Newcomers by Hamrah Co.

Contents 1- Introduction _______________________________________________________________________ 1 2- Early Days _________________________________________________________________________ 2 Is recovery only about giving up the drugs? _________________________________________________ 2 Early days suggestions ________________________________________________________________ 4

3- Detox & Withdrawals _______________________________________________________________ 7 Managing withdrawal symptoms _________________________________________________________ 8 Practical coping techniques ____________________________________________________________ 11

4- Practical Suggestions _____________________________________________________________ 13 Recovery needs _____________________________________________________________________ 13 Physical needs ______________________________________________________________________ 16 Recovery weekly schedule _____________________________________________________________ 17

5- Recovery slogans _________________________________________________________________ 19 First things first ______________________________________________________________________ 20 One day at a time ____________________________________________________________________ 20 Easy does it ________________________________________________________________________ 21 Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired â&#x20AC;&#x201C; H.A.L.T. __________________________________________________ 22 Keep it simple _______________________________________________________________________ 23 This too shall pass ___________________________________________________________________ 23 Let go and let God ___________________________________________________________________ 24 Live and let live ______________________________________________________________________ 25 Pass it on __________________________________________________________________________ 26

Figures & Tables ____________________________________________________________________ 27

1- Introduction “Newcomers” is a term used in anonymous Fellowships to describe suffering addicts wishing to get clean. The Newcomers section provides practical suggestions based on the principles of 12 Step programs and Fellowships that aim to support you in the early days of recovery. The Newcomers section is divided into the following:

2. Early days Many of us do not realize what it means to recover from addiction, believing it is just about stopping the drugs and or alcohol. But in view of the incurable and chronic condition we suffer from, in order for recovery to be successful all aspects of our lives has to be taken into account. Based on the principles of 12 step programs, this page offers some suggestions to help you use recovery tools and principles that can support and motivate you towards this major step in your life, namely, recovery from addiction.

3. Detox & withdrawals Many of us suffer from withdrawal symptoms in the early days when we are coming off drugs. This page provides suggestions on how to cope with these painful symptoms so that they don’t deter you from your resolve to get clean and achieve recovery.

4. Recovery needs As we start our journey in recovery, our priorities change dramatically. We realize we must put our recovery needs above everything else in our life if we are to stay clean and live free of addiction. This page provides you with some practical suggestions that aim at keeping your focus on your daily recovery needs as well as tips on things best avoided to prevent a relapse. Also included is a sample weekly schedule, which serves as an example on how you can keep your recovery as a priority in your new way of life.

5. Recovery slogans This page provides you with information on the key principles of recovery suggested and practised in all 12 Step programs and anonymous Fellowships. Knowledge and daily practise of these principles or slogans will help you maintain your recovery as well as improving the quality of your new way of life.

2- Early Days Many of us do not realize what it means to recover from addiction, believing it is just about stopping the drugs and or alcohol. But in view of the incurable and chronic condition we suffer from, in order for recovery to be successful all aspects of our lives has to be taken into account. Based on the principles of 12 step programs, this page offers some suggestions to help you use recovery tools and principles that can support and motivate you towards this major step in your life, namely, recovery from addiction. 1. Is recovery only about giving up the drugs? 2. Early days suggestions

Is recovery only about giving up the drugs? 

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When we finally throw in the towel and decide we want to stop our addiction many of us may think all we need to do is to stop using the drugs. Not being aware addiction is a multifaceted disease that has severly affected our mind and body; we may look for a cure to merely eradicate its physical symptoms. Unfortunately nowadays with addiction being so rife in society, there are many places that promise “a quick recovery cure” at a high price. Although lucrative for such business, the truth is addiction is a disease that has no cure and like all other chronic conditions can only be arrested on a daily basis. Many of us addicts desperate to get clean buy into these quick fix promises only to find ourselves back on the drugs again or even addicted to another form of substance. We need to also be aware as far as the disease of addiction is concerned, trying to address its physical aspect alone can be futile for this is not our real problem and only a part of our condition. The thing to remember is nature of the disease of addiction and how it affects every aspect of our lives and ourselves. Our way of thinking gets distorted, our bodies function abnormally, our morals diminish and we loose all our human connections. If we want to effectively recover from this devastating disease then a holistic approach needs to be taken into consideration. As addicts we look outside ourselves to fix what is missing inside. Some of us may resort to drugs to feel good about ourselves and cope with life whilst others resort to behaviour addictions such as sex or gambling as means to escape life. In a way what we use on – our type of addiction is merely a symptom of a core problem. Fundamentally if we do not address our core problem, which is ourselves, then even in recovery we are at risk of picking up another type of addiction to fulfil what’s missing inside. That is to say we may be in recovery from substance addiction but resort to behaviour addictions to feel good and escape life. There is hope though; recovery is possible from this multifaceted condition called addiction. The most effective approach proving to be 12 Step programs to which millions are using and are benefitting from. 12 Step programs address the root cause of addiction in addition to offering an amalgamation of tools and support that cater towards recovery from all aspects of this disease. Freely offered throughout the world, and wrapped in individual anonymous fellowships, that cater towards recovery from specific types of addictions, these programs offer a way to get clean and maintain recovery on a daily basis.

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When we first decide to stop using drugs and get clean, many of us may feel fearful and overwhelmed wondering how do we now live life without them? Most of us have lived with our addiction for years. Our habits, though destructive, are embedded in us; they have become a way of life, and we may know of no other way to live. Often the very thought of a life without drugs has petrified us, and kept us from seeking a way out. We wonder how we are ever going to be able to give up the very thing that gave us the “strength” to deal with life. For so long, drugs dictated to us, telling us what we should do, when to sleep, when to eat, when to go out, how to be around others, etc. Now we have decided to stop -- but are petrified at the prospect of a life without drugs. When we decide to get clean and enter into a fellowship we are told that our way of thinking and behaving has been made abnormal by the disease of addiction, and that we cannot rely on ourselves if we hope to recover. We learn we need to rely on a Power greater than ourselves and work the 12 Step with the support and guidance of others in recovery. It is with immense relief that we let go of the burden of addiction, along the responsibility of finding a solution all by ourselves. We gather hope in a program that promises to renew our lives and a fellowship that is there to support us. We realize we are not alone. That we are not fundamentally flawed, nor are we bad people. We are sick people trying to get well. Some of us feel like small children when we are hit with the realization that most of our habits and behaviours are rooted in a destructive disease. We may ask ourselves how we are going to live. Ironically, some of us need to mourn the end of our addiction, the greatest yet most destructive “love” of our lives. We may need to acknowledge that, yes, for a while; drugs served us well, before they became the agent of our destruction. Now it’s time to say goodbye. But we wonder: how are we going to live our life now? Rest assured that many of us have faced the same challenges and, although tough, we have pulled through with the support of our Fellowship and a program that shows us how to live a clean life a day at a time. For further information on the disease concept of addiction, please refer to: Addiction For further information on the approach towards recovery with 12 Step programs, please refer to: Recovery 12 Steps

Early days suggestions Below are some suggestions based on the principles of 12 Step programs that can help you through the early days when you have decided to get clean. Please note although the suggestions provided here aim to support you better cope with the withdrawal symptoms of coming off drugs, the principles can be useful for any other type of addictions.

