Addiction...Recovery...Sobriety - The Pathway to Healing

By Stephen C. Schultz

Leaves fluttered to the ground as a crisp wind bit my cheeks. The tears welling up in my eyes were not based in emotion, but the chill in the air. The small creek to my left meandered down the canyon. The soft gurgling sound of running water as it crosses over ageless boulders is like music to my ears. A flock of Mallards bob their heads and glide effortlessly in the current as the water swirls into a back eddy just around the next curve. This is truly a "Place of Peace".

For many families and individuals alike, finding a place of peace seems to be a fleeting proposition. Whether it's a teenager, husband or wife, addiction is no respecter of person or societal status. Addiction doesn't discriminate. Addiction will bring emotional pain, family discord and misery to everyone it touches.

Addiction is a lier. It tells us there is no problem. It tells us we can handle it. It seduces us into thinking that any problems or personal issues are not our doing, but brought about by others. It convinces us that our narrow escapes from family and work failures are because of our exceptionally intuitive and skillful insight. All lies!

Below are some blog posts that discuss the principles surrounding Addiction, Recovery and Sobriety. There will be mountains to climb and some instability underfoot. However, it can get better. I hope these articles are helpful and lead down the pathway to a "Place of Peace".

Touching thank you from a grateful father

ACOA - The Problem

Teen and Alcohol: An International Snapshot

Teen party at the beach...a personal experience

Alcohol and teens...it's all about the cells

Teens and Alcohol - A Relationship on the Rocks

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Journalist explores teen sex addiction

Comments

Ryan K Biddulph said…

Inspiring Stephen. Ownership of addiction seems to be the turning point. If you own it, you can choose to live with it or be free of it.

November 20, 2018 at 2:59 PM

Stephen C. Schultz said…

Thank you Ryan for your comment. So true...ownership is the key!

November 20, 2018 at 3:19 PM

The Young Boy and the Rattlesnake

By Stephen C. Schultz (Editors note: This is a story used in a Wilderness Treatment Program for Young Adults . Many come to this program having struggled with substance abuse and interacting with unsavory friends.) Many years ago there was a young Native American who lived in the very land you are residing in. He decided to seek wisdom by journeying to the top of Indian Peak. As he approached the base of the mountain he came across a rattlesnake that slithered beside him. The snake coiled as if to strike and the young boy moved back quickly in fear of being struck by the snake’s deadly venom. At that instant the snake spoke to the boy saying, “Don’t be afraid of me, I mean you no harm. I come to you to ask a favor. I see that you are about to traverse to the top of Indian Peak and was hoping that you may be willing to place me in your satchel so that I don’t have to make the long journey alone.” The young boy surprised by the snake’s request quickly responded b

Video Games, Anxiety and ADHD - Free Family Resources

By Stephen C. Schultz Video Games, Anxiety and ADHD - Is there a common theme? Aloft Transitions Home for Young Adults This is simply a complimentary resource guide for parents of teens and young adults who struggle with ADHD, Anxiety and Gaming. ADHD: • Russell Barkley, Taking Charge of ADHD • Hallowell & Ratey, Delivered from Distraction • Harvey Parker, The ADD Hyperactivity Workbook for Parents, Teachers, & Kids • Bradley & Giedd, Yes, Your Teen Is Crazy!: Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind • Gurian, Michael, The Minds of Boys Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life, 2005. • Hanna, Mohab, Making the Connection: A Parents’ Guide to Medication in AD/HD • www.CHADD.org (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) • www.help4adhd.org • www.aap.org (American Academy of Pediatrics) • www.aacap.org (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Young Adult caring for new baby calf Anxiety: The following websites

Navigating the Highway of Healthy Communication

By Stephen C. Schultz “I was on the road in my car last week. It was a long stretch of highway where it is easy for your speed to creep up. I looked in the review mirror and saw blue and red flashing lights. I watched as the right hand of the officer extended to lift a microphone to his mouth. He was obviously running my plates. I glanced at my driver’s side mirror and observed as his door opened and he stepped around the edge of the door and closed it with a single, fluid motion. In a cautious and calculated manner, with his right hand resting about hip high on his revolver and his left hand carrying some paper, he was at my door in ten easy strides.” Ok…now that you have read that first paragraph, what are you feeling? Did reading that stir any emotions? Could you relate to my experience? How many of you are smiling? You’ve been there…right? You know the feeling. Often there is dread. Sometimes there is fear. Most times there is frustration because you were just goin

The Interpreted Rock

Search This Blog