Recovery Café

Claire Lavergne, Hannah’s House Alumni Care Coordinator For the longest time, I felt like I was running up a hill because I kept fighting everything and everybody. I was full of fear; my family completely cut me off and did not want to participate in my life anymore. I was on my own in Dallas,… Read On »

Bart Ross – Recovery and Alumni Services Coordinator, Hanley Center at Origins A common question is if God is so loving, why do we suffer from alcoholism and other sufferings in our life? I still don’t personally know the whole answer to this question, and probably never will, but I can understand and accept that… Read On »

by Kellye DeBerry, Alumni Coordinator, Hanley Center at Origins When I came into the rooms of the 12-Step program, I played a scene in my head of how I pictured my life from that point on. And I imagined my life looking a lot like what is portrayed on TV and in movies. I pictured… Read On »

Chad Lentscher, Director of Alumni, Origins South Padre Island I had a profound experience in recent years around Step Six. Following a Fifth Step, I was staring at several pages of character defects, and three things occurred to me. One, the list was almost identical to every other character defect list I had generated. Two, if… Read On »

by Bart Ross, Alumni Coordinator, Hanley Center at Origins “Doubtless you are curious to discover how and why, to the contrary, we have recovered from a hopeless condition of mind and body.” – Big Book, pg. 20 I want to talk a little about “recovered” vs. “recovering.” I’ve experienced that this can be a controversial… Read On »

My name is Amber W. and I am a recovered alcoholic. I did not ever think I would be able to say that. Before Origins, My life was full of misery and hopelessness. I could not stop drinking and using drugs; I could not manage my life; my relationships were non-existent. I had already been… Read On »

Those of us living with addiction and mental health issues are no strangers to insecurity and low self-esteem. We lack the confidence and sense of self to prioritize our health and well-being. We reject ourselves so much that we compound our own mental and emotional pain. This can make us resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms… Read On »

Before we recover, some of us attempt to escape addiction with a “geographical cure.” In other words, we move or travel as a way to “outsmart” addiction – a plan which is doomed to failure. But once we recover, can travel help us to grow and heal? Many people associate travel with leisure, with going… Read On »

  It’s common to feel fatigued early in addiction recovery. Exactly why you feel fatigued depends on your specific circumstances, though all of them relate to brain health. For example, if you’re recovering from cocaine addiction, your brain is trying to function without the powerful stimulant it has come to rely on. If you’re recovering from… Read On »

  There are several reasons it’s good to manage your expectations going into addiction recovery. You obviously have to have some expectation that your life will improve, otherwise, it’s hard to stay motivated. However, expecting too much too soon can be discouraging. No one has the exact same experience of recovery, but there are inevitably… Read On »