1. Acknowledge disease of addiction 

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Remember: “We are not bad people trying to get good, but sick people trying to get well.” Sometimes just reminding ourselves that we are suffering from a life threatening illness is enough to help us be more compassionate with our condition and be patient with ourselves in the early days. As we would with a sick person, we should not reprimand ourselves if we are tired all the time, or if we don't have the energy to do all that we think we should be doing. Having high expectations of ourselves to recover over night, to get healthy straight away is yet another way our disease wants to sabotage us. In fact, we should be proud that we have taken such a major step and are doing what we can to recover from our disease of addiction on a daily basis. Remember that recovery is the process of becoming healthy and whole people. It is a process that happens as we work our 12 Steps program. Accepting that we have a disease is the first and foremost thing we should do as we start on our journey. We have a choice: we can either recognize our disease for what it is and use the support of our Fellowship to soldier on, or we can be defiant and angry, and so fall victim to self-pity and ultimately use again. What is a reality for many of us is that recovery and a new way of life is possible and it all starts with the acceptance of our disease for what it is.

2. Tolerate withdrawal symptoms 

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Withdrawal happens when we suddenly stop, or dramatically reduce, our use of drugs. In a way our body goes into shock, reacting strongly to the absence of chemicals it has become dependent on to function normally. And so withdrawal symptoms occur. Though not all of us will experience withdrawals, they are common among those of us who abused opiates or mixed variety of addictive substances. Although withdrawals can feel like a form of mental and physical torture, they are generally not life threatening and subside after a period of time, depending on our addiction history. It is always advisable though, to seek professional medical guidance if you are detoxing or going through physical withdrawals, since they can be dangerous. What can help you deal with withdrawals is to acknowledge that you have developed a tolerance towards the drugs and that the discomfort of withdrawal is actually a sign that your sick body is trying to recuperate and repair itself. It takes determination and patience – and a commitment to recover from our disease of addiction -- to endure these hard periods. But remember that withdrawals don't last forever, and that with time; your body will adjust and go back to normal. It may be a solace to know that many of us in the Fellowship rooms have endured these symptoms and are now back to good health and a life free from drugs. For further information on the types of withdrawal symptoms we may suffer from, please refer to Physical Disease. For suggestions on how to better cope with withdrawal symptoms, please refer to Detox & withdrawals.

3. Manage mood swings 

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Just about all of us in early recovery have had extreme mood swings. This is simply what happens when we deny our bodies the drugs they have become dependent on. While not particularly pleasant, they are a common part of early recovery. Drug abuse has had biological and psychological effects on our brains, so we are bound to experience extreme highs and lows until our mind settles into some balance. Sometimes our mood swings can be so extreme they can actually interfere with our ability to function in day-to-day living. We may feel hyper, extremely happy, or incredibly sad -- from one moment to another. Sometimes our extreme emotional states make us so exhausted that we find it a challenge to even get out of bed! One thing that is certain, though, these emotional extremities tempers and lessens with time. Bear with it, be compassionate with yourself in the same way you would if you were taking care of a sick child. Be patient with yourself and acknowledge this is what you need to bear with in order to find freedom from addiction. Although there is no set timeframe for when mood swings will end and when we begin to feel normal, the experience of most of us shows they settle by the end of the first year. What is important, though, is for you to recognize mood swings for what they are, namely, our feelings and like any other feeling, they do not last forever. Many of us get scarred when we have a feeling, since we have denied from them for so long. So when we come into recovery and experience them, we feel uneasy, and we may very well want to escape from them by our habitual way of using drugs. Many of us lack the vocabulary to identify our feelings, and so we perceive every emotion as bad, which has to be avoided at all cost. But if we start to own our feelings, simply at times by naming them, it is a great step forward in our recovery process and humanity. Sometimes by merely being able to identify a feeling and say, yes I feel

sad, angry, fearful, or whatever, we find that once the feeling has been expressed, it will go away. Many of us take comfort in sharing our feelings with our fellows in recovery or at a meeting. We find relief through their mere expression, and realize we need not resort to drugs to avoid them. In fact, we find joy in our new found ability to express ourselves like healthy people. The miracle is that we are no longer under the control of drugs, so we can experience feelings --even if they are extreme to begin with. In addition, working the 12 Steps gives us the power and the tools to deal with any feeling. We find the program gives us this freedom. We now can choose how to react – either negatively by using drugs or acting out in some destructive way, or positively, by owning our feelings, by accepting and processing them, and sharing about them with our fellows in recovery. We have this choice today.

4. Challenge addictive thinking 

The Recovery principles provided in the next page provide you with useful daily suggestions that help challenge your addictive thinking and the attitudes that grip us in the early days in recovery. Remember, our disease is primarily rooted in our minds – the way we think. The mental component of the disease is strong and twisted in nature; and in the early days especially it wants to take over again, take us back to misery, to our addiction. By reading through the Key Principles, and putting them in practise, you can recognize these destructive thinking patterns and then challenge them.

5. Use Fellowship support 

Meetings are one place that we need to make into our new home in the early days. Without the support of our Fellowship, chances are our addict heads – in other words, the mental aspect of our disease -- will convince us to go back to using drugs. The disease of addiction thrives in isolation, so the best way to combat it is by active participation in our fellowship. Here we will be amongst people suffering from the same disease, people who have a found a solution to their problem and are working towards recovery. Here is the place where we can fight a disease much bigger than us with the help and support others like us. We will hope in action and realize that we too can recover, which gives us the courage to soldier on. The best place to find this support is in the meetings, and that is the reason some Fellowships suggest that newcomers go to 90 meetings in 90 days. Meetings are where we hear the message of recovery, and meetings remind us that we are not alone on the path of recovery.

6. Trust the recovery process 

We did not become addicts overnight, and so we cannot expect to recover overnight. Most probably we put our mind and body through years of abuse. It will take time for it to get restored and become healthy again. There is a lot that needs healing, both from the physical harm from the drugs and the mental damages as a consequence of it. We need to be patient and gentle with ourselves. We need to trust the process of recovery and acknowledge that it works with time, as it has done for so many. The whole program, the 12 Steps is about giving us the means and the tools to become whole and healthy people again, but we need to allow for time to take its course. As they say in the Fellowship, don’t quit before the miracle. Meaning bear with it, persevere and soon you will find you are living a life in recovery beyond all your expectations.

3- Detox & Withdrawals Many of us suffer from withdrawal symptoms in the early days when we are coming off drugs. This page provides suggestions on how to cope with these painful symptoms so that they don’t deter you from your resolve to get clean and achieve recovery.  

