This workbook is based on a traditional recovery program. This workbook is meant to be a self-help manual on your road to recovery. It does not, however, take the place of a professional therapist who is trained in addiction counseling. If you or a loved one is in need of counseling (which is a great tool on this journey) then I encourage you to explore the concept of individual counseling. Joanna Johnson, MSW

Stepping on the Stones

A New Experience in RecoveryBy Joanna Johnson

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Joanna Johnson, MSW
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-2390-8

Contents

Introduction....................................1How to Use This Manual..........................5Healthier Life Contract.........................8The Disease.....................................9Drug/Alcohol Addiction Test.....................11The First Stone.................................18The Second Stone................................44The Third Stone.................................86The Fourth Stone................................101The Fifth Stone.................................136The Sixth Stone.................................147The Seventh Stone...............................153

Chapter One

How to Use This Manual

As you begin this incredible journey here are a few suggestions we found helpful. First of all, questions asked of you in the workbook are essential for your recovery. Answering them with honesty is important. Th is will eventually give you a great insight into issues about your disease that have been hidden by the behaviors of addiction. Th e space provided for these questions are only the beginning.

Use your notebook for additional space. If you intend to use this manual over and over (as we hope you will) then please answer all questions in your notebook. In the back of the workbook you will find your inventory sheets. When an inventory is called for, pull out a sheet and complete it. I suggest you have the following tools:

Seven stones all washed and labeled 1-7; Pencils (allows you to erase and re-write); Introduction CD (this will aid you in how to proceed); Journal or notebook for additional writing; Special treats for yourself for rewarding the completion of a STONE; A Pocket dictionary. This may be helpful for words in this manual if you are unsure of their definition; and "Healthier Life" contract. Sign, date and hang this contract where you can view it often. A reminder of this commitment will aid you in tougher-than-normal days. Take the Drug/Alcohol Addiction Test before and after.

The Stones

The stones are about energy and are symbolic to the creek you are about to cross over (meaning out of control compulsive obsessive behavior to a new understanding of self, which is the journey to recovery and self worth). The stones you'll use to represent this journey should not be real big and should fit in your hand.

If you want, use a marker, paint, crayon, or whatever you have to write a number on each stone. Each stone will be part of your image of walking the creek, and you will handle them a lot. As you are working a stepping stone, keep handling the stone. I choose to keep my stones in a circle, which is how I can most relate. My friends use straight lines and all kind of combinations. You will decide this for yourself. My first stone, by the way, is always with me as I always need to work and live within the teachings of the first stone.

How to Use the Website

Being able to talk to another recovering person working on our program may be a big help in your journey. Go to our website: www. therecoverycenter.net. Then go to the link for The Stepping Stones Forum. Create a user name and password. We encourage you to use it as a place to vent, to start making healthy friends in recovery and any suggestions are welcomed. If you would like to contact Joanna Johnson directly you can email her at:

joannajohnson@therecoverycenter.net.

How to Use the Discs

Disc 1 is the Introduction CD and it introduces you to the visualization of the creek. We suggest listening to this more than once before moving on and as often as needed until you can visualize the creek and see yourself ready to cross it. Also on disc 1 is my explanation of this part of the manual. Disc 2 is Stone One. Disc 3 is Stone Two and Stone Three. The reason we included discs with this manual is so that you can listen to the discs over and over and have continuous support and guidance whether you are listening to the discs separately, or while you're working the manual.

How to Do an Inventory

An inventory is a visual picture of your life experiences divided into different phases of time as identified by age brackets. Under each topic that you identify, go to the right side of your inventory sheet and find the age that you want to relate information positive and negative to. In the back of your manual are ten inventory sheets. Please use these and if you need more, just copy them.

Once you have completed an inventory and look at the page it is then easy to see your patterns and your personal accomplishments and personal failures. This will be a writing map for your questions and then for your recovery. If you need any more information go to our website as referenced above.

This first inventory is the hardest. The concept of personal inventories is a process you will continue throughout recovery and it becomes your key tool to knowing yourself.

An inventory is self disclosure. An inventory looks at an age span of your life and documents events and behaviors and feelings during that timeframe. It directs you toward a specific timeframe and associates the issues during that timeframe you will self examine. We have given you an example inventory in the back; use it to see how to fill in the categories.

Healthier Life Contract

I ____________________________________, commit myself to begin the wonderful journey of recovery.

I am committing to myself to:

Be clean and sober one day at a time Be honest in all my writing Give myself the right to cry Treat myself with respect

I will begin my journey of recovery by understanding that I will have difficult and very hard days and accepting that having very hard days will be alright. Perfection is elusive and unobtainable and therefore my goal is to begin each day anew, knowing that recovery is a process, not instantaneous.

___________________________ ____________ Signature Date

"There is a crack in everything God has made"

What are the stepping stones and why do we need to understand them as a prerequisite to recovery? Why is it important to understand the disease concept? So we can learn to live with the disease of alcoholism and chemical dependency.

The Disease

What makes us addicts is the disease of addiction and not the actual drugs or alcohol. Alcohol and drugs are what we do. It is not about behavior. It is about compulsive and obsessive action and about the way we think. Addiction is a disease of the brain and relates directly to our thinking and the way we interpret and disseminate information. It is the same thinking pattern that makes us prone to obsession and compulsion in all areas of our lives.

(Taken from the Narcotics Anonymous (NA) workbook)

Definition of Addiction: Being abnormally tolerant to and dependant on something that is psychologically or physically habit forming.

The term addiction is used in many ways to describe an obsession or compulsion or excessive physical dependency.

Example: smoking, eating, computer, video games, and some TV. Doing anything out of balance is the key.

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