Sober Services

02/07/2025

Congrats on Nikki Sixx, turning 24 years sober today. 🧡
His book “the he**in diaries” is a tremendous insight into the thoughts and feelings of an addict.

Today, I take a moment to reflect on how sobriety—and the willingness to confront my past—has completely transformed my life. Sobriety isn’t just about eliminating substances; it’s about the ability to be honest with yourself and those around you.

Over the past 24 years of sobriety, I’ve experienced profound joy, but not without significant challenges. Through this journey, I’ve learned how to navigate adversity with grace and how to be truly selfless. We’re not here solely for ourselves; we’re here to serve those who are still struggling.

Some people, sadly, can’t be honest with themselves—and more often than not, they fail and end up hurting those around them. Honesty can be frightening, but it’s also liberating.

I’ll never forget something a sponsor told me after a fellow addict passed away. He said, “Some people have to die to teach the rest of us how to live.” That broke my heart—and reminded me just how important this journey really is.

A friend recently gave me a copy of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations. One quote that struck me deeply was: “Practice what seems impossible.”

I like that. I accept that challenge.

16/04/2025

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14568137/I-dated-Jennifer-Aniston-Cameron-Diaz-addiction-saved-life.html

Great stuff Paul Sculfor, a great man in , full of integrity and sincerity, and someone I get to call my friend.

Paul Sculfor was one of the world's leading male models in the late Nineties and early Noughties, racking up a huge list of A-list connections.

18/11/2024

On this day 42 years ago, 18th November 1982, in a little room next to a hot dog stand at the “Motion Picture Health & Welfare Fund” building on 335 North La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles (Hollywood & Beverly Blvd.), California, a woman named Veronica K. opened a new 12 Step meeting with the beautiful words “Welcome to the first meeting of Co***ne Anonymous, a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other and help others recover from their addiction.”

It was simple and understated, but yet powerful. The results are continuing to vibrate around the world, even in my adopted home of Thailand (including the small island of Koh Phangan where i live - we have a CA meeting, the “Steps at Sunset” on Tuesdays), with significant growth around SE Asia (Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia (where i shall visit the flagship ACA meeting in Jakarta next month), and even into China now) as well as Australia.

Happy 42nd Birthday to CA.
Thank You!
I’m sincerely forever grateful for the life afforded to me since i began my own recovery journey 23+ years ago.
We can recover! We do recover!
A life Beyond our wildest dreams.

An original member tells us “The very first meeting was November 16th, a Tuesday night AA meeting which was named the “Whatever Meeting”.
At the end of the meeting they had a Business Meeting and the group debated upon changing the meeting name to "Co***ne Anonymous". It was voted down because you cannot make an AA meeting into a CA meeting by a vote in such a manner. It wouldn’t fit in with the 12 Traditions.
Then, another member present informed the Group Conscience that the same room was empty on a Thursday night.
So then, just 2 days later, on Thursday 18th November, a female [Veronica] Secretary taped a mallet upon the table at the front of the room and said “Welcome to the first meeting of Co***ne Anonymous” followed by our Preamble.
This Group became known as "Group One".

There was another meeting that began around this time on Wednesday evenings at the Beverly Glen Hospital. However, at the time this wasn't affiliated. It was a closed patient only (H&I) meeting which they called "Co***ne Anonymous.” Soon thereafter, on Friday and Saturdays, meetings were also held here that were affiliated.

Within 30 days there were 3 CA meetings.
After 90 days there were 7 meetings established.

Co***ne Anonymous was formally founded on November 23, 1982 by some of its founding & early members.

CALA was formed from the “Secretaries Meeting" that was held in April 1983.

CA World Services came two years later in 1984.

The 1st Board of Trustees were bought together and formed in 1985.

It was divine inspiration by those good folk in 1982 who decided to add the words “and all other mind-altering substances” to the parent steps, that meant arms were opened to many thousands and thousands of men and women - like you and me, who now get to bleed green 💚.

Lives are saved, families are rebuilt.
Love lives here in Co***ne Anonymous
💚💚💚

17/11/2024

On this day:
Dr. Robert Smith died on this day in 1950.
One of the 2 founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, my favourite quote of his was "Carry this message, and if you must... use words."
He was 15 years
Thank you Dr. Bob.

05/11/2024

Sober Academy in collaboration with Holina Rehab Israel has successfully delivered the very first Sober training in .

We were delighted to be training psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, counsellors, youth workers and other interested professionals in how the family is the key to helping secure the suffering individual to choose treatment and recovery.

06/10/2024

So, I'm letting the cat out of the bag here now.
Later this month, I'll be travelling to visit Holina Youth Village in Cyprus, Holina Rehab Israel and also going to a little further, alongside Yossef Zubari to begin configuring the latest venture for us - Holina Wellness in Greece !!!
I'll also be delivering Sober Academy's signature Training in Israel for the first time by invitation of Dr. Aviva Wolf and her Hospital.

But then I'm coming to London, to revive my connection and relationships with all those in our industry of & at my friend, the wonderful Lee FitzGerald's 14th Annual Workshop (link in comments), where I used to MC but this time will have a smaller role introducing the event on Thursday 7th November and reminiscing about the history and growth of our sector over the past 20+ years.

