Arbor House

01/03/2023

47 years!

11/14/2022

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/08/well/family/alcoholic-babysitter-sobriety.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

The babysitter says she has nine days sober, but we all lie, every addict, every alcoholic.

01/16/2021

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/how-pandemic-may-have-changed-aa-recovery-culture-surprisingly-hopeful-ways-forever-130020011.html

While early pandemic shutdowns caused panic and anxiety for so many people in 12-step programs, Alcoholics Anonymous quickly showed itself to be master of the pivot. Now many members sing the praises of remote meetings and believe — and hope — they’re here to stay.

01/12/2021

“I’ve been sober 18 years, so long I don’t even think about drinking and drugs anymore. Not really, anyway. Not often. Definitely not every day. But once in a while, maybe out at dinner with friends, when someone orders a red wine, or a beer, or a vodka tonic.

Vodka. I’d like seven vodka tonics. I’d like to slip inside a bottle of vodka, to bathe in it, to slosh, just for the night, just for a little while.

That’s how I know my addiction is still there, still lurking, still hungry. After 18 years it’s probably ravenous, but it’s not starving. Starvation is something you die of, and addiction cannot be killed. You can’t excise or eradicate it. You have to contain it. Dam it. Barricade it. Even then, it whispers. Through whatever levees you erect, it gurgles. It splashes out a Morse code of desire. You become a certain kind of deaf, a certain level of numb, all the time, every day. That’s the work. That is how you progress from drunk, to dry drunk, to sober human. You’ll never be just human. You’ll always be a sober human — a person almost, but not quite.” -By Sarah Twombly, New York Times Published Jan. 8, 2021

01/07/2021

Check out this article from USA TODAY:

If you canceled dry January during chaos at the Capitol, here's why you should reconsider

After a pro-Trump mob incited mayhem in Washington D.C., social media users declared dry January "canceled." Here's why it's still important.

05/04/2020

https://medium.com//10-secrets-people-in-recovery-from-addiction-know-about-how-to-survive-a-pandemic-60f130a09ac8

People in recovery can teach us a lot about making it through tough times with strength and dignity. Rams in Recovery and The Well are…

04/19/2020

WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT...

I heard that we are all in the same boat, but it's not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship could be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa.

For some, quarantine is optimal. A moment of reflection, of re-connection, easy in flip flops, with a cocktail or coffee. For others, this is a desperate financial & family crisis.

For some that live alone they're facing endless loneliness. While for others it is peace, rest & time with their mother, father, sons & daughters.

With the $600 weekly increase in unemployment some are bringing in more money to their households than they were working. Others are working more hours for less money due to pay cuts or loss in sales.

Some families of 4 just received $3400 from the stimulus while other families of 4 saw $0.

Some were concerned about getting a certain candy for Easter while others were concerned if there would be enough bread, milk and eggs for the weekend.

Some want to go back to work because they don't qualify for unemployment and are running out of money. Others want to kill those who break the quarantine.

Some are home spending 2-3 hours/day helping their child with online schooling while others are spending 2-3 hours/day to educate their children on top of a 10-12 hour workday.

Some have experienced the near death of the virus, some have already lost someone from it and some are not sure if their loved ones are going to make it. Others don't believe this is a big deal.

Some have faith in God and expect miracles during this 2020. Others say the worst is yet to come.

So, friends, we are not in the same boat. We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different.

Each of us will emerge, in our own way, from this storm. It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, actually seeing.

We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey.

-Unknown author

04/17/2020

https://apple.news/AW5Az5U-ZQfi9DmYB_vWUhQ

There is no “right” way to handle this.

04/01/2020

https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a collective loss of normalcy.

03/12/2020

Check out this article from USA TODAY:

New study shows how effective Alcoholics Anonymous really is

The Cochrane study not only found Alcoholics Anonymous works better than other therapies, but it could also save $10 billion a year in health care.

01/21/2020

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/smarter-living/how-to-complain-.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

A mantra to embrace: “This sucks I’m unhappy with what’s going on.”

11/02/2019

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/grateful/2019/11/01/emotional-intelligence-7-ways-experts-say-you-can-increase-yours/4126719002/

Emotional intelligence is having a bit of a moment right now. You probably know people