by BoutiqueByDesign | Nov 27, 2019 | Addiction, Recovery Pathways, Resources for Recovery
Genes, Addiction, & Personality (GAP) Study SHE RECOVERS® is proud to share our support and recruitment effort for VCU’s “The Genes, Addiction, and Personality” (GAP) study. As a person in long term recovery who also just happens to be a (former) researcher... 
by Dawn Nickel | Aug 26, 2019 | 12 step program, Addiction, Alcoholism, Defining Moments, Moms in Recovery, Recovery Pathways, Things to Think About
First of all – and this is an important point – I am one of you. For the past thirty years I’ve attended and been involved with a twelve-step recovery program for people who struggle with addiction. I’ve probably attended thousands of meetings, done years’ worth of... 
by Dawn Nickel | May 28, 2019 | Addiction, Anxiety, Codependency, Defining Moments, Moms in Recovery, Perfectionism, Recovery Pathways, Workaholism
SHE RECOVERS founder Dawn Nickel shares what “we are all recovering from something” means to her as well as some fundamental truths she has discovered over her three decades of recovery. If I’ve learned anything over the past three decades of my own... 
by Erin W | Nov 10, 2018 | Addiction, Defining Moments, Family, Grateful, Relationships
You can listen to this blog here: This story has a happy ending. I need to tell you that here at the top of the page, because things will happen in the paragraphs below that will make you doubt the ending. I don’t care for tension, so I am taking it out here for both... 
by Erin W | Feb 16, 2018 | Addiction, Defining Moments, Grateful, Things to Think About
My sons are 12 and 14, and they are fully and completely their ages. This means they are constantly engaged in testing both their limits and mine. A few weeks ago, report cards came home. Things escalated quickly and I could feel my 12-year-old digging his heels into... 
by Erin W | Jan 29, 2018 | Addiction, Alcoholism, Defining Moments, Relationships, Resources for Recovery, Self Care, Uncategorized
“To succeed, most people need a community of support.” – Cheryl Strayed Many of us are working on our recovery alone or piecing it together from various programs, therapies and online resources. These tools are powerful, but they do not replace the need for actual... 
by Erin W | Jan 13, 2018 | Addiction, Uncategorized
When we decide to make hard changes in our lives, we find ourselves facing down our own personal demons. These demons – or Big Bads – come in all different shapes and sizes. My demon was alcohol. (Or at least that is how it first presented itself.) Your demon may be... 
by Erin W | Jan 5, 2018 | Addiction, Defining Moments, Grateful
It’s Day Six of 2018. Is your resolve shaky? Are you rethinking your decision to change? To stay sober, stay sane, stay steady on your new course? Are you starting to give into the voice that says: “Maybe it wasn’t that bad. Maybe I can stay the same.” I get it. I... 
by Erin W | Dec 23, 2017 | Addiction, Alcoholism, Moms in Recovery, Relationships, Self Care, Things to Think About, Workaholism
Keeping track of it all Last weekend I was at a Christmas party at the home of a couple who have two children with special needs. Stephanie, age 7, was born with only one hand. Christopher, age 5, has Down Syndrome. The parents warmly greeted their guests. You could... 
by Erin W | Dec 3, 2017 | Addiction, Alcoholism, Defining Moments, Grateful, Moms in Recovery, Ponderings, Relationships, Things to Think About
The truth pattern of recovery: Clarity. Rock Bottom. Acceptance. Gratitude. Lately I have developed a healthy fear of answers. Answers seem to have too much rigidity around them. Black and White. You’re Wrong, I’m Right. Answers tend to turn ugly, quickly. I much... 
by Erin W | Nov 18, 2017 | Addiction, Defining Moments, Grateful, Guest Posts, Ponderings, Self Care, Yoga and Meditation for Recovery
The post below, originally published at The Fix, was written by Rebecca Rush who attended a She Recovers retreat in Bali earlier this year. (This fantastic picture is a favorite from that trip!) “I knew something needed to change in my life and originally signed up... 
by Erin W | Nov 4, 2017 | Addiction, Alcoholism, Defining Moments, Grateful, Moms in Recovery, Ponderings
Please help us welcome Erin W. who will be writing for and managing our She Recovers blog. She is amazing. Read on and see for yourself. ~Dawn~ The Reasons It started with Baby #1. I like a routine; a schedule. And I read that babies do, too. So every night at... 
