BEST High?....really?

When I watched this video, it bought me to tears. Not only did it remind me of how I almost lost my life and my daughters life, I was overwhelmed by the thought that so many others will walk this path unless they learn that it DOES get out of control, you CAN'T keep being a functioning addict, you will LOSE everything that is truly important to you.

For those of you addicted, be it heroin, opiates, meth, xanax, alcohol whatever, STOP and take a really good look at what you're doing to yourself. Know that you can't stay "feelin-right" high forever. It does catch up to you either through, overdosing, getting arrested, losing all your possesions and living on the street. Is that really your ideal lifestyle?......So do something about it NOW!

Ask for help if you're too affaid to start the cycle of getting clean and sober. Check into a Detox Center in your area, alot of them will not charge you. The help is there. If it takes you 3 or 4 times to get it right, then keep trying until you get it right. You can live without the addiction, you can have a better, more productive happier life. The choice is yours, don't use the crutch statement "I have a disease" for addicts, it's a conditioning addiction that you started and you can stop it too.

Don't Compromise Yourself...You Are All You Got!

When we don't know who we are, it's easy to compromise ourselves. When we don't know where we stand on an issue, it's easy to be swayed by a forceful voice. Values may be cloudy in our minds, or we may not be aware of them at all. It's then that we are vulnerable to the persuasion of another.

We are supported in our efforts, and we realize we have friends who don't want us to compromise ourselves-who value our struggle to know and to be true to ourselves. One of lives greatest gifts is discovering we can make decisions that represent us, our inner selves, and those decisions please us.

We all are familiar with the tiny tug of shame that locates itself in our solar plexus. When we "go along" when we give in on a personally important issue, we pay a consequence. We lose a bit of ourselves. Over the years we've lost many bits.  However...we always have a choice.

The Holidays are Among Us

Well everyone the holidays are upon us once again. This year just flew by didn't it?  With the holidays comes some temptations and triggers for alot of us. That eggnog sure looks goods. Party times are everywhere. For those who are working on staying clean and not falling for temptation to our addictions, this post is for you.

At work, with friends, with family...there are moments when we question our sobriety. We may even go as far as to think, "it's the holidays...it's only once a year, why not?"...or sure having "one" drink isn't bad. Even to think, smoking alittle tainted weed won't hurt. Some of us might even be tempted by some friends that will say; "Come on...it's just one line."  Friends we really shouldn't be around in the first place, but sometimes it happens.

This is where everything you know about staying clean/sober will come into action. Whatever you do...don't give into temptation. Don't be fooled by the thought of; "it's only once a year."  What happens when we do fall from grace of sobriety is the "domino effect."  Not to say that some folks can't say "No thanks!" to the occassional invitation to use.   

But for those who are tempted or think about using, you must be strong!  Just as a giant snowball starts out very small, so does our relapse. So have a soda or seltzer with lime, walk away from those who are using drugs at that party. Of course if you do relapse...that doesn't mean you have to stop your recovery all together. You may feel guilty about relapsing but don't fret...you can always reclaim your sobriety again.

Of course that doesn't mean it's ok for you to use once in awhile...it isn't.  The whole concept of getting clean/sober and staying that way is the resolve you want from your recovery. Alot of the time we relapse due to the influences around us. So you might want to consider who you are associated with. In recovery it's wise to stop associating with certain people because they become toxic to our recovery. I call these people 'toxic-friends'. 

Remember...a true friend  would understand that you are cleaning up your act and they won't try to influence you to use. A  true friend   won't use drugs or alcohol when they come around you. You might want to keep that in mind when you are around people you consider friends that are not clean or sober. Of course we as addicts will find ourselves thinking, "Gee...I need a drink to have a good time."  I struggle with this one all the time.

But once you realize that this in only the addiction talking, it helps to get rid of the craving. Get yourself a non alcoholic drink and just let that feeling go, get into the activity or create one. This way you won't have time to just sit there and think about getting high. Have a wonderful holiday everyone!

Enjoy the day.  :)

Written by; Sherrie Vitello

A Wonderful Quote from Celeste Vitello, Author of the Book: Through This Addicts Eyes. " When the pain of getting high is greater than the fear of getting clean, it's time to change."

Keep It Simple

All too ofter, we complicate our lives. We can wonder and worry our way into confusion, obsession or preoccupation, it's called, "what if?"  "should I?"  "what do you think?"  We seldom stop trying to figure out what to do, where to do it, how to meet a challenge, until someone reminds us to "keep it simple."  What we each discover, again and again, is that the solution to any problem becomes apparent when we stop searching for it. The guidance we need for handling any difficulty, great or small, can only come into focus when we remove the barriers to it, and the greatest barrier is our frantic effort to personally solve the problem.

We clutter our minds, we pray for an answer and yet don't become quiet enough, for long enough, to become aware of the direction to go, or the steps to take. And they are always there. Inherent in every problem or challange is its solution. Our greatest lesson in life may be to "keep it simple", to that no problem stands in our way because no solution eludes a quiet, expectant mind.

I have opportunities every day to still my mind, and the messages I need will come quietly. My answers are within me, now.

Quote by; Alice Roosevelt Longworth: "I have a simple philosophy. Fill what's empty. Empty what's full, and scratch where it itches.

Written by: Sherrie Vitello. Excerpts written by:  Each Day a New Beginning by Karen Casey