Managing withdrawal symptoms Practical coping techniques

Many of us suffer withdrawal symptoms in the early days of recovery. Having developed the disease of addiction, we need them to function normally. When we reduce or stop our drug use, our mind and body protest in many painful ways. It can feel like our very being is screaming out to get what it has become used to, for its survival. Withdrawal symptoms are what most of us experience when detoxing from drugs and it's the way we slowly get restored and heal back to our natural self. The symptoms of withdrawal may include sweating, palpitations, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, and restlessness. The thought of dealing with such torment deters many of us from becoming clean. On top of that, there is no denying that drugs brought us relief, and some of us can’t imagine a life without them. They gave us a psychological boost and a way of coping, if only temporarily. Yet even though they were destructive and ultimately made us miserable, using drugs is the only way we know to deal with life. Our dependency on drugs is physical and mental, and we have to confront both aspects of our disease when we start our journey towards recovery. Our mind needs to learn how to live without its psychological crutch, while our body needs to learn how to function naturally, without the drugs that it has become dependent on. This means we will have to go through sever signs and symptoms until we are restored and can function normally without them. We have taken this courageous step to give up our addiction and learn a new way to live, and now we have to face the fire. We need to remember there are consequences to the years of abusing our mind and body and the drugs won’t leave us without a fight! But withdrawal symptoms don't last forever. How long they last depends on what kind of drugs we used, what combinations we used, how long we used, and our own biology. One thing is certain, though -- they will eventually fade away. We need to take heart and remember our mind and body have a God given power and the inherent ability to recuperate. They will eventually get healed and will function perfectly with drugs. Above all, remember that many thousands of us addicts have gone through the pain of withdrawals and have found a new and free way of life in recovery. All we need is the power of conviction in our decision to become clean, our patience to endure these hard times and faith that with the help of our God, our program and our Fellowship we will get through these difficult times. Once we believe and dedicate ourselves to these principles, our disease has less power to convince us using drugs is the only way to live.

Managing withdrawal symptoms Below are some suggestions that aim to help you manage your withdrawal symptoms and keep you firm in your resolve to get clean: Figure 1 : Managing withdrawal symptoms

1. Get medical help if necessary 

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Many of us need to go to treatment or detox facilities to get clean. In fact, with some of us it is essential that we come off drugs under medical supervision. Reducing or suddenly stopping drugs on our own can be dangerous. Left unchecked, some withdrawal symptoms can lead to seizures, strokes, or heart attacks. As chronic addicts suffering from the disease of addiction, our bodies have developed a tolerance towards drugs -- and a severe physical dependency on them. As laymen we lack the knowledge of how to assess the damage we have done ourselves and how to properly wean ourselves off drugs. It is important to feel good and take courage in our decision to want to get clean, but to also do so responsibility and sensibly under appropriate and profession help. There seems to be a myth in some Fellowships that everyone can suddenly get clean merely by attending meetings. Part of this myth may include the notion that any aid outside the program is unnecessary and amounts to a crutch. In fact, though, medical help, including prescribed medication, may be a necessary step for many seeking recovery. It’s also very common. Today addiction is medically recognized as a disease, and most parts of the world regard and treat it accordingly. We do not need to suffer punishment for having been addicts, and nor do we get a badge of honor for doing it without professional help. It takes courage to confront our addiction and enter recovery, and we do not need to suffer more than necessary. So long as our honest intention is to recover, then we seek medical help where appropriate to help us through withdrawals. This extra support can even encourage us to enter our Fellowship, as many have refrained from getting clean in fear of going through withdrawals. Remember that the only requirement for membership in any 12 Step Fellowship is our desire to stop our addiction. No one has the right to judge or shun us because we may be under medical supervision to become clean.

2. Don't start the vicious cycle 

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The disease of addiction has a vicious cycle. Rooted in our minds, we obsess about using drugs, use them and then feel guilt and remorse for doing so. We then use more drugs to take away these feelings, but the more we use the worse we feel about ourselves. This is the insane aspect of our addiction: we engage in the same irrational behaviour over and over again, each time expecting drugs will make us feel good. In addition, once we start using drugs, we set off the physical aspect of our diseasethe phenomenon of cravings. Our body now physically craves for more drugs in order to function normally. This cycle gets repeated over and over again, and finally we end up in jails, institutions or we die as a consequence of it. What is important in our decision to become clean is realizing that the only way to break this cycle is not to start it. For once we do so, we lose the power to stop. As people going through withdrawal symptoms, this is the fact we need know about the nature of our disease. No matter how much pain and discomfort you may be experiencing, you need to remember that using more drugs will start this vicious cycle. Though we may experience temporary comfort, the price may be our chance at delaying or even loosing our recovery. It may be helpful to think of the withdrawals as signs that your body and mind are trying to restore and heal themselves. Remembering that we are sick people trying to get well and not bad people being punished will help us be more gentle and compassionate with ourselves during these difficult periods.

3. Withdrawals don’t last for ever 

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When going through detox and suffering from withdrawal symptoms, our obsession to use drugs and our cravings are at a peak. Not only is our addict head making a thousand and one excuses for why we need to use drugs, but also physically our body is in turmoil, craving what it has become dependent on. But we need to acknowledge that these horrible emotions and physical symptoms are part of the detox process. Not only is our body ridding itself of all the poison we have put inside it, but it is also trying to restore itself through this painful process. We need to acknowledge that healing from addiction is a process, that it will take time. And it will take patience. As they say in the Fellowship “we did not become addicts overnight, neither should we expect to recover in a day.” It will take time for withdrawals to subside. Despite what our disease of addiction may be trying to convince us of, withdrawals do not last forever. Every day we are drug free is one day closer to the time when the withdrawal symptoms will be behind us. Using drugs to relieve the suffering will only prolong the process and take us back to the start of the game. Sometimes just acknowledging these symptoms for the temporary discomforts they are may be enough to help them pass away. Physical withdrawal symptoms usually come in waves; sometimes we shake violently and sweat for a few minutes and sometimes longer. But if we say to ourselves, “I will wait and endure it, I will not act on it,” then before you know it they have dissipated. The same applies with psychological withdrawal symptoms. Restlessness, anxiety, and anger, all are feelings. Even though extremely uncomfortable and unfamiliar, if we remember them for what they are, they will lose their power to convince us to use drugs again. The trouble with us addicts is that we never learned healthy coping mechanisms, nor do we know how to tolerate our emotions. We have numbed ourselves to the world, and drugs helped us escape from any kind of

discomfort. So of course our natural instinctive reaction when suffering from withdrawals is to want to get rid of them. But bear with it; the recovery world will bring with it other feelings, such as joy, laughter and happiness.

