A Gentle Path To Recovery
Valuable Resources
Fuel for the journey ahead!
It's an invaluable life tool to build a library of references to really embellish your recovery. It's important to keep it interesting enough to sustain a lifelong journey. No matter how many years of sobriety we have under our belts, we are always only one drink, drug or behaviour away from returning to the dark and draining world of addiction.
As you grow and learn this will also inspire others to take the red pill and wake up from the chaos that is addiction. This is your energetic legacy living through others way beyond your own lifespan.
Here is a list of videos, books and web pages I have discovered over the years that have really helped and inspired me on my (mostly) beautiful recovery journey. I would also recommend that if you meet anyone who you find particularly inspiring to ask them for book recommendations. Doing some book searches on Amazon and reading through the book reviews is a great way to enhance your recovery arsenal.
A few years ago, during car journeys, I replaced radio and music with audio books on Audible. The app links to your Amazon account and you are given 1 free book when you download the app and also a free book recommended from any other audible user by using the drop down menu (3 dots located on the top right corner from within each audio book titled ‘send this book’). I'm happy to share from my library so you can get your second free book:
email me at rebournerecovery@gmail.com) ​
The books I have in my library have (Audible) next to the title. There's a great source of free audiobooks on Amazon Prime. Put in a search for ‘addiction’ and tick the box ‘Included in Prime’ and take your pick! There are also free audiobooks available on Spotify if you have a paid membership. If you have a family membership, only the main account holder has access to free books.
Continue reading down the page, for valuable resources
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The 6 Stages of Change
This link will explain and explore the 6 stages of change as shown in session 2.
Here's a brief description of them:
The 6 Stages of Change in addiction recovery come from the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, developed by Prochaska and DiClemente. These stages outline the process individuals typically go through when modifying addictive behaviors. Here's a breakdown:
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1. Precontemplation
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Mindset: The person is not yet considering change and/or doesn't see a problem with their behaviour.
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Common traits: Denial, defensiveness, resistance to advice, underestimating risks.
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Goal: To increase awareness of the negative impact of the addiction.
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Action: Understand that having addiction is like having a disease that spends its life trying to convince you that it doesn't exist. Bypass the word ‘Addiction’ and consider ‘negative impacts’ on; relationship with self and others, work, mental health, physical health and finances.
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2. Contemplation
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Mindset: The person is aware there's a problem and is thinking about change, but not ready to commit.
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Common traits: Ambivalence, weighing pros and cons, feeling stuck.
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Goal: Resolve ambivalence and strengthen motivation for change.
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Action: Accept that ambivalence is part of the process, picture and journal what life would look like beyond addition. Be as specific as possible.
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3. Preparation
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Mindset: The person has decided to make a change soon (within the next month) and may begin taking small steps.
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Common traits: Making a plan, gathering support, setting goals.
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Goal: Develop a clear action plan and commit to change.
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Action: choose a specific date, like a birthday, anniversary or first day of a calendar month. Enthusiastically look forward to this date. Work the managing cravings session. Listen to the narratives behind the cravings.
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​4. Action
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Mindset: The person is actively taking steps to change their behavior (e.g., quitting substance use, going to therapy).
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Common traits: High motivation, visible behavioral change, seeking support.
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Goal: Implement strategies for change and avoid relapse.
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5. Maintenance
Here's where it can get a bit tricky. Once we have experienced a period of abstinence we can start to believe we are ‘cured’. Now would be a good opportunity to revisit session 3 ‘When Addict Thinking Sabotages Our Recovery.’ Also read through your notes and journaling on this particular session.
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Mindset: The person has sustained the change for 6 months or more and is working to prevent relapse.
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Common traits: Continued self-monitoring, lifestyle adjustments, building resilience.
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Goal: Maintain progress, strengthen coping strategies, and stay vigilant.
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6. Relapse/recycling
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Mindset: Return to old behaviors after some period of abstinence.
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Reality: Common and part of the recovery journey.
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Goal: Learn from the relapse and re-enter the cycle at an earlier stage with more insight.
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The Power of Journaling
This link will give you a good insight on how and why to journal and what the benefits are. Addiction is hard wired to create a divide within our personal connection with ourselves. Journaling rebuilds those bridges and then allows us to recover our connections with others. Some of whom we might have lost while addiction held us hostage.
A Guided Meditation by Alan Watts
Many people say they are unable to meditate, I reply: "If you can breathe then you can meditate.” I cannot tell you how much meditation has been at my side, like a friend taking many rough edges off some of the harsher times of my life. It also serves as a valuable life tool in the form of a daily practice to set me up for the day, especially if I meditate in the morning.
It's a good way to unwind if I meditate before sleep. Any time inbetween allows me to stop and embrace how wonderful life is or to help me to manage a tricky situation and moderate overwhelming feelings.
Gabor Maté describes addiction
Summary:
This will give people with or without addiction a quick tour of Gabor Maté’s view of addiction.
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Exercise: Take notes on how it resonates with you.
Drop Dead Fred
I have often used the main character in this film (Fred) as a great archetype for the ‘Addict energy.’
As discussed in Session 7: I have hypothesised that ‘the addict’ was created in childhood and something akin to an imaginary friend. It protected us from some, or even all, of our childhood traumas. My current understanding is that the addict ‘splinter self' character protected us in childhood. It did this by hiding us away from danger, amongst other coping strategies, then followed us into adulthood. The childhood coping mechanisms were then replaced with grown up ones like drink, drugs, hedonistic sex and gambling.
Drop Dead Fred embodies the chaotic, destructive energy of addiction. He mirrors the impulsivity and recklessness of the ‘Addict energy.’ Fred disrupts Lizzie’s life under the guise of helping her heal, but instead causes turmoil, reflecting how addiction often begins as a coping mechanism before spiraling into self-sabotage. His erratic behavior mimics the highs and lows of dependency, offering fleeting relief but leaving damage in his wake. Ultimately, Lizzie’s journey to reclaim control parallels recovery, where she must confront her past and reject Fred, symbolizing the painful but necessary act of letting go of an addictive force.