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You may not know that September is Recovery Month. And if you love someone who is still actively struggling with addiction, you may wonder what that has to do with you. And that could be more than you might think. Every September, we celebrate people who have found their way out of addiction, honour the courage it takes to choose recovery, and remind people who are still struggling that change is possible. I know something about that journey. After living with addiction to opioids for 15 years, I am now nearly 40 years clean and sober. I know that recovery is possible because I've lived it…

By: Christine Zitscher For anyone in recovery—whether it be day 1 or day 1000—we all recognize one major truth which is that it is nearly impossible to do alone and in silence. For me, this was a hard truth to accept. It is one thing to accept that I am an alcoholic but now I need to talk about it? No thank you! No one needs to know that I am a drunk who can’t control her drinking. I will quit drinking and everything will be fixed, right? Unfortunately, many of us who relapse discover that this is not possible. Addiction is an isolating condition; it keeps us apart from our fellows because we…

By Christine Zitscher Recovery is not one-size-fits-all. For many people, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and its well-known 12 Steps have provided structure, community, and hope. For others, the language and framework of 12 Step groups do not fully fit their beliefs, identity, or personal experience. That is where alternatives like the 16 Steps from Charlotte Kasl offer another path. Kasl, often associated with a more empowerment-based and inclusive recovery model, developed her 16 Steps as a response to concerns that traditional 12-step programs can feel overly…

People often use the words self-respect and self-esteem as if they mean the same thing. They don't. In fact, I believe confusing the two is one of the reasons so many people struggle to feel good about themselves. Here's the difference: Self-respect comes from the inside out. Self-esteem comes from the outside in. Self-esteem grows when someone tells you: "You look great today." "You did an amazing job." "I love your outfit." Those compliments can feel wonderful. But here's the problem. If you don't already have self-respect, those compliments don't stick. Instead, you might think: "If they…