4. Keep yourself safe & supported 

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When going through withdrawal symptoms, it is imperative to avoid being around drugs -- or people and places connected to drugs. This principle applies to everyone in recovery, but it is especially critical when detoxing. Remember that our disease gets psychologically and physically activated with environmental and emotional cues. Being in the presence of drugs will trigger us to use drugs and will weaken our resolve to endure the withdrawal symptoms. During this period, instead of sitting at home shaking and sweating or seeing a using friend, go to a meeting. Remember that meetings are places filled with addicts who have suffered the same type of withdrawal symptoms as yours; there is no shame or judgment in someone seeing you in discomfort. If anything, you will find hope and encouragement in the love and support of others in the meeting. Just sitting next to people who have gone through what you are going through can be enough to help you endure and keep firm in your resolve to stop your addiction. Remember that you are not alone anymore; neither do you have to sit alone and suffer in silence. If you have been able to find yourself a sponsor, if you have been able to make recovery friends and taken some phone numbers, then you can use their support by calling them. Sometimes just by sharing how you feel and where you are is enough to ease the pain of this process. But going to using friends -- who would like nothing more than for you to use, so that they can have their former ally back and so that they can feel good about themselves -- is bound to tempt you to use drugs again. Stick with people in the program; they are the ones who have your interests at heart. Being around unsupportive people, people who may reprimand you or who have no understanding of what you are going through -- such as family members -- is not a good idea during these sensitive and vulnerable times. To have the best chance of enduring these withdrawal symptoms and freeing yourself from the clutches of addiction, you need to keep yourself safe and supported.

5. Challenge your addiction  The disease of addiction is cunning, baffling and powerful. Our disease wants us back to where it was because that is where it is most familiar and comfortable with. Our thinking, especially when detoxing and going through withdrawals, may be distorted, remembering only the good days we had when using drugs. Our disease somehow convinces us that things were not that bad. It wants us to forget or deny all the misery and chaos drugs brought to our lives, and to the lives of those around us. It is important during these times to challenge our disease and do a reality checks of where it finally led you. If the withdrawals get so bad, you seriously consider using drugs again; think hard about what will follow. Yes the pain of withdrawals will ease up for a while, but what then? By using drugs, your problems have not gone away and you would restart the cycle of your disease. Soon you will find yourself back where you started, your problems have become worse and there is a possibility that you may not find the clarity to give recovery another chance.  Many of us have resorted to using drugs to cope with withdrawals and have died as a result. When going through these difficult times we need to keep a clear and mature head. We need to remember why we decided to get clean and what brought

us to this decision. We need to remind ourselves that withdrawals are temporary, that they are part and parcel of what we need to endure to find freedom again. We need to be gentle and compassionate with ourselves, allowing for the process to take its course. Withdrawals don't last forever, no matter what we may think at the time. Our God-given mind and bodies are strong, and we do eventually become healthy again. Every time you are shaking and sweating, every time each fibre in your body is aching, every morning when you have had another sleepless night, remember and smile. Yes, I am suffering but I am on my way to freedom. I am no longer going to allow drugs to rule my life. I am strong enough to go through all of this and I will not allow my disease to defeat me.

Practical coping techniques Below are some practical coping techniques to help you deal with your withdrawal symptoms: Figure 2 : Practical coping techniques

1. Accept situation The worst thing we can do when going through withdrawal symptoms is to punish ourselves. We are already suffering both psychologically and physically from the consequences of our disease; we do not need the added stress of getting angry or frustrated for how we feel and what we are going through. Having a gentle and tolerant attitude towards ourselves, the same as one would have towards a sick person recovering from a life threatening illness, will help us accept we are detoxing from a disease that has poisoned us -- and that withdrawal symptoms are part of the painful healing process of recovering from it. With acceptance you can better use coping mechanisms to deal with withdrawals. For example, if you are restless or cannot sleep, then accept what is happening, get up and do something constructive and beneficial -- or simply fun -- such as watching a film or reading a recovery book.

2. Assert choice When obsession to want to use comes, loudly shout STOP. Remind yourself that it is your disease playing games with you, trying to convince you that you have no choice but to use drugs. Remind yourself that you have the power of choice today, and your choice today is not to use drugs no matter what. This powerful assertion of your choice and your right can dissipate the power our disease has over our thinking.

3. Utilize support Going through withdrawals is tough and this is where we need to utilize all our support system. Call your sponsor or recovery friends, attend meetings and keep yourself in the company of anyone who is supportive of your decision to stop you addiction. Remember that when it comes to our disease of addiction, we cannot fight it alone. We need the support of others for a condition that is bigger than us.

4. Reiterate decision Make notes and put them all over your house and anywhere else you like to remind yourself why you decided to stop using drugs. Write what your addiction has done to you and where it took you, all its consequences and all the misery it has caused you. This will act as a reminder of what your addiction has done to you and will prevent your disease from using illusive mechanisms to convince you to use drugs again.

5. Have patience Withdrawals are like waves -- they peak, and then subside again. During its peaks when the need to use drugs is at its height, just wait a few minutes. Remind yourself what you are experiencing will not last forever and that you do not have to act on your impulses. Take a few deep breaths. You can distract yourself during these periods, engage your thinking and your body in other activities so that your attention goes elsewhere, away from the experience of withdrawal symptoms. This simple technique of waiting, for perhaps 5 or 10 minutes at a time, has helped many of us not to give power to our thoughts and use more drugs.

6. Rely on God Ask your God to strengthen your resolve in becoming clean and to help you cope with your withdrawal symptoms. We forget that our God will help us, if we believe in Him and ask Him in all sincerity. There is a Power greater than us who will give us the strength and will support us in this decision we have courageously taken. Use prayer, meditation, making a gratitude list, or any activity that brings a sense of your God to you. Many of us have started some form of daily prayer or spiritual connection during these times, which has greatly strengthened our resolve to endure and continue on this new path.

Notice: Withdrawal symptoms vary from person to person and can be dangerous. The information above contains suggestions to help you through detox and withdrawal symptoms. They are not to be taken as medical or professional advice. It is important when coming off drugs and to seek the right medical help and supervision.

4- Practical Suggestions This page provides you with information on the key principles of recovery suggested and practised in all 12 Step programs and anonymous Fellowships. Knowledge and daily practise of these principles or slogans will help you maintain your recovery as well as improving the quality of your new way of life.   

Recovery needs Physical needs Recovery weekly schedule

Recovery needs When we enter a 12 Step anonymous Fellowships and recognize we are suffering from the disease of addiction, we come to realize there are certain actions we need to take that will ensure our path into recovery and our new way of life. Our priorities in life need to change -- from going to any length to find and use drugs, to going to any length to recover. The things we need to do for our recovery have to take precedence over everything else in our life, if we hope to recover from a disease that has so dominated us and done us such harm. Along with the suggestions on achieving emotional wellbeing contained in the previous page, below are some practical suggestions that can help you on a daily basis with your needs in early recovery. Figure 3 : Recovery needs

1. Attend meetings 

Meetings are places where we find support and identify with others suffering the same disease as us. By attending meetings regularly -- especially in the early days -- many of our fears and anxieties about how to live life without drugs will be reduced. We will be amongst people who are working their program towards recovery, people who will support us through the ups and downs of our own journey. As a result, we will get a sense of belonging, and we will not feel alone. We will also feel understood, supported and cared for, something that probably has been missing from our lives because of our addiction.

