recovery, and Intergenerational Trauma (www.thetrustingheart.com).
These are the types of episodes published each weekend for Premium Subscribers. If you would like these and the other 1000 episodes available in our back catalog, please consider becoming a Premium Member.
The show would not be online without Premium Members
Premium Membership Premium members are the main reason why Recovered Podcast is still online. If you want to help us continue to help the new guy, watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium.
If you want Recovered Podcast to come to you so you can share your story with us, please reach out to mark@recoveredcast.com and let me know. We would love to come to your roundup, your conference, your event, your open talk….whatever, we want to carry your message to the person who still suffers.
Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions. If you would like to join us, there are three ways.
Call Us Now http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe
So, listeners, join us at The 2020 International Convention of AA in Detroit. If you are coming into town for the convention, the Recovered Podcast wants to meet you!
If you would like to get all the information regarding the Recovered Podcast at the 2020 International Convention, just email me and we will get you on our google group.
Just email me at mark@recoveredcast.com
To get on our 2020 International Convention Google group. This google group will be notified with all the Recovered Podcast Plans for the convention and will have all the information about how to find our tailgate party. Right now, our google group has been provided with maps and general information about Detroit. Email me at mark@recoveredcast.com if you want these kinds of updates.
For the latest 2020 IC information, click
These are the types of episodes published each weekend for Premium Subscribers. If you would like these and the other 1000 episodes available in our back catalog, please consider becoming a Premium Member.
The show would not be online without Premium Members
Premium Membership Premium members are the main reason why Recovered Podcast is still online. If you want to help us continue to help the new guy, watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium.
If you want Recovered Podcast to come to you so you can share your story with us, please reach out to mark@recoveredcast.com and let me know. We would love to come to your roundup, your conference, your event, your open talk….whatever, we want to carry your message to the person who still suffers.
Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions. If you would like to join us, there are three ways.
Call Us Now http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe
So, listeners, join us at The 2020 International Convention of AA in Detroit. If you are coming into town for the convention, the Recovered Podcast wants to meet you!
If you would like to get all the information regarding the Recovered Podcast at the 2020 International Convention, just email me and we will get you on our google group.
Just email me at mark@recoveredcast.com
To get on our 2020 International Convention Google group. This google group will be notified with all the Recovered Podcast Plans for the convention and will have all the information about how to find our tailgate party. Right now, our google group has been provided with maps and general information about Detroit. Email me at mark@recoveredcast.com if you want these kinds of updates.
For the latest 2020 IC information, click