Staying at home and keeping your distance from others is critical for your physical health during the coronavirus outbreak. It is equally important, though, that you continue to care for your mental and emotional health as well. Taking steps to understand how to avoid...
Mental Illness Awareness Week in 2019 is October 6th to October 12th. The U.S. Congress established Mental Illness Awareness Week in 1990. Every year, it takes place on the first full week of October and highlights the efforts of mental health advocacy groups like...
The Phone Call Every Parent Fears “I’m sorry—we found him too late. There is no hope.” “She overdosed last night and died early this morning.” The phone call every parent fears. While the vast majority of parents never receive it, parents of addicts have a greater probability...
Most people approach new situations with joy, excitement, and anticipation. BRC Recovery took the female residents on an outing this week that was no different. Looking around the art studio, I observed carefree conversations, laughter, and merriment. The excitement for me, however, was short-lived. Waiting...
Just like pieces to a jigsaw puzzle, I take the lessons God presents in my life and connect them to create a cohesive picture. The pieces to my life puzzle this week: -“Triumph of the inner spirit” While sharing his story at BRC Recovery, Mike...
Unlike the Boy Scouts who are always prepared, I arrived at my very first half marathon lacking some fundamental “Do’s” and “Don’ts.” After some practical experience with the process, however, I learned these basic guidelines to make future races a bit easier: 1. Weather—always check...
On Saturday, March 9, current residents of BRC Recovery, Alumni, family and proud members of Austin’s Recovery Community gathered at the Mark Houston Hall to hear former Program Director Audrey C. tell her story. My house manager said to me once that you know...
I had a conversation recently with a dear friend about the importance of “not asking why” We agreed that this was one of the biggest lessons we learned from the BRC Recovery experience. I know that when I first arrived, it was hard for...
Single girl in the middle—that’s exactly where I found myself on Valentine’s Day. I was sandwiched between Courtney’s sweet flower bouquet and Tracie’s chocolate covered strawberries. Yikes! Suddenly, I wasn’t just a single girl…I was an especially single girl. In that moment I felt lonely,...
According to someone on Pinterest, “Even a bad run is better than no run at all.” Obviously this person neither suffers from alcoholism nor perfectionism. Four weeks into training for my first ever ½ marathon, I experienced my first “bad” run. The stage was set...
Cowboy boots are empowering. At the very least, they are somewhat symbolic of my acceptance into the realm of sobriety. It wasn’t until I was surrounded by a group of strong, happy women in Texas that I began to change my concept of what...
Now that presents have been opened, gifts returned and trees dismantled, I suppose I should turn my thoughts to the new year—resolutions in particular. Like everyone else, I have made countless promises to myself over the years to lose those last ten pounds, color-coordinate my...