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By our attendance at a meeting, we have put ourselves in a safe place where we are in the presence of others in recovery, and where we start building the hope – and then the conviction – that we too can recover. There is therefore less chance for our addictive ways of thinking to dominate us, less chance for us to give in to our obsession to use drugs, which is so powerful in the early days.

2. Find a sponsor 

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Do your best to find a sponsor who can guide you through the 12 Steps. The solution to our problem lies in the Steps, and a sponsor is the best source of support freely available to us in 12 Step Fellowships. Not only will we benefit from a sponsor’s guidance on how to work the Steps, but also our sponsor can support us through all the upheavals associated with the early days in recovery. We can seek and rely on their wisdom and experience, not only for dealing with the emotional turmoil associated with coming off drugs, but also for practical aspects of how to live life free of them. You will probably have to go to a few meetings, ask a few questions, and see who is available and willing to act as a sponsor. It is suggested you find someone you can identify with, someone whose recovery appeals to you. But try to take this practical action as soon as possible, because having the support of a sponsor can mean the difference between suffering in addiction or your recovery. For extensive information on how a sponsor can support you in your recovery, please refer to: Sponsorship.

3. Work the 12 Steps 

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The 12 Steps are the solution for our recovery from addiction. The sooner we start working the Steps, the quicker we start our recovery process and the sooner we will experience a new way of life free from our disease. The Steps are specifically designed to help us deal with all the aspects of our addiction. By providing us with information about our disease and by offering us the solution -- and the actions we must take to restore the consequences of our unmanageable life – the Steps will lead us to the point where we find ourselves living the miracles and promises of recovery. Remember, though, we don’t need to sabotage ourselves by getting overwhelmed by the prospect of working the Steps. There are no rules on working the Steps; there are no deadlines on completing them. We each have our own experience of how they have worked for us and what they have meant to us. We can simply start at the beginning with Step 1, experience and process it -- and then move to the next Step. What is important is that we make a start, as this will ensure we are on the track to recovery and are living in the solution, as opposed to being pulled back into our addiction. Though there are numerous sources of information on our disease and 12 Step recovery programs, the best place to start is reading through the literature usually available for free in our Fellowships. There is an abundance of information to be found in this literature, not only on the 12 Step program but also on what we can do to stay the course in these early days in recovery. For extensive information on the 12 Steps, please refer to: Recovery.

4. Avoid drug risks 

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Another practical suggestion helpful especially in the early days is to avoid anything or anyone connected with drugs. Any place we used to go to use drugs, any person we used to use drugs with or anything that reminds us of using drugs - all these can be triggers that will set off our physical cravings and lead us inevitably to relapse. Remember that we are suffering from a disease that is predominantly rooted in our minds. Our way of thinking is insane when it comes to drugs. We don't have the luxury -- especially in the early days -- to jeopardize our recovery by putting ourselves at the mercy of our addiction by associating with people, places or things that remind us of drugs. Yet our 12 Step program promises us that we will recover from our insanity, that it will not always be this way. The program promises that once we have recovered from our obsession and cravings, once we have worked our Steps, we will find ourselves free to go anywhere and meet anyone. Drugs will no longer have a power over us nor will they rule us.

5. Avoid major changes 

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In 12 Step Fellowships it is suggested to avoid making any major changes in the first year of recovery. For example, not to suddenly decide we want to move to another part of the world, to get a divorce, change houses, change jobs, etc. The reason for this practical suggestion is twofold. First, our disease of addiction is quite active in the first year and our insane thinking will try to sabotage our recovery by what seems a justifiable urge to make big external changes in our life -immediately. Anything to distract us from our working on our inner selves and our recovery. The truth is that nothing is more important than our recovery and everything else can wait! Second, and usually a by-product of becoming free of drugs after a long time, we feel exhilarated about the prospect of a new life and convince ourselves that we need to make big changes right away. We then want to spend our time and energy on making these changes, rather than focusing on working the Steps and learning to live a new way of life. We forget that recovery is much more than just putting the drugs aside. Before we know it, something happens that we lack the strength and the tool to handle, and we relapse. There is a saying in Fellowships that states: “Whatever we put before our recovery we will lose. And then we will lose our recovery”. It is also recommended that we avoid starting a romantic relationship in the first year in recovery. This is based on the same principle of keeping the focus on ourselves, because starting a romance is yet another way our active addiction will try to move us away from our recovery. In addition, as people suffering from the disease of addiction, we are prone to developing other types of addiction. And if we have not worked on ourselves, not developed the knowledge and the wisdom that comes from working the 12 Steps, we are bound to switch to another type of addiction – namely sex and love in this case, without even being aware of it.

6. Avoid stress 

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As best you can, avoid those things that may stress and provoke you to use drugs. In the early days we have our hands full with healing from the physical and mental affects of coming off drugs. We are vulnerable and susceptible to relapse. We need to take care of ourselves and concentrate on doing the work necessary to keep our recovery as the priority. Unnecessary stress from such things as worrying about a future without drugs, or trying to prove we are still “fun” by doing the things we did when we were using, all are pressures we can do without in our first year in recovery. Some of us, after spending years accomplishing so little, in early recovery we may go to the opposite extreme and try to do more than is reasonable – or even possible. Suddenly we want to become the ideal person, the perfect husband or wife, or get that degree we dreamt about. Although all these are admirable and achievable by the grace of working the program, they can be sources of extra stress that we can do without. Remember that recovery is “progress and not perfection”. Stressing ourselves by having high expectations of ourselves in the early days in recovery is yet another way we may end up with a relapse. For extensive information on how to prevent a relapse please refer to: Relapse.

Physical needs 

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Part of our recovery process includes tending to our physical needs. Most probably when we were active in our addiction, we neglected our most basic human needs. We did not eat, sleep or even wash regularly, because finding and using drugs was our only priority in life. Drugs dictated how we should live and we had no choice but to be at their mercy. But now that we have entered recovery, our bodies and our senses slowly wake up. We find ourselves having normal and natural feelings such as feeling hungry, or sleepy. We find that slowly we begin to care about our health and begin to look after ourselves. We may go for that medical check-up that we should have done two years earlier, or visit our dentist or doctor for ailments that we are now actually feeling and are concerned about. Or, on a lighter side, we may finally get that long overdue haircut or start to care about the cloths we wear. All these are signs of awareness of our physical needs, signs that indicate we are coming out of the fog of addiction. We have awakened to our human needs and are on our way to recovery, on our way to living “normal”, balanced lives. As a way to grow more conscious of your physical needs in the early days, try writing them down and addressing them. They may be: eating 3 meals a day, sleeping, wash, exercise, having fun, time with family or friends, etc. In addition, write down ways that you can look after your physical health, such as reminding yourself to rest if you have flu, or going to the doctor if you feel ill. All these caring actions for yourself are actual parts of being in recovery - namely self-care, selfresponsibility and self-love.