by Blog Admin | Jun 28, 2017 | Addiction, Defining Moments, Guest Posts, Ponderings, Relationships, Self Care, Things to Think About, Workaholism
Guest Blog Post by Caroline McGraw Oh honey, I know what you’re like. You are a driven, high-achieving woman trying so very hard to be perfect. You have a staggering helping of responsibilities on your plate. You’re the conscientious planner, the purposeful... 
by Blog Admin | Jun 8, 2017 | Addiction, Alcoholism, Did you know?, Entrepreneurs in Recovery, Recovery Pathways, Resources for Recovery
GUEST POST BY CAROLINE BLACK Most of us recovering from addiction are open to the idea of accessing extra help. Regardless of whether we need constant or occasional help, having access to innovative resources and tools can only be a good thing. If you need help... 
by Blog Admin | May 17, 2017 | Addiction, Alcoholism, Did you know?, Guest Posts, Recovery Pathways, Self Care, Things to Think About, Yoga and Meditation for Recovery
Relapse is common in early recovery from drug or alcohol abuse. Many long-term alcoholics and drug addicts fail the first time they attempt to quit. This is because the intense cravings experienced by substance abusers are actually due to changes in brain chemistry.... by Blog Admin | May 17, 2017 | Addiction, Alcoholism, Defining Moments, Entrepreneurs in Recovery, Grateful, Guest Posts, Kudos for Recovery Warriors, Ponderings, Recovery Coaching, Recovery Pathways, Resources for Recovery, Self Care, Things to Think About
I felt the crack split slowly beneath my feet as it gave way and I plunged into the deep freezing water. Grab my camera! I shouted as the weight of my wool coat got heavy and my body began to sink into the lake. I looked up at my friend Rae standing just a few feet... 
by Blog Admin | May 2, 2017 | Addiction, Did you know?, Entrepreneurs in Recovery, Guest Posts, Recovery Pathways, Self Care, Things to Think About, Uncategorized
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Will Durant (American Philosopher and Historian) “Habit is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do).” – Stephen Covey (The 7... by Blog Admin | Mar 12, 2017 | Addiction, Guest Posts, Ponderings, Self Care
Years ago when I heard people got massages, or went to meditation, or took a “me” day I would scoff. How do they have time or money to do that? Seems like a complete waste of time to me. No one takes bubble baths in their 20s. Sure a massage might be nice, but it’s a... 
by Blog Admin | Feb 12, 2017 | Addiction, Guest Posts, Ponderings, Relationships, Things to Think About
No matter how far down the road to recovery I go, I find myself from time to time, in a hole. Or, I notice that I am acting out in behaviors that are unhelpful to me. When these things become apparent to me I nearly always discover it’s because my balance is... by Blog Admin | Jan 13, 2017 | Addiction, Alcoholism, Defining Moments, Entrepreneurs in Recovery, Guest Posts, Ponderings, Recovery Pathways, Resources for Recovery
We don’t break habits; we replace behaviours. This truth is at the heart of everything I have done since getting sober. From the moment my drinking life finally came crashing down around me, I have gone about the business of creating an entirely different... 
by Blog Admin | Jan 4, 2017 | Addiction, Alcoholism, Entrepreneurs in Recovery, Grateful, Guest Posts, Kudos for Recovery Warriors, Moms in Recovery
Prayer of St. Francis Lord, make me a channel of thy peace! That where there is hatred, I may bring love. That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness. That where there is discord, I may bring harmony. That where there is error, I may bring truth.... 
by Blog Admin | Dec 11, 2016 | Addiction, Alcoholism, Entrepreneurs in Recovery, Guest Posts, Recovery Pathways
Unless you have personally witnessed a loved one suffer from alcoholism, it’s very difficult to identify the characteristics of an alcoholic. If I was to ask you to identify the female alcoholic in a lineup of 10 people, it would be impossible. Alcoholics come in all... 
by Blog Admin | Dec 9, 2016 | Addiction, Did you know?, Guest Posts, Things to Think About
It’s probably true that when most of us think about people addicted to drugs, the pictures that pop up are of younger or middle-aged persons, not seniors. Indeed, most people and service agencies focus on addiction as experienced by the younger generations. Often,... 
