A series of my blog posts based on Stephanie Brown’s wonderful book, A Place Called Self: Women, Sobriety, and Radical Transformation. In her book, Stephanie talks about what happens to women in recovery, how they think, how they feel, their problems, the good things, etc. (The book is relevant to men as well!)
What is Recovery? (Part 1)
‘Recovery has held so many surprises for me. Some good. Some bad. I didn’t know I could hurt so much. But I also didn’t know I could love so much and be so loved.’
What is Recovery (Part 2)
Stephanie describes recovery as radical change in personal identity, or the self. She goes on to emphasise a number of myths about recovery.
What is Recovery (Part 3)
Stephanie emphasises that in recovery a woman transforms the way she thinks about herself, as well as the way she thinks about life itself. She points out two common myths about recovery, the first of which I’ll discuss here: ‘Recovery is moving from bad to good.’
What is Recovery (Part 4)
Stephanie talks about the second myth of recovery: dependence is bad and recovery means you are no longer dependent.
Losing a Self: Lying to Yourself
Stephanie describes how one’s self (or identity) changes in a negative manner during the process of addiction. She focuses on lying to oneself.
How Do I Cope in Early Recovery?
How do you tell your family that you need to stop drinking and that you need meetings when they don’t think anything is wrong? Or when they’re so angry they don’t want to stick around while you get well. Most of all, how do you survive each moment and each day when the pain is so great and you are so scared?’
Coping in Early Recovery: The Toddler Stage
She begins to hear a new language, the language of recovery, and, like a toddler, begins to form her new self and her new identity around the acceptance of her addiction