Recovery weekly schedule 

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A way that has been helpful to many of us in the early days is to create a weekly schedule for our new life in recovery. Most probably in our using days our lives were in chaos. We had no notion of time nor had any awareness of our human emotional or physical needs. We lived and breathed for drugs. But now that we have entered recovery, in a way we have to learn how to live again, learn how to take care and respect ourselves – a notion that may be very foreign and contrary to our previous way of life. But by writing down a weekly or even daily schedule, we bring some structure in our new life. We can prioritize our recovery and do the things we need to do to keep clean. By taking practical daily actions we get a sense of our journey into our wellbeing, while also devoting less time to our addict head that constantly wants us back to our old ways. The schedule will act to motivate us each day in recovery, as we know there are things we need to do and goals we want to achieve. Even though it may seem silly, for example, to write “eat” or “shower” – write it as a reminder of the respect you deserve as a human being who is in recovery, and who has needs and wants. Don't give yourself a hard time, though, if you have not achieved all the things you hoped for in the day. Instead, give yourself credit for the things you have been able to do. Don’t forget to give yourself credit for the most important achievement above all – that you stayed clean today. That is the biggest miracle. Below is an example of a weekly schedule in early recovery. For a Word version of this table to devise a weekly schedule according to your own recovery and physical needs, please click here:

Table 1 : Weekly recovery schedule

5- Recovery slogans This page provides you with information on the key principles of recovery suggested and practised in 12 Steps anonymous Fellowships. Knowledge and daily practise of these principles or slogans in early recovery will help you better achieve the goals of recovery with the 12 Steps. The information will also help you understand the twisted nature of the mental aspect of the disease of addiction, so that you will be aware not to fall prey to it again. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

First things first One day at a time Easy does it H.A.L.T Keep it simple This too shall pass Let go and let God Live and let live Pass it on

Below are brief descriptions of 9 of the key slogans suggested in 12 Steps anonymous Fellowships and how their practise can aid your recovery process. The practise of these key principles will also help you grow in emotional stability and maturity, which ultimately leads to an effective and successful recovery. Practise of these simple slogans will challenge your old ways of thinking and make you aware of the twisted nature of our disease of addiction. If we employ the wisdom embodied in these guidelines to daily living in recovery, we will grow in emotional stability and maturity and find the way to get along with others, while fulfilling our human potential. Many of us have found that the application of these principles in our daily life not only benefits our recovery process but also can be beneficial in all areas of our lives. Figure 4 : Fellowship recovery slogans

By answering the questions at the end of each of the slogans, you can find out if and how you are applying these principles to your daily recovery. For the Word version of this article to please click on: Recovery slogans

1- First things first 

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Our recovery is the most important thing in our life, without exception. Your thinking may tell you that your job, home life, or one of many other things has more priority in your life. But consider: if you lose your recovery, chances are you won’t have a job, a family life, sanity or even life. As addicts suffering from a chronic and primary illness, our priority must always be on our recovery and our health. You will find that once you work the program, all other areas of your life will improve. By practising the principle of “first things first” we remind ourselves that first and foremost we stay away from that first drug. Nothing else is more important, for if we lose our sobriety most definitely and inevitably we will lose everything else. In a way “first things first” is common sense. We suffer from a life-threatening illness, so we need to put our energy and focus on recovery. But with the disease of addiction, which is fundamentally rooted in our minds, our thinking will try to trick us to use drugs again. Our thinking, especially in the early days, will tell us we are not addicts or that we have made a big deal out of our condition or that we need to sort out the other issues in our life first. Many of us relapse because of this delusion. We start using drugs again because after a few months in the program suddenly we think we have recovered and our priority becomes finding that ideal job, a lover, that degree. We have not yet learned to walk in recovery, yet we want to run the marathon. To practise “first things first”, keep in mind that you are an addict with a life long condition -- and that you need to take care of your recovery above everything else. 1. Write down 2 or 3 examples of how you are putting your recovery first? 2. Write down 2 or 3 examples when you have not done so -- what happened as a result?

2- One day at a time 

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One of the greatest tools to prevent us from relapsing is the wisdom found in the slogan “one day at a time”. In the Fellowship we stress the wisdom of “staying in the now”. We try not to worry about yesterday or tomorrow, and this helps us stay focused on recovery. Many of us have relapsed because the idea of a life without drugs has been overwhelming; we worry that we will never be able to cope without our crutch. But if we keep to “one day at a time” --maybe even at times one hour or one minute at a time -- we concentrate on what we can do right now to stay clean. The truth, of course, is that today is all everyone one of us has. No one knows what tomorrow will bring and yesterday we cannot change for it is gone. This slogan, as with the others, is not just for newcomers. Practising “a day at a time” reminds those who have been clean for many years that length of recovery is irrelevant when it comes to the disease of addiction. Even after years in a 12 Step Fellowship we have to work our program on a daily basis. It reminds us to always keep our recovery as a priority in our life and not get complacent or become arrogant about the length of our sobriety.

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The principle of living one day at a time enables us to manage life and maintain recovery. When living in the present, we are not bogged down in self-pity or guilt over what happened in the past. Nor do we spend time worrying about what tomorrow may bring. The truth is we don't have much power over that either. The only thing we have is today, and today is all we are responsible for.

Today, I will do one thing, no matter how small, that can result in my change and growth. Change happens one step at a time. My responsibility is to keep taking these steps, however small, each and every day. Today I will take this small step even if I don’t feel like it. One small step taken every day is progress. When I manage to accomplish even one small thing that I set out to do each day, I can feel I am making progress in my recovery. I find that action often precedes motivation. When I go ahead and take a small step each day, my sure and steady foreword movement and growth motivates further my recovery. 1. Write 2 or 3 examples of how you have practised “one day at time” in your daily attitudes/ behaviour and actions. 2. Write 2 or 3 examples of when and how you have not practised this principle -- what happened as a result?

