Groups
Life Recovery Skills
Building a strong house of recovery
One bright, sunny afternoon, the Life Skills therapist of several recovering persons seeking life- long sobriety said to the group of attendees, “A good recovery has solid walls (multiple recovery skills), a roof (relapse prevention plan), windows (honesty), a chimney (willingness), and a door (openness).”
They fill their homes and hearts with spirituality and faith in all sobriety has to offer. Remember this as you head out into the world and build your own houses of recovery.
And the recovering persons move into the ‘world’
So, several recovering persons set off. But they were not alone. In the same world lived the wolf (addiction), and he was a very hungry wolf of addiction indeed!
The first few newly recovered persons gathered heaps of straw to build a house. The therapist had said something about walls and something about windows, but that seemed like an awful lot of work. So instead they made a big pile of straw, tied it together with a rope, added a door and burrowed inside to rest on beds made of straw (self-will).
Before long, the first newly recovering persons heard a big booming voice, “Little recovering persons, let me in.”
Not by the hair of your Skinny shin shin replied the recovering persons. “Then, I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down.” And the wolf did. The recovering persons ran and ran to find their friends, as the wolf of addiction blew down the house made of straw.
“We’re going to be smarter than THOSE recovering persons.”
Nearby, a few more recovering persons gathered sticks to build a house. The therapist had said something about a chimney and something about a roof. But that seemed like an awful lot of work. So instead they stacked and leaned the sticks against each other, hammered in a few nails, and then crawled inside to rest on beds made of sticks (complacency).
The sticks teetered and tottered as the first recovering persons came running into their friends’ house.
Soon enough they heard the wolf of addiction, “Little recovering persons, let me in, let me in.”
“Not by the hair of your Skinny shin shin.”
“Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down.”
And these recovering persons ran and ran to find their other friends, as the wolf blew down the house made of sticks.
It was tons of work, but…
While all this was happening, the remaining recovering persons were very busy persons indeed. They remembered what the therapist said about recovery. And it was an awful lot of work.
But they stacked bricks and gathered shingles and hammered nails. They hung two window boxes for flowers (trust and faith) and built sturdy beds with a brick frame (sobriety).
And when the first group of recovering persons and the second group of recovering persons came running up the lane, the rest of the recovering persons were very happy to have their help. They all worked hard to finish the house. And just in time, because they heard the booming voice.
“Recovering persons, recovering persons, let me in!”
“Not by the hair of your Skinny shin shin!”
So, the wolf of addiction huffed and puffed – and he blew, but nothing happened. The brick house stood solid and still.
The wolf of addiction grumbled and groused. If he could not blow down the house, he would have to find another way in. So, he climbed the brick walls onto the shingled roof. All the recovering persons watched from the window.
“The Chimney” exclaimed one recovering person.
Quick! Use some of the tools our therapist gave us!
The wolf of addiction started to climb down the chimney chuckling to himself because he could smell the delicious aroma of fear, and these recovering persons would soon be his again. But even sooner he felt the strength of their commitment to sobriety like a fire on his tail. He yelped and scrambled and scrabbled right out of the chimney across the shingled roof and down the brick walls.
The recovering persons watched from the doorway of the sturdy house of recovery as the wolf of addiction ran away.
And that was the last anyone in the great sober land of recovery saw of the big bad wolf of addiction.
Make the right life-changing decision…
…to reach out to me by phone at (602) 903-4977 or by completing the contact form below. Let’s build you a strong recovery house of bricks, mortar, chimney, and windows!
Mutual Aide Relapse Prevention Groups
Once you’ve stopped using, there’s more work to be done. Even several months or years later. Relapse is real, and it happens. The power of group support is immeasurable.
Nurse Recovery Groups
Nurses are people, too. They hurt, too. They need validation and support as much as they give to others.
We facilitate nurse recovery groups approved by the AZ Board of Nursing for those in a board-mandated program.