I absolutely want to encourage all of my friends and colleagues who are able to attend this year's workshop to make the effort, especially if you've never been before. It really is filled with key people from our industry and it's a fellowship of its own.

Meanwhile, if you've read this far, I ought to let y'all know that on Sunday 10th November, I'll be choosing a venue in London and inviting everyone that wants to see me to come and meet me for lunch and stay the afternoon. It seems the easier, softer, option - rather than me trying to meet up with hundreds of you, invite as many of my friends as possible to come and see me, meet my other friends and make new ones.
I'll be announcing a central London location soon - I'm searching for somewhere that can have 20 to 50 people pass through the afternoon, and serves a great buffet Sunday roast, so if you know somewhere suitable let me know. (no other dates are available as I return to Koh Phangan on the Tuesday 12th, and will spend Monday 11th with family, also if Samantha or David want me to be of service Monday evening, I'd love some CA Fellowship together).

I'll keep updating things here via FB from time to time, but do message me privately with ideas or questions.

love to y'all,
Ian

05/10/2024

71 years ago today, Narcotics Anonymous began in Southern California. Thank you Jimmy K. and those that came before us in AA and permitted the 12 Steps to be shared with other helpless & hopeless addicted individuals.

01/10/2024

Thank you for the music and the message of hope.

19/09/2024

We are looking for 3 women to come and move to the beautiful tropical paradise island of Koh Phangan, to join the dynamic and multi disciplined team of Holina Rehab & Retreats, 12 Step & Holistic Healing Centre, to start as soon as possible.

1) One 12 female Step Counsellor to join the Recovery Facilitators Team.
2) One female in 12 step recovery with at least a few years of continuous recovery to join the Support Team
3) One female who is experienced in Trauma Recovery and wants to help us as we continue to grow our Trauma Recovery Support Team.

For more details about Holina Rehab Thailand google "Holina Rehab Thailand" and see explore our website - we are the only facility on the beach (we have a private beach), and we genuinely do live on a paradise island.
This would be a lifestyle choice - if you want to live and work and play and bring even more sunshine into your life.

17/08/2024

HAPPY 71st Birthday to N.A.

In 1953, in our Basic Text, Jimmy Kinnon refers to NA beginning around July of 1953. At an anniversary dinner, Jimmy spoke about how for about six weeks they discussed and argued over forming this fellowship and how it was going to be and what it was going to be based on and how it was going to work. We think that this reference to July 1953 is because of those weeks of discussions that they had.

What we have in writing and what we also know about was that on August 17, 1953, a group of people met together for the purpose of forming a fellowship. Now Jimmy was known in the local community in San Fernando Valley as an alcoholic addict. That’s the way he introduced himself in the meeting he went to. There were often meetings after the meetings where they would sit in the coffee shop and talk about the things they couldn’t talk about in the other meetings.

When the people that got together to put together this first fellowship met, they started keeping minutes from day one. We have copies of those minutes here. They begin on August 17, 1953.

11/07/2024

Slash, the iconic guitarist from Guns N' Roses, has been open about his journey to sobriety.

In various interviews, he has discussed his struggles which escalated during the peak of his fame in the late 80s and early 90s. Slash's battle with addiction led to several health issues, including a life-threatening case of cardiomyopathy.

After hitting rock bottom, Slash made the decision to get sober in 2006. He has credited his family, especially his then-wife, Perla Ferrar, for supporting him through his recovery process. Since achieving sobriety, Slash has been vocal about the positive changes it has brought to his life and career. He has mentioned that being sober has allowed him to be more present, creative, and focused on his music.

Slash's story is often highlighted as an inspiring example of overcoming addiction and reclaiming one's life. His journey underscores the importance of support systems and the possibility of recovery, even for those who have faced severe addiction.

Congratulations on 18 years of continuous

10/07/2024

A few words by Jimmy K. considered the Founder of NA who emigrated onto the next stage of his development on July 9th 1985.

I don't care how we get people into the program as long as they come & they want what we have. There r times when I feel that I'm not making contact with newcomers enough. My Higher Power works kinda funny with me. Generally when I ask for a newcomer, I ask this way for me: I say I want somebody for a little while that wants this program...
That's planting the seed. I think one of the things that I continue to do, probably, is just to give myself as completely as I can to this program. Because it is my whole life. It doesn't mean that I don't have many other things to do. I don't have enough time do everything I want to do ...
I've said before to people who come to this program, and that I meet at meetings: I'm gonna be around here for a long, long time. So you're gonna have to put up with me, because I'm not gonna leave. But I hope that you hang around too. Because maybe, maybe if we all stick together, we will find unity in this program. We will learn how to apply the Traditions which is the only thing that will make the fellowship grow. And we will be able to carry the message to every corner of the earth ...
We need everybody, we don't need just a few people. Every member of Narcotics Anonymous is needed in some way. None of us have it made ... We can't all give all our time, but we can be the program ...
I remember a lot of times we had to ... show what do we need all this stuff for? ... Because one of these days there's gonna be a lot of kids that are not born yet, that are going to need what we have to offer. Thank God we have what we have to offer. Not just new people, but the kids of the members who aren't even born at that time, who have got something to offer the world...

A few words by Jimmy K. (1982, Santa Monica)