memories

One Day At A Time

Castle Rehab Reunion

An anxious start to the morning as I was getting ready for the day and leaving early for the Castle Reunion. A feeling of the unknown, how other fellows have been getting on in recovery and what the day will . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection , Rehabilitation -

Fellow arrival & Fellows meal

A nice chilled morning after the busy day sightseeing yesterday. We picked up the other fellow from the train station, the town is packed with tourists, so took a little longer due to people randomly walking across the road. After . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection , Gratitudes -

The sights and sounds of Edinburgh

The morning started with an early wake-up and a trip to the hairdresser. I love getting a fresh cut as you feel so much, fresher. This is my fellow’s second time in Scotland, with the first being the visit to . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Heartwarming & accomplishment.

Woke up in an amazing mood and had a nice last day at work before my time off. Looking forward to the weekend and catching up with all the fellows. Spent some of the morning before work preparing the house . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Gratitude in my recovery

Spent the morning before work getting the house ready for my guest’s arrival. I am looking forward to the week ahead, one more day of work, then off for just over a week. The first of my guests arrives tomorrow . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Not long now, but recovery does not have a holiday!

It feels fantastic to be naturally waking up at about 5.30/6 am every morning, your day feels much fuller, and you feel fresher throughout the day. Another busy morning working on some of the projects and this website, then getting . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Creating a new life that is easier not to use?

I had a better sleep last night as it was a lot cooler. Good morning working on website planning and learning a new feature that will allow me to manage social media easier. The sun broke through by the afternoon . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

A sheep without a shepherd.

Not the best of sleep, on/off sleeping due to the heat, even with a fan on most of the night. I did manage to get some sleep and had a nice catch-up with my Gran on the way to church. . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Feel Proud

Anxious start to the day as I did not know what to fully expect later on at the event. As I was anxious I spent the morning focusing on small tasks around the house and keeping busy, which worked and . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Anxious and Excited

My morning therapy session went very well, discussing about the week I have had and what is ahead of me next week. I talked about how I am anxious about an event I am attending tomorrow, not so much about . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

AA Share – Pride

Woke up early this morning and had a better sleep, even though it is still quite hot at night. The daily routine is still in place, with another good day at work in the sun. At the AA meeting, I . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

RET Model

The aftercare session was very interesting this evening, discussing the RET (Rational Emotive Therapy) Model and relating it back to the previous week’s topic, Acceptance. This reinforced in me why I need to do things differently in recovery. In addiction, . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Admiration & Anxious

The weather has been amazing recently. Another good day at work in the sun and every day I am feeling more positive and forward-thinking in my position. It has taken me a little bit of time to adjust, and with . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Hope

Normal Monday overall. Good weather, work went well and I am feeling more positivity within myself and my ability to do my job. I find it amazing what effects alcohol was having over me without me even realising it. Reading . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Headache & Website Updates

Not a good start to the day. Had broken sleep all night due to the heat and woke up with a bad headache. Did not go to church as my headache was consuming me and I was knackered from no . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Back Kayaking!

A very productive day and it felt good! Started doing general house work, repotting plants and working on a few issues this website has been having. The weather has been amazing today, hot and sunny, so all morning I could . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Somber day

The day started off in my usual way of routine and going to work. But, then I was notified that a fellow from the castle has passed away. I had built a good friendship with this fellow. We spent time . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Focus on today

Pleasant day today, good morning and work went well in the sun. AA meeting share was focused on helping other alcoholics, the strength of the AA 12-step program and focusing on one day at a time. The share made me . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Acceptance

Acceptance was the subject this evening in the psychoeducation session. Something that I think about every day in my recovery. My recovery will never end, and to me, acceptance has been one of the most important factors in ensuring I . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

Same Old Same Old

Feelings were up and down today. Just felt slightly depressed and down all day. The morning started off fine with working on the project, a few more items sold and posted and then a good start to work. All day . . . .

No Responses

Alcohol , Daily Reflection -

General

Alcohol

Sharing experiences and advice on navigating Alcohol addiction & recovery

Coping Mechanisms​

Managing anxiety, depression, anger, negative thoughts, and difficult emotions.​

Daily Reflections

Introspection and contemplation to review the events, experiences, and emotions of the day

Financial

Managing the financial impact on mental health

Gratitudes

Thankfulness, gratefulness, appreciation of kindness

Loved Ones

Supporting a Loved One with Mental Illness. Effective communication, managing boundaries, and finding support resources

Mindfulness

Mindfulness practices for stress reduction, focus, and emotional regulation

rehabilitation

Sharing experiences of rehabilitation

relationships

Sharing experiences and advice on navigating relationships

Rights & Advocacy

Mental health policy and legislation, promoting mental health access and support

self-care

Techniques for relaxation, sleep hygiene, healthy eating habits, building a self-care routine

Substance

Sharing experiences and advice on navigating Substance addiction & recovery

Suicide Prevention

Raising awareness about suicide prevention, and offering hope for recovery

technology

The impact of social media and technology on mental health

Identity

LGBTQ+

Coming out, LGBTQ+ relationships, facing discrimination, finding affirmation

Race / Ethnicity

Cultural considerations, addressing stigma in different cultures, mental health challenges faced

Religion / Spirituality

The role of faith in recovery, finding spiritual support, reconciling mental illness with religious beliefs, mindfulness practices from various religions

Life

academic

Coping with academic stress, managing social anxiety, navigating mental health

Adults

Life stress management (work & relationships), maintaining mental health during midlife transitions, empty nest syndrome, aging & mental health

Children & Adolescents

Parenting children, managing anxiety & depression in teens, social media & body image issues, bullying prevention

Pregnancy / Postpartum

Challenges during pregnancy and postpartum, coping with postpartum depression & anxiety

Health

illness

Managing the emotional impact of ilness, chronic illness, pain & fatigue

disabilities

Mental health considerations for individuals with disabilities and their caregivers

hospitalization

Sharing experiences with inpatient and outpatient treatment, coping with hospitalization, and reintegration into daily life

medication

Discussions on medication for mental health conditions, side effects, and medication adherence

Mind-body

Exploring the link between mental and physical health, promoting healthy lifestyle habits to support mental well-being

Specific

ADHD

Sharing experiences and coping mechanisms for managing ADHD

Anxiety

Anxiety disorders like GAD, social anxiety, panic disorder, phobias

Bereavement

Sharing experiences and coping mechanisms for managing Bereavement

Eating

Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, body image and self-esteem

Learning

Learning strategies, and managing challenges

Mood

Depression, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, postpartum depression

OCD

Sharing experiences and coping mechanisms for managing OCD

Trauma

Sharing experiences and coping mechanisms for managing Trauma