3- Easy does it 

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Recovery is about much more than remaining abstinent; it’s about changing our addictive nature and our whole attitude towards life. This does not happen overnight, and it requires patience. Though we do it a day at a time, the journey in recovery is a long one – and we don’t demand perfection or punish ourselves for making mistakes along the way. We need to give ourselves credit for working the program and doing what we can to maintain our recovery. When we practise “easy does it”, we are challenging our addictive nature. As addicts, we tend to be compulsive. We have a tendency to go to extremes -- always wanting perfection, always wanting more, always demanding things RIGHT now and my way. We tend to overwork, to overplay, to over study, to over plan. We lack the normal, rhythmic pace that non-addicts have in their lives, and the result is we set ourselves up for failure. Think about the extreme measures you took to find drugs and the tragedy your experienced as a result of your compulsive search for bigger and better highs. When we practise “easy does it”, we become realistic about our expectations of recovery – and what we should do to maintain recovery. We challenge our usual way of being over-ambitious, anxiety ridden, and suffering from a never-ending sense of urgency – all traits common to compulsives like us. “Easy does it” means taking into consideration that we are in recovery from the disease of addiction, a condition that needs our daily and measured care and attention. “Easy does it” is a good guideline for everyone in recovery but may be especially valuable for those in the early days of recovery, when we are suffering withdrawals and are overwhelmed at the prospect of a life without drugs. It reminds us to be considerate of our condition and not have too high expectations of ourselves. It reminds us that all we need to do today is to be free of drugs and to avoid anything that may jeopardize our recovery. We accept that we are responsible for is our recovery, and that everything else can wait.

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Some suggestions that may help you practise “easy does it” in recovery are:

a) Don't compare your recovery with others Don't attempt to accomplish too much too soon. Instead, have a realistic attitude about what to expect in your recovery. There are bound to be others in the Fellowship doing better or worse than you, so comparing or judging the progress of your recovery against them is pointless. Also, you may set yourself up for disappointment and a relapse if you start imagining that others are doing better than you. Recovery is not a race. Do your part to stay clean, and don’t worry about what anyone else is doing. Progress in the Fellowship is not about proving to others how well you are doing in recovery. Do your best – and give yourself credit.

b) Don't carry a cause to the extreme We compulsive people tend to be touchy, sensitive, rebellious and suspicious. We can be overbearing and controlling. We insist we are right and want things our way, and the result is we upset those around us. When we carry these attitudes into the Fellowship, we want to tell others how to run their program. Or we become a source of discord at meetings because we want things run our way. All these are ignorant and arrogant attitudes that are rooted in our disease of addiction. They hurt others, and they hurt themselves.

c) Don’t let excitement or fear carry you to the extreme As addicts we have difficulty managing our feelings and may allow our excitement or fears to lead us astray. We may suddenly get excited about a new venture and -- without respecting our recovery needs first -- will act on it, then get overwhelmed, disappointed and head for a relapse.

d) Hand over the situation to your Higher Power In recovery in 12 Step programs we have a God of our understanding to help with any problems or dilemmas. Our belief in our God and our trust in Him will guide us to take steps that will bring about a solution. 1. Write 2 or 3 examples of how you have practised “easy does it” in your daily attitudes/ behaviour and actions. 2. Write 2 or 3 examples of when and how you have not practised this principle -- what happened as a result?

4- Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired – H.A.L.T. 

Being too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired are conditions that leave us vulnerable to a relapse. Our thinking is not straight and our defences are down. Part of recovery is learning to pay attention to these signals and practice healthy ways to meet our needs and resolve issues. When we were active in our addiction, we had no needs except to find and use drugs; this was our only concern. Drugs dulled most of our senses and we felt nothing except the high – and even that diminished as we abused more and more drugs. But now that we are in recovery and slowly becoming “normal’ in our functions and senses, we need to pay attention to our human needs. This is part of the recovery principle of self-care and selfresponsibility -- that is, to eat when we are hungry; feel our anger and process it

through working a Step 4 or talking with our sponsor; going to a meeting or calling a recovery friend when lonely; and sleeping or resting when tired. By doing so, not only are we coping with life in a healthy fashion but are also celebrating our comeback to humanity! 1. Write 2 or 3 examples of how you have practised “H.A.L.T.” – taken care of your needs in recovery. 2. Write 2 or 3 examples of when and how you have not practised this -- what happened as a result?

5- Keep it simple 

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As addicts, we tend to complicate things. We exaggerate trivial matters and then obsess about them, or we take on many tasks and then wonder why we have lost our focus. We go to extremes and demand perfection in all areas of our lives, including from those around us. And when things don’t go according to plan, we use it as an excuse to pick up drugs. The principle of “keep it simple” helps remind us that our energy and effort should be focused on recovery. We can practice the principle of “keep it simple” to avoid getting overwhelmed with life’s demands -- and we learn to resist piling demands on ourselves. For example, we can avoid unrealistically high expectations for our mind and body being healed right away, or expect that the damages from our past will be cleared away overnight. Instead we can take comfort in the fact that we have found something that is keeping us drug-free and trust the program will heal us in time. We also avoid setting impossibly high expectations for ourselves. Aiming for over-ambitious goals – whether a great job or perfect romance or round-the-clock serenity – is a prescription for disappointment, or worse. Instead, we keep our life simple, accept our limitations and humanity, and enjoy our life in recovery. Keeping it simple is the essence of growth in recovery for it reminds us who we are, where we are, and what we can and cannot do at this moment in time. Our 12 Step program is simple. It’s based on a few spiritual principles that we need to accept and apply on a daily basis. Yet we complicate it, make all sorts of excuses as to why we can’t do it or cant do it “right”, thereby denying ourselves the comfort and release that is there for the taking in 12 Step programs. If we “keep it simple” by focusing on one thing or one part of a step at a time, the impossible is transformed into the possible by a series of small, manageable tasks. There is a saying in the Fellowships: “recovery is about progress, not perfection” -- a great antidote to our grandiose and perfectionist minds. 1. Write 2 or 3 examples how you have kept your life in recovery simple. 2. Write 2 or 3 examples of the times you have not kept it simple -- what happened as a result?

6- This too shall pass 

The practise of the principle “this too shall pass” helps keep our addictive ways of thinking at bay and brings some sense of reality and proportion to our new life. Most of the things we feel, especially in the early days, are temporary – though it may not seem so at the time. You may be suffering from mental and physical withdrawal symptoms. The pain may be so intense that you think it will last forever and your thinking will try to convince you drugs are the only things that will bring relief. But as

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hard as it may be at the time, a simple reminder that “this too shall pass” can relieve your panic and help you tolerate these terribly uncomfortable feelings. At times like this you can be extra compassionate with yourself. You can remind yourself these symptoms are the things you need to endure to become free from addiction. At times your obsession and cravings to use drugs will overwhelm you, and you will think you have no choice but to use drugs. You’ll wonder if you’ll ever be free of these urges. But remember that today you have the solution, you are amongst a Fellowship of people who have gone through these same trials and are now drugfree for years. Just tell yourself that “this too shall pass.” Chances are if you share at a meeting, or talk to your sponsor or Fellowship friend, your obsession will be lifted and the cravings will pass. Sometimes you may get bombarded with life’s problems: financial difficulties, economic unrest, a divorce or fight with our spouse -- all of which can overwhelm us. You may think you cannot handle them and want to deal with them in your usual way of escape via drugs. The fact is that now that you are free from the chemical effects of drugs, you will have feelings, both good and bad. You may have forgotten how it is to have feelings or how to process them. But a reminder that the 12 Steps offer us tools for dealing with our feelings and coping with life’s problems can help you feel at ease. Or you may think that just because you are now in recovery, life will not have its natural ups and downs. But life happens and at times even more so for us in early days because finally we are face to face with the consequences of our addict lives. At times like this, a simple reminder that “this too shall pass” will give you a wider perspective. The most important thing is that you have not picked up drugs in the face of life’s difficulties, which is a great achievement and a miracle in itself. Finally, ask yourself in all honesty: how significant are your problems in recovery compared with your problems when you were active in your addiction? And wouldn’t they just get worse if you did use drugs to deal with them? 1. Write 2 or 3 examples of how you have practised “this too shall pass” when feeling overwhelmed in recovery. 2. Write 2 or 3 examples of when and how you have not practised this principle -- what happened as a result?

