Symptoms leading to relapse from any addiction:

1. Becoming too tired. Following through with self care activities is essential to recovery.
2. Changing from honesty to dishonesty. Lying, rationalizations, and making excuses are behaviors which indicate lack of judgment and poor choices. One can not live in true recovery if these behaviors are present.
3. Blaming and impatience are behaviors that do not belong in true recovery.
4. Increased agitation indicates basic needs are not being attended to.
5. Self pity is another behavior which does not belong in true recovery. Playing the victim role indicates not taking responsibility for one’s behavior.
6. Feeling too confident without humility is one way to revisit your drug of choice.
7. Complacency is another one way road back to using.
8. Decreased discipline. Letting up on healthy behaviors that have helped you maintain sobriety will also lead you down the wrong path.

In AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) has a saying which has helped countless people. 

“HALT”

Do not get:

Too Hungry.

Too Angry. 

Too lonley.

Too tired. 

Recovery boils down to basics and how bad you want it. It is difficult to come back to basics because addicts love excitement, drama, and spinning as many plates in the air as possible. Most addicts are smarter that the average bear! Use those smarts to live a meaningful life instead of a medicated one. 

To all the Veterans and their families THANK YOU for our freedom. In this world filled with adversity, you follow orders from the Commander and Chief to keep the USA safe. You do your job well and it shows.    

Hopefully the war in Iraq will end soon and some of you will be able to return to your home land. We will welcome you back with open arms!    

With the new administration, my hope is that American’s can make more allies around the world as apposed to enemies. This may happen because of the great job you have done. Again, thank you. 

My beloved Uncle is a retired Colonel. If you are in Iraq or any where else in the world, my Uncle’s advice to you is “look out for your buddies and they will look out for you!”