7- Let go and let God 

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The practise of this principle in your daily life helps release some of the burden you may be carrying towards your recovery and life in general. By realizing you do not have the answers to all life’s problems, and that sometimes you need to be humble and admit powerlessness in the face of any number of difficulties. The answer, if it is to come, must be through a God of your understanding. Some of us misunderstand the principle of “let go and let God” in recovery. This does not mean that we should sit around and wait for God to take away all our worries and troubles. Rather we do what we can to deal with problems. We take the necessary actions, usually by working one of the Steps -- and then we allow our God to show us the results in His time. In this way we feel relief in the knowledge that we have taken the necessary actions and have done the best we can. We can then let go of fear, worry, and toxic anticipation and trust our God’s plan for our lives. When we practise “let go and let God”, we are restraining our self-will -- that core addict impulse in us that wants things his way, all the time. We know what the result has been in the past; we know what life was like when we were using drugs. The miserable state it got us into is our prime example of how our life was chaotic when

run on self-will. But when we hand the results over to our God, we are trusting His will and having faith He has our best interest at heart, even though we may be unable to see or understand it just now. When we work the principle of “let go and let God”, we are practising our belief in our God, a belief that leads to growth of faith and ultimately a deeper relationship with Him. If our God could come and talk to us directly, He'd tell us that He loves us and has our best interest at heart. All we need to do is to let go of self-will and let Him do his job! “Accept guidance, stop struggling with God.” 1. Write 2 or 3 examples of how you have practised the principle of “let go and let God” in your recovery. 2. Write 2 or 3 examples of when your self-will has prevented you from letting go and letting God -- what has been the result?

8- Live and let live 

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“Live and let live” is the principle that is the key to our freedom and justice for all. It is the attitude we should adopt towards others, both in our Fellowship and outside life if we hope to live a peaceful life. It reminds us that we are not God and don't know what’s best for everybody – an attitude we lacked in our using days and one which always led us to disagreements and fights. But when we enter recovery and begin to accept ourselves for who we are, we can extend the same respect and courtesy to others despite their shortcomings and faults. For example, we can accept that others in the Fellowship have a right to choose their own journey in recovery, that each one of us is entitled to their own mistakes and experiences. After all, who are we to decide how they should live their recovery or their life? Often referred to as the Golden Rule in the Fellowships, when we “live and let live”, we are practising our humanity and humility by not criticizing, judging, or condemning others. Being fully aware of our own shortcomings, we feel no need to control or try to make others conform to our way of thinking. We don't get enmeshed in people’s problems or try to solve or fix them – and then get resentful when they reject our advice. We respect how others are living and value the way we are living our own recovery. When we practice tolerance towards others, we are free to concentrate on own recovery and building a better life. The practise of this principle can help end many of the conflicts in our lives and head off new ones, because we are minding our own business and allowing others to live, as they want. The practise of “live and let live” in the early days helps us stay focused on our own recovery. We can better accept we are suffering from a disease over which we have no power, and live our life based on what we need to do to recover. By virtue of allowing others “to live”, we can extend the same understanding towards our Fellowship members and not only accept their journey into recovery but learn and take heed from their experiences. Some ways you can practise the principle of “live and let live” in your recovery are: a- Don’t gossip b- Don’t criticize or judge others c- Don’t try to change others d- Don’t justify any resentment

1. Write 2 or 3 examples how you have practised “live and let live” in your recovery. 2. Write 2 or 3 examples of when and how you have not practised “live and let live” -- what happened as a result?

9- Pass it on 

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The practise of “pass it on” is the spiritual essence of 12 Step Fellowships, which is rooted in love and service. When we help others -- be it through doing 12th Step work or doing a simple thing like stacking the chairs at the end of the meeting -- we are not only helping ourselves stay clean, but also expressing gratitude towards a program that was freely given to us. By virtue of helping others, we begin to value ourselves; we feel comradeship, and we start to feel we belong to a society that cares for us. The irony is the more we help others the stronger our own recovery gets. By focusing on passing it on to others, we get out of self-pity. We are not lost in the past or future. We live more in the present, and we feel grateful for what we have. We get a sense of balance about our problems and feel grounded and rooted in our recovery process. As someone in the early days of recovery, you may think the extent to which you can “pass it on” or help others is limited, but this is not so. Many of us in longer recovery have benefited greatly by hearing the experience of newcomers, because they remind us of the state we were in when we got here and how easily we could go back out again. Sometimes when we hear newcomers share honestly about the hardship and dilemmas they face, we are reminded of the hardship that we too had to suffer. We become grateful for the program and the free and serene life we are living today. As newcomers to the Fellowship, we can be the best source of support to another member in similar circumstances. Often we may think that people in longer recovery are “too well recovered” or won’t understand the things we are going through. But sharing our dilemmas and experiences with a fellow newcomer can be the best way we can help them and ourselves to get identification and support. 1. Write 2 or 3 examples of how you have “passed it on”. 2. Write 2 or 3 examples of how and why you have not practised “pass it on” -- what happened as a result?

Figures & Tables Figures Managing withdrawal symptoms ___________________________________________________ 8 Practical coping techniques _____________________________________________________ 11 Recovery needs ______________________________________________________________ 13 Fellowship recovery slogans _____________________________________________________ 19

Figures Weekly recovery schedule ______________________________________________________ 18

About Hamrah Given that addiction is scientifically proven to be a disease, and the effectiveness of 12 Step programs towards recovery from it, Hamrah has been established to provide information on the disease of addiction, its various manifestations and its effects on family members. Our hope is to empower you with information about 12 Step programs and Fellowships so that you may find the means and the support to recover and live a new way of life free from addiction. The information provided, aims to empower: 1- People suffering from addiction, be it to substances or behaviours. 2- Addicts in recovery wishing to enhance their knowledge of 12 Step programs and Fellowships. 3- Family members and or friends seeking to recover from the effects of a loved oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s addiction on their lives. 4- Community members interested to learn about the disease of addiction and recovery with 12 Step programs. 5- Professionals interested in enhancing their knowledge of 12 Step programs and Fellowships so as to support their addicted clients towards recovery.